The Effects of Technology on Learning English as a Foreign Language Among Female EFL Students at Effatt College: An Exploratory Study

Salmah Alsulami

Abstract


Technology offers modern educational tools for learning English as a foreign language. For the current study, the effects of technology on learning English as a foreign language among female EFL students at Effatt College were investigated. To achieve this aim, questionnaires with Likert scale questions were used in the study. The questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part began with two general questions about age and educational level. The second part included four specific questions regarding technology tools that enhance learning the English language. Thirty-Six participants were included in this study. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to obtain accurate results. The findings clearly indicate that computer software, social networking websites, online videos, audio tools (i.e., YouTube, Skype, MP3 players), and smart phone and tablet apps have a positive impact on learning English as a foreign language. Therefore, technology tools can clearly be effective in improving the students’ language and communication
skills.


Keywords


Technology; Language learning; English as a foreign language; EFL students; Language skills; Self-teaching

Full Text:

PDF

References


Al-Harbi, A. (2008). Comparative study between two ESL writing approaches: Computer processing microsoft word vs hand writing of two freshman college Saudi student groups. New York: ProQuest.

Alsaleem, B. I. A. (2014). The effect of “WhatsApp” electronic dialogue journaling on improving writing vocabulary word choice and voice of EFL undergraduate Saudi Students. Harvard: 21st Century Academic Forum Conference Proceedings. http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson782/Rubric.pdf

Badal, S. (2008). Swimming upstream: A lifesaving guide to short film distribution. Boston: Focal Press.

Bartlett, T., & Fischer, K. (2011, November 3). The China conundrum. The chronicle of higher education. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/uhVfEn

Beare, K. (2008). YouTube in the classroom. Retrieved 2008, October 28 from About.com: English as 2nd Language web: http://esl.about.eom/od/listeninglessonplans/a/youtube.htm

Bloch, J. (2007). Abdullah’s blogging: A generation 1.5 student enters the blogosphere. Language Learning & Technology, 11(2), 128–141.

Cass, J. (2007). Strategies and tools for corporate blogging. Boston: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.

Chapelle, C. (2003). English language learning and technology: Lectures on applied linguistics in the age of information and communication technology. London: John Benjamins Publishing.

Creswell, J. W. (1994). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication.

Dirkx, J. M., & Prenger, S. M. (1997). A guide for planning and implementing instruction for adults. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Graddol, D. (2012). The impact of macro socioeconomic trends on the future of the English language. Doctoral Thesis at Stockholm University, Sweden.

Grandzol, C. J., & Grandzol, J. R. (2010). Interaction in online courses: More is not always better. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 13(2).

Gordon, T. (2007). Teaching young children a second language. California: Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.sa/books?id=_NS5ITsDOt4C&lpg=PA179&hl=ar&pg=PA179#v=onepage&q&f=false

Hegelheimer, V., & O’Bryan, A. (2009). Mobile technologies, podcasting, and language education. In M. Thomas (Ed.), Handbook of research on Web 2.0 and second language learning. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Herron, C. A., & Seay, I. (1991). The effect of authentic oral texts on student listening comprehension in the foreign language classroom. Foreign Language Annals, 24, 487-495.

Herron, C., Morris, M., Secules, T., & Curtis, L. (1995). A comparison study of the effects of video-based versus text-based instruction in the foreign language classroom. French Review, 68, 775-795.

Ishihara, N., & Cohen, A. D. (2014). Teaching and learning pragmatics: Where language and culture meet. New York: Routledge.

Jones, L. C. (2003). Supporting listening comprehension and vocabulary acquisition with multimedia annotations: The students’ voice. CALICO Journal, 27(1), 41-65.

John, P. D., & Wheeler, S. (2008). The digital classroom: harnessing technology for the future. New York: Routledge.

Kannan, J., & Macknish, C. (2000). Issues affecting on-line ESL learning: A Singapore case study. The Internet TESL Journal, 6(11). Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kannan-OnlineESL.html

Kasapoglu-Akyol, P. (2010). Using educational technology tools to improve language and communication skills of ESL students. Research on Youth and Language, 4(2), 225-241.

Li-Li, K. (2009). The effects of YouTube listening/viewing activities on Taiwanese EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension. 221-221.

Livingstone, D. (2000). Researching expanded notions and learning and work and underemployment: Findings of the first Canadian survey of informal learning practices. International Review of Education, 46(6), 491-514.

Lohman, M. (2000). Environmental inhibitors to informal learning in the workplace: A case study of public school teachers. Adult Education Quarterly, 50(2), 83-101.

Lovin, B. (1992). Professional learning through workplace partnerships. In H. Baskett & V. Marsick (Eds.), Professionals’ ways of knowing. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.

Marsick, V., & Watkins, K. (1990). Informal and incidental learning in the workplace. London: Routledge.

Morris, M., & Maxey, S. (2014). The importance of English language competency in the academic success of international accounting students. Journal of Education for Business, 89(4), 178-185.

Nomass, B. (2013). The impact of using technology in teaching English as a second language. English Language and Literature Studies, 3(1), 111-116.

O’Bryan, A., & Hegelheimer, V. (2007). Integrating CALL into the classroom: The role of podcasting in an ESL listening strategies course. ReCALL Journal, 19(2), 162-180.

Odera, F. (2008). Learning Kiswahili language by radio at distance in secondary schools in Nyakach. Nyando district. Kenya. Malaysian Journal of Distance Education, 9(2), 89-105.

Odera, F. Y., & Kisumu, K. (2011). Learning English language by radio in primary schools in Kenya. US-China Education Review A, 7.

Peregoy, S., & Boyle, O. (2012). Reading, writing and learning in ESL: A resource book for teachers. New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Selwyn, N., Gorard, S., & Furlong, J. (2006). Adult learning in the digital age: Information technology and the learning society. New York, New York: Routledge.

Shih, R.-C. (2011). Can Web 2.0 technology assist college students in learning English writing? Integrating Facebook and peer assessment with blended learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27, 829-845.

Taranto, G., Dalbon, M., & Gaetano, J. (2011). Academic social networking brings Web 2.0 technologies to the middle grades. Middle School Journal, 12-19.

Tough, A. (1973). The adult’s learning projects: A fresh approach to theory and practice in adult learning. Toronto, Ontario: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Tough, A. M. (1977). Learning without a teacher: A study of tasks and assistance during adult self-teaching projects. Toronto, Ontario: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Van ‘T Hooft, M. (2009). Researching informal and mobile learning: Leveraging the right resources. In G. Vavoula, N. Pachler, & A. Kukulska-Hulme (Eds.), Researching mobile learning: Frameworks, tools and research designs (pp.339-349). Bern, Swizterland: Peter Lang.

Weyers, J. (1999). The effect of authentic video on communicative competence. The Modern Language Journal, 83(3), 339-349.

Wong, J. (2005). English listening courses: A case of pedagogy lagging behind technology. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 2(1), 25-43.

Zhang, F. (2006). Using multimedia and network technology to reform CET in the teaching of new horizon college english. Teaching English in China, 29(3), 111-114.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/7926

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) Studies in Literature and Language




Share us to:   


 

Online Submissionhttp://cscanada.org/index.php/sll/submission/wizard


Reminder

How to do online submission to another Journal?

If you have already registered in Journal A, then how can you submit another article to Journal B? It takes two steps to make it happen:

1. Register yourself in Journal B as an Author

Find the journal you want to submit to in CATEGORIES, click on “VIEW JOURNAL”, “Online Submissions”, “GO TO LOGIN” and “Edit My Profile”. Check “Author” on the “Edit Profile” page, then “Save”.

2. Submission

Go to “User Home”, and click on “Author” under the name of Journal B. You may start a New Submission by clicking on “CLICK HERE”.


We only use three mailboxes as follows to deal with issues about paper acceptance, payment and submission of electronic versions of our journals to databases: caooc@hotmail.com; sll@cscanada.net; sll@cscanada.org

 Articles published in Studies in Literature and Language are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY).

 STUDIES IN LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE Editorial Office

Address: 1055 Rue Lucien-L'Allier, Unit #772, Montreal, QC H3G 3C4, Canada.
Telephone: 1-514-558 6138 
Website: Http://www.cscanada.net; Http://www.cscanada.org 
E-mailoffice@cscanada.net; office@cscanada.org; caooc@hotmail.com

Copyright © 2010 Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture