Learning and Online literacy Studies in L2: Learning Tools for ELs

As Lam (2009) explained online communication as a transnational migration of language and literacy contexts, research has shown that mobile learning space can also be great resources for ELs and English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners as well. Without geographical

limitations and with its mobility, the mobile learning space can be a great field for globalized literacy practices. A large number of studies of mobile learning are centered on mobile devices as a tool for language learning by looking at language features of EL learners. Why ELs chose mobile assisted learning and how they develop their literacy practices and moreover, what kinds of literacy practices they do in mobile spaces, were questions that needed to be studied.

Literature that links mobile learning and ELs provide the rationale for using the mobile phone- assisted learning to ELs’ situated learning in the mobile world (Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2007; Antenos-Conforti, 2009).

From their study of mobile blogging (Comas-Quinn, Mardomingo, & Valentine, 2009), Comas-Quinn et al. (2009) found that mobile blogging helped ELs to engage and promote their motivation for interactive and collaborative learning activities. They examined mobile devices including cell phone, MP3 players, digital cameras of ELs. They thought mobile technologies have the potential to create learners’ active participation and help to build a community of learners. The authors were interested in finding the benefits of mobile technology use, especially in informal settings, when teachers need to teach ‘new literacies.’ The results of their pilot project indicated that learners had unexpected difficulty using devices and were unfamiliar with using the new method in their L2 classes. Researchers concluded that students needed to be accustomed to using technologies in classrooms. From the results of this study, it is clear that there should be more research on perceptions of EL students who use new technologies in classrooms, especially how they use it and what should be taught in advance to ELs’ technology use in a classroom.

In addition, Kiernan and Aizawa (2004) presented a quantitative study that evaluated the use of mobile phones as tools for classroom-based vocabulary learning. In order to examine how

the mobile device (cell phone) acted as a tool for ELs’ learning, they compared three different groups. A total of 120 ELs were divided into three groups: a group with PCs, a group with mobile phones, a group with audio recording files of the vocabulary. Learners all received the same emails about the new vocabulary they needed to study. After three weeks, researchers checked participants’ vocabulary acquisition between three groups. Although researchers did not reveal a significant difference in the three groups, their post-test indicated that learners’

possibility of access to tools might cause a different result. In the fact that this study came out in 2004 when the smartphone was not widely used, the results in more recent studies could present a different view.

A quantitative study of Oberg and Daniels (2013) on learners’ access to tools showed very different results from what Kiernan and Aizawa (2004) found. They divided 122 first year Japanese university students into two groups, one group with an iPod Touch instruction and the other group with a traditional textbook instruction. They investigated iPod Touch to access online L2 English textbook-based program about English listening and quizzes. The results showed that 61 ELs who were in the iPod group scored consistently high on their quizzes than the other group who use textbook only. In addition, the iPod group showed extremely positive attitudes toward self-study iPod-based learning.

Another study conducted by Nah, White, and Sussex (2008) showed Korean university L2 learners’ attitudes towards using mobile phones. The researchers introduced a WAP site. WAP is a global standard designed for browsing Internet content on a mobile phone, thus, students can only access only such Internet contents via mobile phones. They presented various resources and information that ELs found useful for English listening comprehension in the WAP site. This website also provided a discussion board that helped ELs complete pre-and post-

listening activities. With the primary research question of finding Korean EFL students’ attitudes toward using smartphones to access WAP sites, 30 ELs browsed the web via their mobile phones for 12 weeks. Findings indicated that they all expressed positive attitudes towards the use of the WAP site. Researchers argued that using mobile phones to various language learning process such as listening, reading, and even interacting with others, has significant potential.

Similar to Nah et al. (2008), Ally et al. (2007) demonstrated effectiveness of using mobile phone in ELs’ language learning. The study described how a tutorial program that was accessible via mobile devices was helpful to ELs’ English remedial grammar practices. The program had 86 lessons and related exercises and about 100 adult ELs accessed the program only via mobile devices, particularly their mobile phones. The results revealed that all learners

demonstrated slight improvement and positive attitudes toward using a mobile phone to learn English grammar.

Anaraki (2009) also argued the importance of mobile devices in English language

learning. In this study, 76 university students who learned English as their second language were examined to see how mobile devices, in their case, PDAs and smartphones, could be utilized for learners’ independent study in English listening and pronunciation. The students who

participated in this study expressed that they felt significant growth in their pronunciation and listening skills by watching flash-based multimedia lessons.

As review literature revealed, the advent of hand-held computer-based devices gave rise to mLearning also known as MALL, or mobile assisted language learning. Over the past 10 years since the smartphone is prevalently used and other mobile devices such as iPods and tablet PCs are introduced, the studies on ELs and their language learning and literacy practices considered these new technologies as affordances in their learning. Yet, there is little research on EL teens

and young adults’ use of mobile devices in their literacy and social practices. In order to extend the research in this area, this study examined closely ELs and their mobile device usage,

especially their smartphones, to explain how mobile devices were used as part of their literacy practices.

Summary

ELs and their performance in literacy are often overlooked by researchers and educators (Garcia & Godina, 2004). ELs often comprise a large number in the US school system; however, they often receive less immersion such as the coursework designed to address their various levels of English and creative instruction that fits in their interests compared to adult English learners in many public or private colleges (August & Hakuta, 1997). By reviewing literature related to online literacy practices and mLearning, I have noticed that there is not enough qualitative research related to mLearning and students’ attitudes, motivations, and perspectives on using mobile devices. Unlike L2 online literacy studies that focused on learners’ active participation as one advantage of online space, studies on L2 mLearning focused more on linguistic features of language learning such as memorizing vocabulary or grammars. Thus, by applying the concept of mLearning and affordances of using mobile devices, this study explored the nature of ELs’ mobile literacy practices and their motivations, attitudes, and perspectives on using mobile devices as their literacy practice tools.

Conclusion

From a review of multi-aspects of mobile spaces and literacy practices, it is important to understand that there is more need to explore ELs’ literacy learning in mobile assisted literacy communities. In addition to this, significant to ELs’ language learning is more research in their multimodal and mobile literacy practices, how these literacy participations and instructions are

related to students’ everyday life and their language learning. However, from this review of the research, few studies have been conducted around mobile learning for ELs, and studies related to ELs and their usage of the mobile device as language literacy practices should be conducted. This study was designed to extend further research regarding ELs’ attitudes, motivations, perspectives when using mobile devices in daily life and how they contributed to their literacy and social practices. This study intends to contribute to this research.

CHAPTER 3