Cell Phone Usage in EFL Teaching and Learning

Cell Phone in EFL Teaching and Learning Guoqiang Cui Graduate Student of University of Southern Mississippi

Introduction…

Mobile Learning (ML) did not appear until the invention of portable technologies and mobile devices in the 1970s and 1980s, and mobile devices have undergone great changes and revolutions in the past decade with the fast development of the modern technology.

Among all the mobile devices cell phone is probably more widespread and popular in use all over the world

According to China’ Ministry of Information Industry (MII) statistics released on January 28, 2008, China added 86.228 million new handset users in 2007 for a total of 547 million users by the end of the year, and fixed-line phone users fell 2.337 million users to 365 million in the period. Chinese handset users sent 535.08 billion SMS messages in the first eleven months of 2007, for an increase of 37.5 percent from the year-ago period.

Overview of Mobile Devices Applied in Mobile Learning …

Handheld Computers Audio and video players Cell Phones

Handheld Computers

Handheld computer is a portable computer which is small and can be held in hand. At present products like PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and Smart phones are so advanced and versatile with the fast development of modern technology that there is hardly any distinction among them.

They are very convenient to carry with, and have computer-like functions. You can use them to calculate, browse online, send and receive E-mails, play music, typewrite, record video and audio, send fax, play games, or even make phone calls.

Some of them even use the voice recognition technology by voice input. The smart phones are usually mobile-phone-like and have more advanced functions than cell phones. These devices can enhance the classroom activity and expand the learning time and space.

Audio and video players

Cell Phones…

What you can do with it?

“ Cell phones are not just communication devices sparking new modalities of interacting between people, they are also particularly useful computers that fit your pocket, are always with you, and are always on. Like all communication and computing devices, cell phones, can be used to learn” by Marc Prensky

Voice

SMS (short message service)

Browsing

Download

Camera

Gaming

What is the present EFL teaching situation in China?

Ill purpose

Low-quality materials

No English environment

Technology issue

Promising use in the future…

install the campus wireless cell phone call system to minimize the cost of phone call.

Upgrade SMS system, try to cut down the cost of sending texts and ensure the high quality of it.

Students can go online to the teacher’s page or some other English learning pages, to read, listen to some materials and they can also take the online test.

Students can download materials to further read, listen and finish their assignments.

Teachers or English technologists can make some interesting and meaningful games for the students.

Students can store many educational materials in their cell phone like listening materials or books for later review.

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