The document discusses the effectiveness of using smartphones to improve receptive skills in English among high school students in Battambang, Cambodia. It presents research on how smartphones can help with reading, listening, vocabulary learning, and language learning independently. A study was conducted among 75 students through questionnaires to understand their smartphone usage and how it impacts English skills. Most students reported using smartphones 30-60 minutes daily for English, and found them very helpful for language learning.

1. University of Battambang
Post Graduate School
EFFECTIVENESS OF USING SMARTPHONES IN IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS’ RECEPTIVE SKILLS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN BATTAMBANG
By
SRAN LOUTH
Supervisor: Dr. Nguon Thou
Co-supervisor: Mr. Vor Phyrum
Major: Master of TESOL
Promotion 1
February, 2019
1

2. Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background and Rationale
 Education is really important for all developed and developing countries.
 The spread and advancement of English language around the globe, English is utilized as
universal language.
 The status of English in Cambodia is higher than any other time as is confirmed by its
situation.
 Learning English is essential for students , so to improve English language students have
many choices to do it.
 Smartphones are one way to help students with language learning facility.
2

3.  Smartphones are very popular with the language learners.
 Smartphones are the best devices for checking new words, recording the information,
learning practice and especially for helping students to do their homework or
assignments.
 Smartphones are ending up more mainstream these days for students whether higher
learning students or low-level students have been using the smartphones to assist
their learning by utilizing numerous applications which are found on smartphones.
 They download and run various applications with the smartphones even with or without
an Internet connection.

4. 1. 2 Research Question
 Do smartphones really help students to improve their receptive skills?
1.3 Hypothesis
 Students who study at high school in Battambang Town have mainly used smartphones to
support their study.
1.4 Research objectives
1.4.1 Main Objective
 The main objective of this thesis is to explore the effectiveness of using smartphones in
improving students’ receptive skills (reading and listening).
1.4.2 Specific objectives
 To identify the effectiveness of using smartphones for helping students’ receptive skills in
learning the English language in high school.
 To explore the role of the smartphones to support student’s receptive skills in learning the
English language.
 To explore how the use of smartphones affect students’ motivation to learn and engagement in
learning the English language with receptive skills.
4

5. 1.5 Significance of this study
This research will be useful for:
Ministry of Education.
Educational institutions
Academic researchers, educators and learners
1.6 Limitation and scope of the study
 This research was conducted three high schools in Battambang town.
 Sample was limited and selected from grade 10, 11, and 12 in each high
school.
 This research time bound was just only six months.
5

6. CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
This review focuses on research about the effectiveness of using smartphones in improving high
school student’s receptive skills in English language.
 Effectiveness, smartphones and receptive skills have been defined variously according to
different authors.
 The term "effectiveness " refers to how many goals are accomplished and the degree to which
focused issues are comprehended.
 Rather than productivity, effectiveness is resolved without reference to costs and, while
proficiency signifies "doing the thing right," viability signifies "making the best choice."
(Hersey & Blanchard, 2018).
 According to the Cambridge dictionary, the term effectiveness refers to the capacity to be
fruitful and to create the proposed results (Cambridge, 2018).
6

7.  The term smartphones indicate a phone that can be utilized as a little PC and that
connects to the web (Cambridge dictionary, 2018)
 The significance from smartphones refers to the processing smartphones with PC
includes that may empower it to cooperate with electronic frameworks, send
messages, and access the web (Collins dictionary, 2018).
 As indicated by dictionary.com the word smartphone refers to a gadget that joins the
smartphones with a handheld PC, ordinarily offering the Web, information
stockpiling, email, online life, capacity, and etc. (Dictionary.com, 2018).
7

8.  Receptive Skills refers to listening and reading since students don't have to create
language to do these, they get and comprehend it (British Council, 2018).
 Students use smartphones as beneficial for the language learning (Yaman, Senel, &
Yesilel, 2015).
 Smartphones effect on language learning and they are the source to process English
language learners (Muhammed, 2014).
 The language which students used smartphones to study vocabulary, they could
improve and achieve their learning vocabulary by using a smartphone (Wu, 2014).
 Language learners used their smartphones with applications for learning (Ben, Andrew,
& Anne, 2012).
8

9. 3.1 Research Location
Conducted in three public high schools in Cambodia which is located in Battambang town.
9
Research Location
Research Location
Research Location

10. 3.3 Sampling size and Sampling Methods
 Sample size:
Use the stratified sampling technique 75 respondents
Sampling methods:
-the quota, a non-probability sampling technique, was used to divide the
sample into 3 groups equally
3.4 Questionnaire
 Questionnaire: Close –ended and Open-ended question with 75
students
10

11. 3.5 Data Collection
 Primary Data: collected by doing a survey with the 75 respondents
 Secondary Data: gathered from many importance sources such as
the previous soft, Journals and international researchers
 3.6 Data Analysis
Quantitative data were analyzed by
 summary
 categorize
 use excel
 SPSS with frequency, percentage and multiple response
11

12. 4.1 Information of the participants
 The respondents were randomly selected from three high schools in Battambang
town.
 All of them are studying in grade 10, 11 and 12
 Male : 49.3 %
 Female: 50.7%
 The age of the respondents:
- Under 15 (4%)
- Between 15-16 ( 54.7%)
- Between 17-18 (37.3%).
- Over 18 (4%)
12
CHAPTER 4
RESULT AND DISCUSSION

13. 13
Android
57.9%
iphone IOS
38.2%
Window phone
2.6%
Blackberry
1.3%
Android
iphone IOS
Window phone
Blackberry
Figure 3: Kinds of smartphones use of the respondents
4.1.5. Kind of smartphones use of the respondents

14. 14
Time which students spent on their
reading and listening in the English
language
Reading Listening
Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
30-60 minutes a day 39 52.0 35 46.7
1-2 hours a day 27 36.0 31 41.3
2-3 hours a day 9 12.0 6 8.0
3-4 hours a day 0 0 3 4.0
Total 75 100% 75 100%
Table 4: Time which students spent on reading and listening on their smartphone.

15. 15
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
4% 1.3%
17.3%
70.7%
6.7%
Figure 5: The advent of smartphones has contributed significantly to the respondent’s English
language learning process.
4.1.9. The advent of smartphones has contributed significantly to the respondent’s
English language learning process

16. 16
Figure 6: The intentionally use smartphones for language learning purposes
1.3%
1.3%
29.3%
62.7%
5.3%
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
4.1.10. The intentionally use smartphones for language learning purposes.

17.  Figure 7: The use of the voice recorder or smartphone to record the lessons and
be able to listen to them at a later time.
17
2.7
8.0
18.7
57.3
13.3
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
4.1.11. The use of the voice recorder of a smartphone to record the lessons and be
able to listen to them at a later time.

18.  Figure 8: Smartphones help the learners to learn the language more independently.
18
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
4.0
5.3
16.0
65.3
9.3
4.1.12. Smartphones help the learners to learn the language more independently.

19. 4.1.13. Students use smartphones to take photos and videos of important classwork in
their language classes.19
4%
16%
20%
51%
9% Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
Figure 9: Students use a smartphone to take photos and videos of important classwork in
their language classes.

20. 4.1.14. Smartphones improve access to students’ courses and learning material.
20
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
4%
10.7%
28%
45.3%
12%
Figure 10: Smartphones improve access to students’ courses and learning material

21. 4.1.15. Using smartphones for looking up unknown lexical
items from the dictionary.
21
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
1.3% 1.3% 2.7%
53.3%
41.3%
Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
Figure 11: Using smartphones for looking up unknown lexical items from the dictionary

22. 4.1.17. Having a smartphone enables learners to learn English whenever and
wherever they want without any limitation.22
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
1.3
4.0
14.7
62.7
17.3
Figure 13: Percentage of the students’ using their smartphone to learn the English language
whenever and whenever they want without any limitation.

23. 4.1.21. Using smartphones to help develop reading, listening and other skills.
23
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Reading Listening Other skills
0 1.3 4.01.3 1.3 4.0
17.3 20.0
33.3
72.0 69.3
52.0
9.3 8.0 6.7
Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strogly agree
Figure 16: Smartphones helps to develop reading, listening and other skills

24. 24 Table 7: Using smartphones outside the classroom for the purpose of
studying the English language.
The rating scale of
Using smartphones
learn outside of the
classroom
Using smartphones for
the purpose of the study
Using part of smartphones
to improve reading and
listening in the English
language.
the respondents Frequency Percent Frequency Percent Frequency Percent
Strongly disagree 2 2.7 0 0 2 2.7
Disagree 5 6.7 2 2.7 2 2.7
Neutral 9 12.0 23 30.7 14 18.7
Agree 50 66.7 44 58.7 53 70.7
Strongly agree 9 12.0 6 8 4 5.3
Total 75 100.0 75 100 75 100.0

25. 4.1.24. The smartphone is a real assistant to students with their assignments,
homework in reading and listening.
25
1.3 1.3
26.7
54.7
16.0
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
agree
Figure 18: Smartphone is a real assistant to students with their assignments, homework in
reading and listening

26. 4.1.26. The rating scale of using smartphones for helping students in improving
their English language.
26
Questions Q.3.22 Q.3.23 Q.3.24 Q.3.25 Q.3.26
N Valid 75 75 75 75 75
Missing 0 0 0 0 0
Mean 3.57 3.59 3.73 3.67 3.79

27. 27
4.1.27. Many apps available on smartphones help strengthen students listening and
reading in the English language.
Strongly
disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly
agree
Percentage 1.3 1.3 28.0 58.7 10.7
1.3 1.3
28.0
58.7
10.7
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
Figure 20: Many apps available on smartphones help strengthen students listening and
reading in the English language.

28. 4.1.28. Whether smartphones help students to increase their English language or not.
97.3%
2.7%
Yes No
Figure 21: Whether smartphones help students to increase their English language or not.

29. 4.1.29. Use smartphones to improve listening with the English language.
93.3%
6.7%
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
Yes No
Figure 22: Use smartphones to improve listening with the English language

30. 4.1.30. Use smartphones to improve reading with the English language.
62.7%
37.3%
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
Yes No
Figure 23: Use of smartphones to improve reading with the English language.

31. Questions Q4.31 Q4.32 Q4.33 Q4.34 Q4.35 Q4.36
N Valid 75 75 75 75 75 75
Missing 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mean 1.07 1.32 1.07 1.16 1.11 1.05
Median 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Mode 1 1 1 1 1 1
Std. Deviation .251 .470 .251 .369 .311 .280
Table 9: Effectiveness of using smartphones to support English language
learning.

32. 4.1.36. Using smartphones for supporting receptive skills.
10.7
22.7
33.3
21.3
9.3
2.7
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
Always Normally Often Sometimes Seldom Never
Figure 26: Using smartphones for helping receptive skills.

33. Google
translate
search
documen
ts
socical
media
like face
book,
watch
youtube.
check
dictionar
y
other
research
listening reading writing
percentage 19 60 70 73 50 60 50 45
19%
60%
70% 73%
50%
60%
50%
45%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
4.1.39. Ways which students used smartphones to improve their English language.
Figure 29: Ways which students used smartphones to improve their English language

34. 4.4 Discussion
 The results of the research, the high percentage of the respondents who agreed that the advent of
smartphones has contributed significantly to English language learning process was 70.7%.
 The study found that 62.7% of the respondents used smartphones for language learning purposes.
 72.1% of the students used smartphones for helping them when doing their assignments or homework.
 97.3% used smartphones to improve English language.
 99% of the students considered the smartphones as an effective source to process their English
language learning (Muhammed, 2014).
 The study in Turkey which indicated that 68% used it to record the lessons and listened to them later
(Yaman, Senel, & Yesilel, 2015).
 76% used the applications from the smartphones for learning (Woodcock, Middleton, & Nortcliffe,
2012).
 93.3% of the students used smartphones in order to improve their listening and 62.7% of them used
the smartphones for reading the texts in English simlare the study from Muhammad, 2014 illustrated
that all the students used the smartphones to support their language learning 99%
34

35. CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
 the result of the study showed that using smartphones help students to improve their English
language learning process was 70.7%
 The result indicated that 52% of the students used smartphones for reading the texts and 46.7% of
them used smartphones for improving listening from thirty to sixty minutes a day
 62.7% of the students agreed that the smartphones are undoubtedly among the most important
tools in term of access to information in English learning.
 72% of the respondents use smartphones to improve their reading and 69.3% use them to improve
their listening.
 The last objective of this study illustrated that using smartphones motivate students to learn the
English language as the result showed that 66.7% of the students can develop their English by using
the smartphones.
35

36. 5.2 Recommendations
 5.2 Recommendation
 Schools should allow students to use smartphones in classroom learning a language with
the set of the rule of using in order to help them when learning the English language.
 Teachers should guide students’ ways of using smartphones in effective ways of learning
the English language.
 Parents should allow their children to use smartphones at high school because the
smartphones are the best material for helping them to learn the language in this century.
 Students should use smartphones in the right ways of learning the language.
36

37. Recommendation for the next researchers
 The effectiveness of using smartphones in improving students’ productive
skills in learning the English language at high school, therefore, the
researchers should conduct this topic with the high schools in the city and
districts in Cambodia.
 The advantages of using smartphones enhance students in learning the
English language in the 21st century, hence, the researchers should conduct
this topic research with students who study at the university.
 The role of smartphones support students at a university in learning and
doing the assignments. The researchers should conduct this topic research
with two or three universities.
37

38. Thanks You
38