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Abstract
The use of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is becoming common in several schools within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The review of the literature revealed that this technology-based learning has registered impressive success in other countries, especially in the developed nations. The researcher aims to examine the effect of Mobile Assisted Learning on the grammatical accuracy of English as foreign language Saudi learners. The study explored students attitudes toward the use of MALL. The researcher collected data from an intermediate school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and used both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze the collected information. The study data was collected by conducting pre-and-post tests on two groups and conducting interviews with selected teachers. The researcher used an experimental design where the control group was taught through traditional methods, whereas the study group was taught through the same traditional methods in addition to the MALL. The outcome strongly suggests that MALL can significantly improve the grammatical accuracy of EFL intermediate school students.
Introduction
The use of technology in institutions of learning has increasingly become popular in various parts of the world as a way of making the learning experience more memorable and less stressful. According to Facer and Abdous (2011), years of research have shown that the use of technology may help students with learning problems to have a better mastery of concepts taught in class. It breaks the monotony of having a teacher in the classroom issuing instructions to the learners and in its place technology is introduced to assist the teacher in some areas (Dashtestani, 2013). MALL is one of the technological approaches that have become very popular when teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Researchers and other stakeholders in the field of education have come up with pedagogical approaches that can be used to ensure that technology is effectively integrated when teaching the language. According to Zhang (2016), the use of MALL has been particularly important among EFL learners who find it useful in mastering spelling and pronunciation of some of the English words.
Introducing this form of technology allows these learners to have a first-hand experience of how certain words are spelled and their sounds when spoken (Peranginangin, 2014). The use of MALL has been particularly considered important in countries where learners are using English as their second language. In most of the cases, these students rely on local teachers who are also affected by the first language when teaching English. Such teachers may have problems pronouncing certain English words when teaching. Their poor pronunciations and probably incorrect sentence structures are easily adopted by their students which compromises proper learning of the language (Levy & Stockwell, 2006). It is for these reasons that the use of MALL is considered very critical when teaching EFL students. Woloshen (2013) says that using this mobile technology also makes learning possible at any place and at any time, whether or not the teacher is around.
In light of the 2030 vision of Saudi Arabia, there is a changing trend to employ modern support technologies in the education system. A lot of money will be invested by the Ministry of Education in Mobile-Assisted Language Learning. Therefore, it is worth examining the effectiveness of MALL on the performance of learners. When conducting research, it is important to come up with a clear aim of the study that will guide the process of collecting data from the field and making analysis. In this study, the primary aim is to examine the
In many instances, students may fail to master a given concept when it is first taught in class (Walker & White, 2013). Unfortunately, teachers rarely have time to repeat these concepts because of the need to cover the syllabus (Monje, Elorza, & García, 2016). With the use of mobile technology, learners can review these concepts during their free time so that they can learn what they were unable to master in the classroom. In Saudi Arabia, the use of MALL has become one of the popular approaches that some schools use to boost learning among students. In this study, the researcher seeks to examine the effect of Mobile Assisted Language Learning on the grammatical accuracy of English as Foreign Language Saudi learners. The study data will be collected by conducting the pre-and-post tests on two groups: Study group taught by using MALL and control group taught by using traditional teaching methods to know learners progress in mastering grammar; and (2) interviews with learners who were taught by using MALL.
Aim of the Study
When conducting research, it is important to come up with a clear aim of the study that will guide the process of collecting data from the field and making analysis. In this study, the primary aim is to examine the effect of MALL on the grammatical accuracy of Saudi EFL intermediate female learners in Jeddah city. Past studies have indicated that the use of technology boosts the ability of the learners to master the language (Mthethwa, 2014). The study is, therefore, interested in examining the effect of Mobile Assisted Language Learning on students ability to master the structures of this language.
Significance of the Study
The study seeks to examine the effect of technology in improving students mastery of the English language. This study will help in determining how effective the use of technology is in improving the grammatical accuracy of EFL Saudi learners. The findings of this study can help the stakeholders to make informed decisions and policies that may transform the education system in this country. It will also encourage teachers to use the MALL in their English classes.
Research Questions
In this study, the following research questions will be used in collecting data from the field.
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What is the effect of Mobile Assisted Language-Learning on the grammatical accuracy of Saudi EFL intermediate school female learners in Jeddah city?
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What are the views of Saudi EFL learners about the use of Mall on their grammar accuracy?
The above questions will help the researcher to understand the type of data that is needed from the field.
Limitations of the Study
In every research study, some limitations are worth noting to help those who use the document to know the relevance of the study. In this study, the collection of data is limited to Saudi Arabia. The researcher will collect data from sampled schools within Jeddah city where several learning institutions have started embracing the relevance of assistive technologies. Data collected will be from English as Foreign Language students. Due to the limited time available for the study, the number of participants will be limited, as discussed in the methodology section. When using the information in this document, it is important to understand that the context of the study is uniquely Saudi Arabian. Since the use of secondary data will help in giving it a global context, the collection and analysis of the primary data will be based on the Saudi context.
Review of Literature
History of MALL
The use of technology in institutions of learning has increasingly become popular in various parts of the world, and it has attracted the attention of many scholars who are interested in understanding its impacts and how it can be melded to fit into the pedagogical approaches which are in use today. According to Kimyayi (2012), learning is a very complex process that needs assistive tools if possible to enhance the ability of the learners to grasp what is taught.
According to Waxler and Hall (2011), the use of audiovisuals was first used in teaching science-related subjects. There has been a notion all over the world that pure science subjects and Mathematics are very complex. Students performance on these subjects in many parts of the world has been worrying. That is why technology was developed to help teachers improve the learning experience and ensure that learners can go through the same concept some times to understand what is taught. Beatty (2002) affirms that the use of technology in teaching science-based subjects and Mathematics proved successful on many fronts. Some students, being human beings, tend to form a negative attitude towards some teachers either because of the way they talk, how they dress, their manner of teaching, or any other issue that may evoke negative feelings in them.
The Benefits for Slow Learners
It is important to appreciate that different learners have different capacities to grasp what is taught in class. Some students are quick learners some are average students, while others are slow learners. As Bradley (2012) notes, a slow learner is not necessarily an academic dwarf. Such a student may only need some special attention to become an academic giant. Understanding the unique needs of these learners is therefore critical in ensuring that they get the best of the concepts taught to them. However, Blake (2008) notes that it is unfortunate that teachers may not have time to specifically focus on a single student because of the high number of students per class.
When a teacher tries to move at the pace of the slow learner, it may not be possible to meet the syllabus expectations, and other learners may complain in such circumstances. It is at this stage that technology comes in handy. The teacher can go at a normal pace of teaching, but create a culture where learners spend sometimes reviewing what has been taught in class on gadgets. This will be particularly important to slow learners who may want a concept to be repeated severally before they can grasp it. With such technology, they can repeatedly watch the lessons as much as they want, until they understand the concept. When that happens, these students will often block their mind literarily, making it impossible for them to understand what is being taught. They spend most of the time on other irrelevant issues instead of concentrating (Thomas, Reinders, & Warschauer, 2013). Once the attitude is negative, it becomes almost impossible for the student to grasp what is taught. Other students fear the presence of the teacher to an extent that they spend most of the time that the teacher is in class trying to remain invisible. These students can benefit from technology-based learning by being provided with recorded audio-visuals of the lessons taught in class. Studies have shown that when technology is used, such students tend to perform better in sciences as they get to learn at their own pace.
Advantages of MALL
According to a study by Stanley and Thornbury (2013), the use of audiovisuals in teaching languages is just as important as using this technology is teaching Mathematics and sciences. Spoken English has a variation, a fact that is always associated with the first language that one speaks before learning English. It is common to find semantic, phonological, and syntactic differences in the speech of people having different backgrounds when speaking English (Underwood & Farrington-Flint, 2015). In fact, in some cases, there may be a complete misinterpretation of what one says because of this variation. This scholar says that some variations are insignificant, and unless one is keen to identify them, it may not be possible to realize that the speech has some phonological variations (Mishan, 2004).
This variation is always determined by the stage at which one started learning the language (Thomas & Reinders, 2010). A person who is introduced to this language at a tender age of below ten years can easily overcome the effect of the first language on English. One the other hand, if one is exposed to the language in adulthood, this big variation may last forever. That is why some of the local teachers are unable to give clear pronunciations of some English words because they are affected by their first language. To ensure that the distortion of the pronunciation of English words that is common locally is eliminated, there may be a need to use technology to supplement what the teacher offers in class. The use of MALL provides a perfect opportunity for these learners to have a better mastery of the English language. It is very important in learning grammar. According to Chapelle (2003), sometimes the wrong structures are caused by wrong pronunciation. Understanding the syllables can be improved by these mobile technologies.
When the learner is provided with these audiovisual materials so that they can easily watch and listen to how words are spelled and pronounced, their grammar is improved. They also get to know how parts of speech are used in a sentence structure. In some of the learning institutions that have started using this technology, Levy (2007) says that students have registered marked improvement in their grammatical accuracy. This is because of several reasons. First, Alepis and Virvou (2014) say that with this technological equipment, learners can determine the number of times they want to go through a given concept. Secondly, these technologies enable the learners to choose when they want to learn and the environment they consider most appropriate for the learning process. Finally, this technological equipment makes learning more effective because the distortion that their teachers may have based on their first language effect on their spoken or even written English is eliminated.
According to Chapelle (2001), although the use of MALL is critical in improving the grammatical accuracy of EFL Saudi learners, it is important to understand that these technologies cannot replace teachers. Students still need teachers to guide them in the learning process. Teacher-student interaction remains critical and cannot be undervalued.
Grammar Accuracy among EFL Students
The English language is increasingly becoming an important language in modern globalized society. According to Hanieh (2016), most learning institutions in the Middle East and North Africa are embracing the language, and some are even using it as the mode of delivering instructions in other subjects such as sciences and mathematics. This is meant to ensure that their students can easily pursue further education in various international institutions around the world without encountering the language barrier. Ensuring that students achieve grammatical accuracy is, however, one of the major concerns of most English teachers handling EFL students. Most of the students in the region use English as a second language (Hanieh, 2016). Their ability to learn grammatically correct English is affected by their first language. This is evident in their spoken language, which in turn affects their written English. The unique challenges that these EFL students face in learning English make it necessary to use technology to enhance their grammatical accuracy.
Mobile-assisted language learning has come out as one of the most relevant tools in improving the grammatical accuracy of these students. One of the areas of grammar that can be enhanced using MALL is the subject-verb agreement. Hanieh (2016) observes that subject-verb agreement is one of the greatest challenges that these students face, especially when they are writing in prose. They fail to understand when they should use singular or plural verbs in their sentences, a mistake that completely breaks up their communication. MALL offers them a platform where they can practice subject-verb agreement regularly and consistently so that they can improve in both spoken and written English.
Tense is another major grammatical issue among EFL students. Some of them fail to understand when they are expected to use past, present, continuous, or future tense in their sentences (Mthethwa, 2014). They end up mixing their tenses in no particular pattern. MALL can easily help in addressing this problem. Students can access materials that explain when and why they are required to use specific tense regarding the time factor in their sentences. They can practice among their peers to help them overcome common problems. Stanley and Thornbury (2013) explain that using mobile assisted language learning exposes learners to an environment where they can get practical examples of solutions to their grammatical problems. They can listen to speeches made by their admired personalities and learn from them how to balance the tenses. Some students are affected by the problem of direct translation when writing or speaking English (Mthethwa, 2014). Such problems can easily be overcome when MALL is used.
According to Hanieh (2016), mobile-assisted language learning offers students a unique opportunity to enhance their grammatical accuracy in the English language. Some students tend to be slow learners. It may not be practically possible for teachers to go at their pace and still ensure that the syllabus is completed within the set time. Using iPads or tablets, such students can re-visit recorded class lecturers several times to enable them to understand the concept. Stanley and Thornbury (2013) argue that some students may find it difficult to understand their teachers because of their approach to delivering instructions. With the help of mobile devices, they can do their research in the online platforms to enhance their grammatical accuracy. They can access sites that will deliver the same instruction but in a way that they can understand. The multimodal approach of learning offered by MALL is critical in enabling EFL to overcome challenges they face in enhancing their grammatical accuracy.
Recent Related Research
The use of MALL is not yet a very common phenomenon in most of Saudi schools. However, recent studies show that it is increasingly becoming common in most of the Arab world as the best way of improving the mastery of the language among EFL learners (Khrisat & Mahmud 2016; Palfreyman 2012). Al-Shehri (2011) shared results from a 16-week Saudi Arabian study that used mobile phones and social networking. The study aimed to investigate the benefits of mobile phones and social media in enhancing the learning of the English language among L2 students. The study used a pre-test post-test design method to investigate the capacity of learners before and after being allowed to use the mobile-assisted language learning. The study pointed out the potential of mobile-based social networking to create an effective L2 English environment. In this study, it was evident that when learners are allowed to use internet-enabled mobile phones, they get to learn social skills. They get to go beyond what is taught in the classroom, especially the ability to interact with peers. However, the study warned that care must be taken when children are allowed to access the social network through these mobile devices. The content of what they share and access must be closely monitored and regulated. They should not be allowed to access sites that may subject them to mental torture, especially in cases where they are open to cyberbullying. The study concluded that allowing students access to social media using mobile devices can be academically beneficial if the process is properly monitored by the relevant authorities.
Palfreyman (2012) investigated the use of mobile phone cameras by university students from the United Arab Emirates. The study aimed to determine if the learning process can be improved when learners are allowed to use cameras to engage their research. The students were asked to take pictures of their everyday life and to do a writing task based on the photos they took. The study found out that mobile technology can enhance learning autonomy and intercultural exchanges. First, it makes learning an interesting process. When learners are allowed to take pictures of interesting things within the university and make a report afterward, they get to enjoy the learning process. Secondly, they get to learn research skills at a very early stage of learning. They gain independence in undertaking personal skills. When they work in groups, they learn how to work together to gain mutual academic goals. The study strongly suggests that there should be proper guidance from the instructors to ensure that such learning processes do not turn into games where students waste a lot of time.
A study by Hazaea and Al-Zubi (2016) at Najran University aimed to investigate the efficiency of using mobile technology in EFL reading classrooms. EFL Reading classroom of 30 male students was allowed and encouraged to use their mobiles in a reading classroom. During the treatment, WhatsApp group, self-reflection journals, post-test, and semi-structured interviews were used. Results of the post-test revealed that using mobile phones learners reading skills is remarkably improved. The study found out that the use of mobile phones helps in improving the oral skills of learners. When they are allowed to listen to speeches of prominent world leaders such as Barrack Hussein Obama II, their pronunciation of some words improves remarkably. The motivation to continue practicing even when they are out of class helps in improving their grammatical skills.
Research has been conducted and showed the positive attitudes of learners toward the implementation of mobile technology in class. A study by Al-Fahad (2009) investigated the perceptions and attitudes of 186 undergraduate students at King Saud University towards the effectiveness of Mobile Assisted Language Learning in their studies. The method used in the research was a survey that was conducted from a sample of the targeted population. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the study. The findings showed that mobile learning could improve retention among B.A. and M.D. students. The respondents agreed that mobile assisted language learning is critical in enhancing learning among students because of some factors. The approach empowers learners and motivates them to engage in individual or group research even when they are not in a classroom setting. The respondents also felt that the process eliminates boredom in the learning process.
Another significant study was carried out by Khwaileh and Al-Jarrah (2010) which aim at examining graduate students perceptions towards mobile learning at the University of Jordan. The researchers used a survey to collect data from their sampled participants. They developed a 30-statement questionnaire to collect data. The findings of the study showed that students perceive mobile learning as a useful learning system. The majority of students are enthusiastic about the use of technology in the learning process. Many are thrilled by the fact that they can do their research online with minimal guidance from their teachers. However, their main concern, according to the report, was the security and safe storage of these devices when they are not in use.
The study by Hanieh (2016) looked at the benefits of Instagram and other social media platforms to improve grammatical accuracy among L2 undergraduate students. The primary aim was to determine how Instagram can help these learners to identify their grammatical weaknesses and improve on them using materials available on the online platform. A sample of university students was asked to link their mobile phones to the L2 Instagram community. They were also asked to upload photos, videos, and texts from their out-of-class contexts and to reflect on each others materials. The students welcomed the use of mobile phones to connect the class with their outside world. This does not mean that these tools can replace the need for teachers in the classrooms. Teachers must understand that these assistive technologies are only meant to make the learning process simple and more enjoyable for the learners, especially those who are slow in mastering the language. This study, therefore, intends to add to this area of research. It recommended a further study on how the potential of social media can be harnessed to help improve language learning among L2 students.
Methodology of the Study
Study Design
The research methodology is a very important section of a report because it clearly defines how data will be collected, how it will be analyzed, and the approach used in the presentation. This study is intended to examine the effect of MALL on the grammatical accuracy of EFL Saudi learners. Given the nature of this topic, the study will be based on the experimental design with one control group and one experimental group (Mthethwa, 2014).
Subjects
The primary data is of critical importance in this study because it will be used to inform the recommendations that will be made. However, data cannot be collected from the entire population. It is, therefore, necessary to have a sample that acts as a representation of the entire population. This study is limited by time hence the researcher has to choose a manageable sample. A sample of 30 female students will be selected in one class. 15 students will act as a control group while the other 15 act as the experimental group. The students are aged from fourteen to fifteen. The students are at the intermediate level from The 4th Intermediate School in Jeddah. The decision of choosing both control and experimental group samples from the same class is based on the nature of the study. The researcher wants to ensure that both groups are in the same environment to determine the real impact of this technology on the learners ability to learn the language. The subjects will be chosen through simple random sampling into the two groups. It is important to ensure that the researchers perception will not affect the process of collecting data from the participants.
Procedures
A third-year intermediate school class will be chosen for the study. The thirty students will be subjected to an English grammar test before the start of the program, and an average score for each of the two groups will be obtained. The experimental group will be assigned iPads to assist them in the learning process. All the participants will be instructed on how to work with iPads in two to three sessions. After learning a grammatical lesson in class, the contents of the lesson taught will be made available in the iPads to enable them to access the information while they are at the schools computer lab. These iPads will be internet-enabled to help these students access to further materials from online sources. They will be adequately trained on how to use iPads to read materials and get further information from the internet. Their search findings will be shared with their peers in the online platform. They will be supervised by the researcher to restrict the use of the gadgets to the topic assigned to them. This is important to ensure that these learners do not spend their time reading irrelevant materials while online.
The experiment will be conducted in one-month time, with very close assistance from the researcher. The control group will be also instructed to go through their notes every evening after classes. However, they will not be assigned the iPads. They are expected to use their class notes and textbooks that are readily available in the library. After one month, all the thirty students will be made to sit for an exam. An average score for each of the two groups will be obtained once again. The score of the two groups will be compared and based on the percentage improvement. This will enable the researcher to determine which of the two groups can register a higher score in this study.
After this practical test, the researcher then will go-ahead to interview the fifteen students of the experimental group to determine their view about the use of Mobile Assisted Language Learning as a way of improving their grammatical accuracy. This data will be collected from the respondents in a face-to-face interview with the researcher. Once the data is obtained, a qualitative analysis will be conducted to find out the views of these learners towards the use of assistive technologies to improve the learning of English grammar. The findings will help in backing up the outcome of the two tests conducted to determine the improvements made by the two sampled groups of respondents.
Tools of the study
To collect the data needed for this study, several tools will be used:
Tests
A grammar test prepared by the researcher consists of 20 questions; all taken from the class textbook will be used as a pre-test. The study used structured (closed-ended) questions. That was necessary because it was a comparative study that would determine their improvement before and after using MALL to enhance their grammatical accuracy. The multiple question approach was necessary to ensure that the students were not benefiting from guesswork but indeed understood the grammatical questions. The questions tested their grammatical skills in various contexts. Some focused on tenses (past, present, continuous, and future) while others tested their skills on passive and active voices. Some questions focused on the use of prepositions and pronouns. The test will be given to the experimental and the control group at the beginning of the study to examine the participants actual grammar accuracy before introducing the MALL in this study.
The post-test pre-test will be used at the end of the study to investigate the differences between the two groups. The marking of the tests will be done by the researcher and two English teachers at the institution. The markers will develop a marking scheme for the questions. After receiving the answer sheets from the participants, the researcher will mark them and then hand over the marked sheets to the first teacher for verification. The first teacher will hand over the verified sheet to the second teacher who is the head of the English department (HOD) at the institution for the final verification. These experts will guarantee that the tests are marked correctly.
Interviews
Interviewing with the teachers will also be critical in collecting relevant data for this study. Other than conducting the pre-test post-test described above, it was important to interview experts and to get their views about the impact of mobile-assisted language learning on the grammatical accuracy of EFL intermediate school students. Interviews will use both open-ended questions to collect the data. Closed-ended (structured) questions will make it possible to conduct a quantitative analysis to determine the magnitude of the impact of MALL on F2 students grammatical accuracy. On the other hand, open-ended (unstructured) questions will make it possible to conduct qualitative analysis to explain the statistical findings. They will enable the researcher to capture the views of the experimental group towards the use of assistive technologies in learning environments. The following question will be asked to the students from the experimental group:
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What do you think about the use of MALL in grammar lessons?
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What are the benefits of using MALL in learning new structures?
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What are the challenges of using MALL for grammar lessons?
Analysis and Discussion
This chapter focuses on the analysis of primary data that was collected from the respondents. As explained in the methodology section, it was important to collect data from both primary and secondary sources. Secondary sources of data provided a background for this research and helped in identifying the existing knowledge gaps. On the other hand, primary data was needed to find the current state of knowledge in this field and to address the existing knowledge gaps. The chapter involved a detailed analysis of the primary data and a discussion of the findings.
Analysis
In this section, the researcher focused on analyzing the information collected from the participants both qualitatively and quantitativ
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