EFL Learners’ Perceptions of Mobile-based Role-play Homework Assignments for Oral Production Practice

The recording and sending/receiving features of smartphones and tablets are increasingly employed in teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). These features that offer learners great opportunities to communicate conveniently and flexibly through voice, text messages, electronic files, videos, etc. have attracted the attention of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) researchers. Previous studies have documented the effectiveness of mobile phone recording functions on language learning and L۲ learners' positive attitudes toward using MALL in language learning. However, little research has been conducted to explore EFL learners' use of and perceptions about mobile phone applications to practice interactional activities out-of-class. This study was carried out to examine the effects of a group of intermediate EFL learners' use of mobile-based role-plays in conversation practice and to explore their perceptions about MALL. ۲۰ randomly-selected female intermediate EFL learners were pretested in terms of oral fluency and experienced a mobile-based role-play intervention over the one-month duration of a conversation course in a private language institute. They answered a questionnaire and participated in semi-structured interviews to express their perceptions immediately after the MALL experience. Pretest-posttest means comparison, frequencies of questionnaire responses and content analysis of interviews showed that ۱) mobile-based role-play homework assignments significantly improve EFL learners' oral fluency; ۲) they have a positive attitude toward MALL; and ۳) They perceive serious problems in exploiting the potential of mobile phones for learning English.

Keywords:

Speaking , Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) , Oral Fluency , Role-play , attitudes about language learning