ERIC Number: EJ1231063
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2227-7102
EISSN: N/A
Mobile Technology and Generation Z in the English Language Classroom--A Preliminary Study
Poláková, Petra; Klímová, Blanka
Education Sciences, v9 Article 203 2019
Every generation of students has different characteristics that reflect the conditions of the time period they were growing in. It is important for educators from all fields of study, especially English language teachers, to understand the generational differences and the learning preferences of students in order to create productive learning environments. In today's technology driven era, students have different learning needs in comparison with their predecessors. To enhance language learning in the new generation, it is recommended to use mobile technology in class. Mobile devices and applications offer a wide range of activities that support language learning. The aim of this study was to discover if the students using mobile devices in the class got higher scores in tests than the students using traditional methods. The methods included pre- and post-tests, as well as a questionnaire survey. The results of this study reveal that the use of a mobile application had a positive effect on students' achievement results as far as the vocabulary learning was concerned. The students using the app seemed to retain more words than the students in the control group. Furthermore, the results of the questionnaire showed that using the app was more enjoyable for students than the traditional teaching methods. In addition, it contributed to collaborative learning. However, the results also indicate that being a Generation Z student does not make him/her automatically interested in using mobile applications in the process of language acquisition. Considering the small number of participants, further studies are planned to confirm the results from the current preliminary study.
Descriptors: Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Vocabulary Development, Academic Achievement, Learning Activities, Teaching Methods, Comparative Analysis, Pretests Posttests, Computer Software, Age Groups, Learning Motivation, Constructivism (Learning), Teacher Role, Secondary School Students, Student Attitudes, Vocational Education, Tourism
MDPI AG. Klybeckstrasse 64, 4057 Basel, Switzerland. Tel: e-mail: indexing@mdpi.com; Web site: http://www.mdpi.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A