Abstract:
This study investigated affordances and challenges in the use of iPads and smart phones in an English as a second language (ESL) class at a secondary school in South Australia. The focus is on the students' perspectives on the use of the mobile devices for English language learning, therefore, data were collected primarily from classroom observations, group discussions and individual interviews with 12 students over two school terms. Both affordances and challenges were found from the data though much more positive feedback was obtained to suggest the usefulness of the iPads and the smart phones for students' English language learning. The theoretical framework underpinning the design and particularly the data analysis in the study was Sociocultural Theory (SCT), which places great emphasis on the role of society and culture in language learning and takes as its central construct the mediation of human activities by tools, which can be either physical or psychological (Daniels, Cole & Wertsch, 2007; Lantolf 2000). In this study, the iPads and the smart phones and their pedagogical features all constitute tools for mediating students' English language learning. In the presentation I introduce how the devices were introduced to the class, who was responsible for installing apps on the devices, what rules students were required to follow, frequency and sites of use, and access to particular functions, in other words what students could and could not do with the devices. The conclusion is supported by evidence that many affordances are found in the use of the iPads and the smart phones, which outweigh the challenges in mediating the participating students' English language learning.