Using Mobile Phones in the Second Language Learning Process

Week: 11: Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom

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Mobile phones are a really useful tool in the teaching of a second language process that are relativity cheap and increansingly poweful. The Article presents some ideas for putting into practice this tool. However, if we, as teachers, want to apply this method we have to take in consideration different aspects. We have to identify a specific teaching objective, and look for some activities that we can develop with our students. Even if we have to be careful with the use of mobile phones in the classroom, thoose devices provide different activities in which they could be applied. 

There are some possitive reassons to use mobile phones. Mobile phones allow us to use social networks as tools to facilitate authentic and relevant communication and collaboration among learners. They also can have the control over their own knowledge, controlling the medium by elaborating how best to use the medium, and they already know how to use some tools on their devices. Nevertheless, as the use of cellphones has possitive aspects it has some problems, like lack of access to mobile phones. the cost of mobile phones and wireless connection, noise in classes, ect. But in my case, I would use that method in my classes.

I would like to apply 2 ideas on my teaching process: 1- I would like to apply the idea number 8, exchange messages with a person to another country that is learning Spanish for example, and my students may help them with the learning of our language, and they can help to my students with English. Is obviously that I would have to look for a coleague outside the country to organize a project like thisone, but I would like to do it. 2- Using the mobile phone for microbloging on Twitter. (Idea 11) Asking my students to share a tweet in which they could tag my user, explaining a situation that they may be doing. In that way they may practice their writting skills, and they will be practicing outside the classroom.