Smart device usage frequency and usage level for learning English

Abstract

This study investigates the frequency and level at which intermediate school students use smart devices to learn English as a foreign language. To achieve the study objective, a questionnaire with close-ended responses was developed and administered to a sample of 50 female students who owned smart devices and used them for learning English outside the classroom. An analysis of the collected data indicated that the usage level of smart devices among intermediate school students is high. The results revealed that the learning purposes with the highest usage frequency were "sending assignments to the teacher"," learning more about any topic", and "receiving feedback from teacher and colleagues". Whereas the purposes with the lowest usage frequency were "learning grammatical structures", "finding reading activities" and "improving the writing skill". The study recommends that education system and policy makers allow students to use their smart devices in English classes and encourage teachers to acquire the skills necessary for blending smart devices with traditional teaching methods.