A Case Study of Mobile Technology-enabled English Language Learning: the Amazon Kindle e-Reader Initiative in Palestine

Khitam Yousuf Shraim

doi:10.3991/ijim.v8i3.3770

Abstract

The proliferation of increasingly interactive e-reader devices such as the Amazon Kindle represents an opportunity to explore their evolving pedagogical value. This study aims to investigate how use of the Kindle can enhance individuals’ English language learning—more specifically their attitudes, reading comprehension, vocabulary development and pronunciation performance—in the context of informal and lifelong learning in Palestine, and to explore the further potential of scaling up the use of e-readers at a national level. At the piloting stage of this initiative, the study operated at two levels (micro and meso) of the M3 evaluation framework. Mixed methods were used: qualitative data were obtained through a case study of the practices and perceptions of two teachers in two classrooms in the Qalqilia center and quantitative data were collected through a survey of 114 learners. The study shows that the Kindle’s technological affordances are effective in creating a flexible, authentic and interactive environment for English language learning, provided that teachers change their teaching methods to take full advantage of the features of mobile technologies to create innovative learning approaches aligned with the needs of the e-generation. It was also found that despite some concerns with the usability issue, attitudes towards learning English changed positively and learners’ vocabulary and pronunciation improved.

Highlights

The proliferation of increasingly interactive ereader devices such as the Amazon Kindle represents an opportunity to explore their evolving pedagogical value
To increase the English language proficiency of Palestinian students, in 2006 the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) made English language learning a compulsory subject from grade one of schooling
This study illustrates the potential use of mobile technologies, the Amazon Kindle e-reader, to enable English language learning, learners’ attitudes, reading comprehension, vocabulary development and pronunciation performance in the context of informal and lifelong learning in Palestine

Summary

Introduction

The proliferation of increasingly interactive ereader devices such as the Amazon Kindle represents an opportunity to explore their evolving pedagogical value. This study aims to investigate how use of the Kindle can enhance individuals’ English language learning— their attitudes, reading comprehension, vocabulary development and pronunciation performance— in the context of informal and lifelong learning in Palestine, and to explore the further potential of scaling up the use of e-readers at a national level. Many e-readers contain multimedia elements and animated content that support the reading of the text and help readers visualize meaning and comprehend more [5] Portability is another important advantage; eReaders are small and light, which means that they can be carried anywhere, allowing learners to access learning resources and so to undertake learning activities whenever and wherever they wish [6]. To counter negative attitudes toward English and motivate digital natives who iJIM ‒ Volume 8, Issue 3, 2014

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