Application of Mobile Phone as a Motivational Tool in the ESP Classrooms of Dhofar University

Abstract

The present paper investigated the factors of motivation and the role of teachers in motivating English language learners in the ESP classes of Dhofar University as well as the significance of motivation in teaching and learning through mobile application technology. Mobile phones are handy devices that are readily available with all the students in universities and colleges nowadays. Furthermore, the innovative use of mobile applications and internet technology is very common among the undergraduate students. This paper is a detailed description of some of the teaching strategies employed through mobile phones to motivate the students who have very low level of motivation. Since lack of motivation among students is a common challenge faced by most of the ELT teachers in their classrooms, practical solutions centred on mobile applications is the focus of this study. Furthermore, supplementing classroom practices with mobile application technology can promote learner autonomy and peer learning opportunities within the classroom resulting in a visible rise in the motivational graph of the whole class. This paper is also a practical account of how mobile applications can be integrated into classroom teaching without affecting the traditional syllabus of a conventional university curriculum.