Abstract
A considerable number of studies on mobile-assisted language learning have been conducted, but less attention has been paid to online informal learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) performed using smartphones among undergraduate EFL learners in Indonesia. Thus, this study was specifically aimed at investigating EFL learners’ most frequently-performed EFL learning activities through smartphones, the predominant online language use, and the relationship between EFL learners’ predominant online language use and their perceived EFL proficiency. The study adopted a quantitative approach. The findings reveal that the participants still more frequently access content and information from their smartphones for receptive rather than interactive/productive online activities. Indonesian, which is the participants’ first language, is still predominantly used for their online activities. The mean score of the perceived EFL proficiency of those who frequently perform online activities in English is statistically and significantly higher than those performing online activities in Indonesian. Overall, the mean score of the perceived EFL proficiency of those performing online activities in English is higher than those in Indonesian, although the difference is not statistically significant. Finally, the study’s implications with suggestions for future research are discussed.
Highlights
Today, researchers have been increasingly interested in investigating various potentials of technology in the age of the fourth industrial revolution, which is referred to as Industry 4.0 (HARIHARASUDAN; KOT, 2018)
The participants were required to self-assess the level of their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) proficiency which was based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL)
This study focuses on the most frequently-performed online EFL learning activities through smartphones, the predominant language used for the online activities by the participants under investigation, and the difference between the means of the participants’ perceived EFL proficiency divided into two independent groups
Summary
Researchers have been increasingly interested in investigating various potentials of technology in the age of the fourth industrial revolution, which is referred to as Industry 4.0 (HARIHARASUDAN; KOT, 2018). The Industry 4.0 is said to have an effect on people, business, and governance, but it has a huge amount of influence over education (HARIHARASUDAN; KOT, 2018), which the term Education 4.0 came into existence. This term emphasizes that technology should be aligned with human and education to enable new potential possibilities (HUSSIN, 2018). Technology is believed to play an important role and give positive impacts on education in general (HARIHARASUDAN; KOT, 2018) and on language learning in particular (SAMIRA, 2011). Besides CALL and web-based EFL learning technologies, social media and mobile technologies are reported playing a noticeable role in EFL learning (DASHTESTANI, 2013; ALSHABEB; ALMAQRN, 2018)
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