Technology-mediated tasks in the young learners’ EFL classroom

Abstract

For the last few decades, technology has been commonly integrated into various foreign/second language teaching contexts. A significant amount of research has been conducted to investigate the effects of technology integration on student learning and demonstrated its effectiveness in improving language areas such as grammar and vocabulary and four language skills as well as in raising cultural awareness, increasing student motivation and autonomy and creating a student-centred learning environment. Despite research interest into the use of technology in education, studies depicting technology-integration practices in young learner classrooms are not many in number. The present quasi-experimental study conducted in the Turkish context aimed to investigate whether the completion of technology-mediated tasks would improve young EFL learners’ achievement in listening and reading and writing tests. The analysis of data indicated a higher improvement in the experimental group, compared to the control group who completed traditional homework assignments, but not at a significant level. The study also explored the experimental group learners’ opinions about technology-mediated tasks they completed and revealed their self-perceived higher ability in English, enhanced self-efficacy beliefs in technology use and positive attitudes towards technology-mediated tasks.