The use of technology in informal English language learning: evidence from Yemeni undergraduate students

Nasser Omer Mubarak Al-Tamimi,Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady

doi:10.1108/lthe-09-2020-0037

Nasser Omer Mubarak Al-Tamimi, Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1108/lthe-09-2020-0037

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Abstract

Purpose This study aims to explore the use of technology-based strategies by Yemeni undergraduate students to develop their English as a foreign language skills in informal learning settings. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods research design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 110 undergraduate students enrolled at the English Departments in two universities in Yemen. In the first phase of the study, 10 students were interviewed to obtain information about their use of technology to develop their English language skills and subsystems in informal settings. Following the analysis of the interview data, a questionnaire was built to collect quantitative data, and the second phase of the study was carried out with 100 undergraduate students. Findings The findings revealed that students developed four technology-based strategies that they used in informal settings. These strategies included using social media, being inspired by someone, accessing social networks and websites. Students reported that these strategies helped them develop their listening, speaking and reading skills, while they also reported that their vocabulary was enhanced over grammar and pronunciation. Research limitations/implications The study findings can be of benefit not only for helping to raise students’ awareness of informal learning strategies to develop their English skills outside the classroom but also for teachers to rethink the importance of integrating technology tools and digital resources in their teaching practice. The results could also guide curriculum designers to augment textbook materials by integrating technology-based informal learning strategies. Originality/value This is the first study on this topic conducted in the context of higher education in Yemen and offers unique insights into informal learning practices of Yemeni students. In addition, the findings of the study open new dimensions for rethinking the classification of language learning strategies to include those that are technology-based and mainly useful for independent informal learning.

Highlights

The use of technology and the Web has had a tremendous impact on the second language (L2) classroom with students no longer depending on their teachers and their textbooks as the main source of exposure to L2 (Trinder, 2017)
The findings revealed that students developed four technology-based strategies that they used in informal settings
Based on the interview and questionnaire results, the study found that Yemeni undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) students use four main technology-based strategies: social networking, accessing media and websites and being inspired by someone to improve their English language in informal settings

Summary

Introduction

The use of technology and the Web has had a tremendous impact on the second language (L2) classroom with students no longer depending on their teachers and their textbooks as the main source of exposure to L2 (Trinder, 2017). Technology on its own is not going to do much to help L2 students improve their language skills. Students need to use learning strategies to improve their language skills challenging this might be (Hockly, 2013). While there is a plethora of studies that have focused on technology use in the L2 classroom in the Middle East (Alassaf, 2014; Ali, 2017; Bin-Hady, Al-Kadi, Alzubi, & Mahdi, 2020; Kareem, 2017), there is a dearth of research studies in the tertiary context of Yemen. There is a need for a study that explores the use of technology in a challenging learning context like Yemen, where the internet is still very slow and not accessible to everybody (Bin-Hady et al, 2020)

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