Digital residents: Practices and perceptions of non native speakers
Digital residents: Practices and perceptions of non native speakers
Keywords: Digital residents, CALL, Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), Mobile Assisted Language Use (MALU), Digital literacy
Huw Jarvis
University of Salford, UK
Bio
Huw Jarvis is a Senior Lecturer in TESOL. He has published widely in technology and language education and is the founder and editor of TESOLacademic.org which disseminates open access TESOL-based video research and keynote talks from many leaders in the field. Interaction with website content is ever increasing via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn channels.
Abstract
This paper reports on a Thai-based study which documents the practices and perceptions of non-native speakers (NNS) of English, the vast majority of whom reside in cyberspace in their everyday lives beyond formal learning contexts in both their L1 and L2. Questionnaire and focus group data was collected to identify what participants do with which digital devices and why. The role of the English language in relation to social networking is explored in more detail. The paper then briefly considers some of the implications for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in terms of equipping learners to function as connected digital citizens in English as an L2. It is suggested that in order to do this we need to recognise that the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) acronym is no longer adequate for investigating and describing practice and that in many contexts we are now in a ‘post-CALL era’ of Mobile Assisted Language Use (MALU) with digital literacy skills a defining characteristic.
See page: 4-18
Category: Monthly Editions
