International Journal of English Language

and Translation Studies

[ISSN: 2308-5460]

Vol-01, Issue-02
[July-September, 2013]

Editor-in-Chief
Mustafa Mubarak Pathan
Department of English Language & Translation Studies
The Faculty of Arts, the University of Sebha
Sebha, Libya

Indexed in:
DOAJ
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Linguistics Abstracts Online
Open J-gate

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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

Table of Contents
Sr.
No.
1
2

10
11
12

13

14

15

16

Title of the Paper / Name of the Author(s)/ Country

Editorial
A Socio-linguistic Perspective to the Language Change of Television News
Broadcasting in Iran
- Shahla Simin, Hosna Kasma ee, Atiye Ezzati, Freshteh Teimouri &
Arineh Minasian, Iran
EFL Learners Difficult Role Transition from Secondary School to University:
From the P erspective and Perceptions of EFL Teachers of TBLT in Western
China
- Feng Teng, China
English Language Teaching and Learning during Holiday Camps: A Case Study
from Malaysia
- Dr. Ria Hanewald, Malaysia
English Metafunction Analysis in Chemistry Text: Characterization of Scientific
Text
- Ahma d Amin Dalimunte, M.Hum, Indonesia
Investigating the Difficulties Faced in Understanding, and Strategies Used in
Processing, English Idioms by the Libyan Students
- Noura Winis Ibrahim Saleh & Dr. Moha mmed Hassan Zakaria ,
Malaysia
MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning): A Paradise for English Language
Learners
- Dr. Suneetha Yedla, India
Metaphors about EFL Teachers' Roles: A Case of Iranian Non-English-Major
Students
- Mohsen Akbari, Iran
Mother Tongue Influence : A Thorn in the Flesh of Technocrats in the Global
Market
- Dr. S. Mohan, India
Teaching Creative Thinking Skills
- Dr. Nagamurali Eragamreddy, Libya
The Importance of a Dystopia n Hero in Sara Gruens Water for Elephants
Bassmah Bassam Khaled AlTaher, Jordan
The Leverage of a Proposed Post Process Writing Approach Program on
Developing the EFL Al-Azhar Secondary Students' Writing Skills
- Ismail Ibrahim Elshirbini Abdel-Fattah El-Ashri, Egypt
The Translator's Agency and the Ideological Manipulation in Translation: the
Case of Political Texts in Translation Classrooms in Iran
- Katayoon Afzali , Iran
The Use of Photo-Elicitation Interview in Sociolinguistics: The Case Study of
Awareness about the Use of Borrowings in Tlemcen Speech Community Algeria
- Mrs. Rahmoun-Mrabet Razzia, Alger ia
Uncertainty and Uncertainty Management: the Metacognitive State of ProblemSolving of Professional (experienced) Translators and Students of Translation
Studies
- Zahra Amirian & Moha mad J. Baghiat, Iran
Using Native Language in ESL Classroom
- Dr. Isa SPAHIU, Macedonia

Vol-1, Issue-2

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Page
Number
03
04-08

09-23

24-37

38-49

50-65

66-72

73-82

83-90

91-105
106-119
120-141

142-151

152-161

162-175

176-179

International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning): A Paradise for English Language

Learners
Dr. Suneetha Yedla
Acharya Nagarjuna Universit y, India

Abstract
In the age o f globalizat ion the modern mo bile related techno logies facilitate in changing the
teaching-learning process rapidly at the Universit y and Professio nal Co llege level to make the
pedagogy more and more interactive. Global techno logies enhance the level o f teaching to
mot ivate students in providing information by means o f an interesting and inno vat ive way o f
tasks. The appropriate use o f mo bile techno logy in classroom makes easy teaching- learning
process to gain informat ion in depth. Teachers are able to use techno logy by creat ing suitable
environment for teaching if they are trained. The present article deals wit h how to make
an effective, appropriate and interact ive use of mo bile-related techno logies in Universit y
level and Professional Co llege level teaching system.
Keywords: Globalizat ion, MALL, pedagogy, desktop machines, M-training

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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

1. Introduction
Qualit y educat ion to everyone, everywhere by integrating techno logy into educat ion is a
key goal of the educat ion for all init iat ive o f the 21st century. In the age o f glo balizat ion, the
modern mo bile techno logies help in changing the teaching- learning process rapidly at the
college and universit y level. Design of new pedagogy with the use of mo bile techno logy is a
new gate-way to create more interactive environment in the classroom in an interest ing and
inno vat ive way by making teaching more and more effective. The main aim o f the
techno logy is advancing and enhancing the class room teaching especially to enhance group
teaching to self-learning. The experience o f independent learning ma y encourage the students
to continue the learning process on their own in English language co mmunicat ion skills for
their future purpose. Teachers have the prime duty to encourage the students to be resource
providers and train them to be self-learners and self-trainers in the educat ion with techno logy.
A classroom environment, in which interact ion and interdependence are
encouraged, promotes learning in the techno logy-mediated classroom. The explosio n o f
wireless techno logy has created a new dimensio n in educat ion. Today, mobile learning is
gaining o f popularit y as a means of transmitt ing educational informat ion by means o f handy
techno logy devices such as mo bile phones, ipods and PDAs as they have more processing
power and more attractive funct ional devices than more commo nly obtainable desktop
machines a decade ago. Its the duty of the teachers to train the students in mult itasked,
mult ifaceted, techno logy-driven, diverse, vibrant world in an inclusive manner. Students
today are connected to techno logy in many ways that we could never imagine. At this
juncture we try to take advantage o f the students interest by introducing new pedagogy with
use of MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning). In this respect, this paper explains how
M-Learning, through easily accessible techno logy devices, can aid inclusive, fast and
interact ive learning.
2. MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning)
2.1 Meaning and nature
Mobile Assisted Language Learning means learning with the aid o f handheld techno logy
like mo bile phones, portable laptops and any other similar portable devices which are handy.
In addit ion, mo bile learning reduces inadequacy of learning location wit h the mo bilit y of
general portable devices.
Figure: 1 MALL Device

Source: Google Images

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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

M-Learning means getting ho ld of any knowledge and skill through using mo bile
techno logy everywhere at any t ime (in a classroom, in a cab, in a restroom.) which
provides right to use to all the different learning materials on hand. Moreover, it is two-way
process; that means sharing is almo st straight away to everybody by means o f the same
content, which will show the way to receiving feedback at the same mo ment. M-Learning
also brings strong portabilit y by subst ituting books and notes with small modified learning
materials. In addit io n, this learning methodology is much easier by merging games for a more
effect ive and entertaining knowledge getting.
2.2 Salient Features of M-Learning
Techno logy is all-pervading, touching almo st every part of our walk of life. Besides, the
requisite o f the devices to access mobile network are relat ively econo mically low-cost
compare to desktop and laptop computers. Some of the salient features of Mobile Assisted
Language Learning are:
Invent iveness of knowledge acquaintance
Mobilit y o f learning setting
Interactivit y of the learning process
Integration of instructional content
Immediate and urgent need of learning
Keeping in view the above salient features one can definitely say that mobile learning is
convenient from anyplace, which provides access to all classroom act ivit y materials
available. M-Learning also brings strong portability o f subst ituting books and a note with a
mo bile RAM packed wit h modified attractive learning contents.
2.3 RAM for 4Rs accessibility
2.3.1 Record: Learners may bring into play a mo veable handy device to capture, mound up,
note, learn by heart or create information.
2.3.2 Reinterpret: Learner may make use o f the portable device to discover or enhance
exist ing data so that it is transformed into new info rmat ion.
2.3.3 Relate: Learners can share new informat ion, recourses and can communicate direct ly
with other learners, e.g.: linking mo bile devices through Bluetooth or sending files fro m one
to another through SMS or MMS.
2.3.4 Reprint: Learners can reprint this informat ion and circulate as hand outs to the persons
who need it.
2.4 Classroom Interaction and MALL
A troubling gap remains between the promise and realit y o f techno logy related
inno vat ive instructional and learning practices in much of higher education. To practice it in
higher educat ion there is a need o f the hour to provide ICT equipped classrooms. As Yedla
(2013) suggests there is a need to transform convent ional classrooms into smart rooms.
According to her,
World is changing at a fast speed. Reason behind is ICT which provides fast access to
reliable informat ion any t ime, anywhere. ICT enabled teaching learning process
enco mpasses a variet y of resources, tools and techno logies aimed at improving the qualit y
and effect iveness o f the teaching-learning process. There are a variet y o f resources like
projects, mult imedia, self-learning modules which enhance the understanding o f students. For
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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

this, the convect ional classrooms have to be transformed into Smart Classroom (PP.: 115117) .
However, to achieve this, not only to put technological cart before the academic horse but
also a strong flip to push this around is required. We have to keep pace with this new
generat ion learners.
Figure: 2 M-learning in Classrooms

In the classroom, for the effect ive co mbinat ion of different modes of delivery, modes of
teaching and st yles o f learning, the fo llowing ways can be used by the teacher:
Record the lecture and upload it as a podcast. As Facer and Abdous (2011) point out,
Instructors and learners do not need to worry about suffering fro m an insufficient hardware
supply. Smartphone (Mobile) devices, iPods (with vo ice recorders) and MP3 recorders are
handy tools for recording content for podcasts at any t ime (p. 74).
The learners can easily fo llow the uploaded podcast and share the link to the mobiles o f
the other students to use while studying or for reference.
Share number wit h the students and ask them to message any quest ion while the
students are reviewing the lesson. Then teacher has the chance to answer the salient features
in the next class or direct the students as to where they can find the answers. Addit io nally two
or more questions on the same point will give valuable feedback on which areas o f the lecture
were harder to fo llow.
Ask a new quest ion related to the subject and let the students use their phones to see how
quickly they can find the answer. This will enable students to see how well
they have understood the context of the question, along wit h recognit ion of important
keywords of lecture.
Create short lists of salient points like important data, exam t ips etc, which can be
shared with students through messaging.
Allow students to take 5 minutes to study the context systemat ically by using 3G webs in
their mo biles. Before one puts forward the quest ions, teachers can ask students to put away
their phones and quizzing them. This pattern represents PPP (Presentation, Practice and
Production)
Approach
specified
by
Yedla
( 2012: 53)
to
teach
Specific Co mmunication Skills in English for technocrats.
Build vocabulary by sending flashcards with a new word and its definit ion, everyday.
All this can be done wit h students phones using mo bile learning applicat ions. Apart fro m the
commo nly used SMS, MMS is the more recent mobile messaging applicat ion which can
deliver all t ypes of informat ion, such as text message, sound, images and video message. This
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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

argument has been specified very apt ly by Zhang (2011) with the view that wit h the
exception o f very short genres like SMS and tweets, writing is a secondary act ivit y on a
mo bile device, and especially mo bile phones. Short genres can certainly play a significant
role in MALL, including second language MALL (P: 222).
By this we should make out that in the near future, the use of SMS and MMS will
potentially be increased in the education field as techno logy improves. An example for Mlearning tools for classroom applicat ions available to procure for Universit ies and
Professio nal Co lleges:
2.4 MALL Applications for Universities and Professional Colleges
2.4.1 SpeakingPal -is one of the mobile learning systems that bring speech ident ification
abilit y to the mobile phone, creating a new learning experience. The chunks of the teaching
material include an array o f real-life conversations, interactive exercises, role plays and
verbal co mmunicat ion act ivit ies. These tasks make the students highly interact ive and
entertaining.
Modern language learners need to develop very specific language skills and new cultural
knowledge in a very short time and in a variet y of circumstances (Vera, 2012). To provide
such variet y o f circumstances with M-learning tools in the classroom instruction, teachers
should acquire the knowledge and skills to use the new challenges in promoting inno vat ive
teaching strategies which are student-centered, collaborative, authent ic and self-directed.
Therefore the educat ional inst itutions should undertake innovat ive M-training programs for
teachers to update their teaching competencies to facilitate the teaching process effect ively.
2.4.2 M-training- M-Training makes the teachers to get acquisit ion o f knowledge, skills, and
competencies to teach both the vocat ional or practical skills and knowledge that relates to
specific purpose. It forms the core of apprent iceships and provides the backbone to the
technical content at professional or technical co lleges with techie classrooms. In addit ion to
the basic training required for a trade, occupation or professio n, it is recognized today that
there is a need to continue training beyo nd init ial qualifications to maintain, upgrade and
update skills throughout working life. In the context of many professions and occupations this
may be referred to as professio nal development.
2.5 Training for Trainers Sake
New learning environment has brought new challenges for teachers. At first glance Mlearning differs fro m tutoring only in terms o f invo lvement of techno logy. But teaching in
MALL with online environment differs fro m classroom-based face-to face teaching in many
ways. The main object ives o f M-tutors reflect these requirements and they include topics,
which help Provide M-tutors with pedagogical and didactic informat ion necessary for establishing
deeper understanding of the nature and effects of M-learning.
Describe different possibilit ies o f approaches to m-learning, to create awareness o f the
various pedagogical paradigms underpinning certain online course design approaches.
Pract ice various techniques that help to gain pedagogical co mpetence for
Mtutoring such as strategies for teaching with mo biles through online act ivit ies, evaluat ing the
activit ies etc.
Teachers learn to teach online by do ing hands on activit ies.
2.6 Need for M-training
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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

M-Learning has acquired good reputation among users by providing much needed
informat ion, document delivery, electronic resources, and instrumentation in the use o f
electronic resources. As users are increasingly utilizing these electronic resources through
website, the instruction team has recognized a growing need for web-based instruction as
well.
M-training instruction program also includes personal or group tutorials that are offered
to the users in their lab or office or in the library. M-training offers on and off-site training
programmes for large or small groups. Seminars also include instructions on M-training to
some extend in searching educat ional databases such as web resources, using bibliographic
management so ftware such as reference manager and special resources. A number o f factors
led us to implement to offer web-based instructio n in addit ion to seminars, tutorials and
group presentations. Anyho w give training to the trainers to professio nal course students is
the need of the hour at present scenario.
3. Conclusion
Mobile Assisted Language Learning is very much easier and faster to learn English. The
development of mobile wireless techno logies has generated a considerable amount of
excitement amo ng pract it ioners and academicians because it result s in shift ing the academic
environment fro m tradit ional setting to mobile learning settings. Mobile wireless
techno logies are the new front iers for teaching and learning in inst itution o f higher educat ion.
Many educat ional opportunit ies are made possible because o f M-techno logies unique
characterist ics and posit ive impacts ident ified in higher educat ion especially in Universit ies
and Professio nal co lleges. MALL is an approach to English language learning that is to
enhance English through use of mo bile devices to create paradise o f English language
learners.
About the Author:
Dr. Suneetha Yedla got Doctor of Philo sophy in English Language Teaching fro m Acharya
Nagarjuna Universit y o f Andhra Pradesh, India and is current ly working as an Assistant
Professor in the Department of English, Acharya Nagarjuna Universit y College o f
Engineering and Techno logy, India. She teaches Professio nal English Communication Skills
and Soft Skills to the technical students. She has published widely in various internat iona l
journals and presented papers in nat ional and internat ional conferences. Her major areas o f
research interests are: ELT and ICT, ESP, Literatures in English.
References
Bhatia, R. 2011. Enhancing Teaching: Learning with
Techno logy, University Ne ws, Vol.49, No.31, August 1-7, p. 13-15.
Facer, Betty Rose & Abdous M. (ed.) 2011. Academic Podcasting and Mobile
Assisted Language Learning Applications and Outcomes, Hershey, IGI Global
Publishers.
Jaiswal, D. 2010. M-Learning: A New Paradigm in Education, Universit y News,
Vol.48, No.42, October 18-24, p.38.
Vera, Javier E. Diaz, 2012. Left to my Own Devices: Learner Autonomy and MobileAssisted Language Learning, Emerald Group Publishing, Bingley.
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International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies ISSN: 2308-5460

Yedla, Suneetha, 2013. Classroom to Smart Room: Need of the Hour for English
for Engineering Contemporary Research in India: An International Peer
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Zhang, Felic ia (ed.) 2011. Computer- Enhanced and Mobile- Assisted Language
Learning: Emerging Issues and Trends, Hershey, IGI Global Publishers.
Web Resources:
https://www.googleimages.co.in

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