Presenter
J.D. Swerzenski
Teaching Associate | Communication
University of Massachusetts
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Description
Currently, 1 in 2 people around the world has internet access, most of them via smartphone. 1 in 3 are learning English, with over 80% of these students coming from Asia and the Global South (IDC, 2016). Despite the incredible growth in these two trends, few steps have been taken to adapt English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education methods around access to these devices. Following the critical pedagogy tradition, a growing body of research attests to the many productive uses devices such as smartphones can have for EFL students, including the ability to legitimize cultural and linguistic knowledge via an intercultural approach (McClanahan, 2014). This article tests the efficacy of one possible approach in initiating intercultural learning via smartphone usage. University students from Bogotá, Colombia used their smartphones to record and submit responses to weekly questions addressing a common concern: what Colombian stereotypes will you, with your language skills, help to overcome? Via a textual analysis of their responses, the study hopes to highlight potential benefits and downsides offered by smartphones and other devices in developing language and intercultural skills.