Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Modern Research in Education, Teaching and Learning
Year: 2023
DOI:
[PDF]
The Exploration of Using the Mobile Application on Speaking for Engineering Students with Different Learning Styles
Jitpanat Suwanthep, Jidapha Setthajan, Sutong Gao
ABSTRACT:
Most students in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts lack sufficient opportunities to practice speaking English and often find speaking skill difficult to develop and master despite several years of formal learning in school and universities. Mobile learning provides ubiquitous learning environment for students to practice speaking anytime and anywhere. Hence, mass-designed applications may not be successful with all students with different learning styles. This study aims to investigate the effects of the mobile application on speaking for students with different learning styles and explore the attitudes toward using the mobile application. Thirty-six engineering students were encouraged to use TalkEnglish mobile application outside of the classroom for two weeks. The data collected via pretest and posttest scores, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews revealed that students in three different learning styles groups gained significantly higher scores for the posttest after using the mobile application. The results suggested that repetition increased learners’ accuracy and practice speaking with the mobile application reduced learners’ speaking anxiety and increased confidence. It can be concluded that TalkEnglish had positive effects on the students with different learning styles and implied potential uses among EFL learners.
keywords: accuracy, EFL speaking, learning styles, mobile application, mobile learning