Smartphones as a Tool for Expediting English Vocabulary Learning: Teachers’ Perceptions of Benefits and Drawbacks‏

Abstract

This study surveyed teachers’ perceptions of the efficiency of utilizing smartphones as a tool for helping EFL students ameliorate their English vocabulary learning. A 27-item questionnaire was administered to 120 teachers working at various state and private secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. Findings revealed that the great majority of teachers (84%) considered smartphones an effective tool for teaching vocabulary. The current study also showed that teaching experience had statistically significant effects on teachers’ perceptions in favour of teachers with a moderate number of years of experience (more than 5 and less than 10 years). However, there were no statistically significant differences on teachers’ perceptions yielded by the gender variable. Furthermore, the current study showed that ease of use, the ability to engage students anywhere and anytime, learning through game applications, and offering a great deal of exposure to foreign language received the highest rate of agreement. Additionally, teachers believed that several drawbacks might impact the integration of smartphones into the classroom, including low quality of existing apps, lack of training on smartphones for academic purposes and the disruption and distraction they cause.