The study aims at investigating Iraqi instructors' perspectives and current techniques of using smartphones with the intention of boosting Iraqi learners' speaking skills, linking the perceptions with activities according to Iraqi teachers. The study was conducted in four Universities (University of Baghdad, Al-Mustansiriya University, Iraqia University, and Al-Ma'moun University) targeting the Department of English Language. The data were analyzed using SPSS v. 22. The findings revealed that smart devices are widely utilized in university English classes. Teachers enable students to use them freely during lectures to look up material. It is a normal practice to instruct pupils to utilize their gadgets both in classes and at home. Overall, the instructors believed the application of smartphones to be beneficial in the teaching of English, and the study includes several instances. Easy and rapid access to information, valuable learning tools, and the capacity to effortlessly produce and share data are just a few of the benefits of mobile devices in education.
TopIntroduction
Several studies have focused on utilizing technology for the development of speaking skills. For instance, Lin (2014) demonstrated the beneficial impact of technology on the growth of L2 students’ oral proficiency in learning environments, where students interacted orally while utilizing interactive media simultaneously (Vygotsky, 1978). The constructivist perspective on language learning aims to combine genuine knowledge, students, and assignment practices with language learning and technology (Felix, 2003; Hampel & Hauck, 2004; Kern, Ware & Warschauer, 2004). The synergistic strategy (Warschauer & Healey, 1998) stresses the convergence of various capabilities in the application of the physical arena and communications technologies situations. That level upon which certain instructive strategies have been utilized by academics’ methods aimed at promoting the development of English as a secondary language that has frequently concluded in the creation of classroom activities (Plomp, 2009; Hoven & Palalas, 2013). In this digital era, utilizing technology such as the World Wide Web to sustain twenty-first-century language learning and teaching has become fashionable, highlighting the possibility that tackles one of the most demanding and difficult skills in English as a foreign language (EFL) context: Speaking English accurately, confidently, and fluently.
In their study, Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008) pointed out “collaborative speaking and listening practices could be effectively facilitated by mobile devices” after studying the function of the use of smart electronic devices for linguistic training (p. 281). English learners pick up new words when talking on their tablets (Kiernan & Aizawa, 2004). Besides, Moreno-Jaén and Pérez Basanta (2009) found that multimodal texts accessible via audio and visual resources captured on DVDs assisted learners in recognizing conversational techniques and explaining why fluent communicators hold conversations directly. However, limited studies have focused on the use of technology, specifically mobile phones, to improve the speaking skills of non-native speakers. Therefore, this study aimed to address the following research questions:
- 1.
What are the teachers’ perceptions towards technology, in general, and the use of smartphones, in particular, in developing the speaking skills of Iraqi EFL students?
- 2.
What are the teachers’ practices of technology in general, and the use of smartphones in particular, to develop the speaking skills of Iraqi EFL students?
- 3.
What are the Iraqi EFL students’ perceptions of using smartphones to develop speaking skills?
TopLiterature Review
Students learn to talk by talking; they need chances to communicate in the target language and must be proficient speakers. Learners’ playfulness may be sparked by technology, which can engage them in a number of situations. According to Arifah (2014), technology allows learners to participate in self-directed activities, conscience engagements, privacy, a safe setting where mistakes are rectified and precise feedback is given. The capacity of a machine to monitor faults and connect the learner to activities that concentrate on particular problems adds to the usefulness of machine feedback.
There are application packages which can assist learners in strengthening their communication expertise. Learners will be enabled to perform suitable technology on computer systems with their particular enjoyment to strengthen their communicating talents, which are needed in today’s modernized technology world (Chapelle, 2018). Students’ excitement in the subject is stimulated by the utilization of headsets in the laboratories, which induce them to speak it once more and repeatedly rather than becoming bored. The word “internet” is well-known, and individuals from all around the globe utilize it constantly. Learners constantly access the internet in lectures to master English and Internet learning appears appealing in the lecture and motivates students to explore proper materials (Chapelle, 2018).