The Need to Engage With Smartphones and Social Network Sites (SNSs) at Korean Universities

Abstract

The disparity between the pervasiveness of Smartphone and SNS use in Korean society, and the near absence of systematic engagement with educational approaches to their use could not be starker. This is even more perplexing in second language learning where contemporary communicative practices are underpinned by the assumption that they will enable students to apply lessons to real life circumstances outside the classroom. As found in an extensive study on teachers' perceptions and uses of technology, teachers often lack motivation to make changes owing to a lack of reliable resources, training, and professional development support. This chapter, therefore, provides the underpinning for a new theoretical approach to promoting a more culturally holistic engagement with technology, Smartphones, and SNS use at Korean universities and education in general.