MALL FOR ESP. ENHANCING MOTIVATION AND PROMOTING LANGUAGE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
MALL FOR ESP. ENHANCING MOTIVATION AND PROMOTING LANGUAGE LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Summary/Abstract: In a competitive world where technology evolves practically on a daily basis, we, aslanguage teachers and especially as ESP practitioners, must stay up to date and involve thistechnological progress into the teaching process. MALL (Mobile-Assisted Language Learning) andESP (English for Specific Purposes) are compatible in more than one regard as they both address theconditions of our society and are rooted in present needs. While MALL is usually seen as analternative to the classroom-type learning process, mobile devices can be turned by the teacher in thetraditional setting, from a nuisance and attention disrupters to valuable tools that bring the studentscloser to the learning process. Using the smartphone, an object the students are very attached to, andgetting them involved in activities closer to their everyday interests should have a significant effect ontheir motivation level. Also, involving this object into the language learning process will developskills and tap into resources for further learning, beyond the classroom. This article will discuss someof the main points made by the extensive research done over the past ten years in regards to the usesof MALL for language learning in general, and ESP in particular, addressing the important topic oflearner motivation and some of the advantages this method has at tertiary level.

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