EFL Teachers Probing MALL Grounds in Egypt
Hanaa Khamis, Independent Researcher (Egypt)
Abstract
This paper aims at exploring the uses of mobile devices for professional and English language teaching purposes among Egyptian teachers over the past five years. There seems to be a noticeable surge in smart devices and easy internet access through WiFi, cable and data connections, besides countless intuitive apps that can turn a lay user into a web scavenger and author with a flick. How far this surge is reflected in professional practices of Egyptian EFL teachers is yet to be investigated. Teachers' awareness of apps that can positively contribute to their best practices is still unexplored. Whether they are making informed decisions about maximizing benefits and limiting distractions related to mobile devices is still unclear. Examining the uses, perceptions and needs of those teachers in order to effectively activate Mobile-assisted Language Learning (MALL) in their contexts is deemed necessary. A semi-closed survey will be conducted in attempt to answer these questions. This presentation will probe these unfamiliar grounds to come up with some answers that may hopefully guide future MALL practices in Egyptian EFL classes.
Keywords |
Mobile-assisted Language Learning (MALL), English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Egypt |