Question: Should mobile phones be used in the classroom? 

Answer: Yes – it can be done responsibly and can motivate learners to use English confidently.  

Try these ideas. 

  • The teacher and learners can share pictures on their phones. They use real language, which is motivating and memorable, when they talk about the pictures.  
  • Speaking activities – like monologues, conversations, reading from a script, etc. – can be recorded on a phone’s voice recorder. 
  • Learners can listen to themselves and each other providing immediate feedback
  • Learners can send and receive messages by text, on WhatsApp, etc. 

Learners are likely to use mobile phones in their future studies and work, so don’t be afraid to use them in your classroom.  

How can you use mobile phones in your language classroom? 

Glossary

Conversation: A talk between two or more people. 

Feedback: Information about how or how well a learner has done something. 

Memorable: Something which is easily remembered. 

Monologue: A talk by one person. 

Motivate: Create a reason for learners to want to do something.