How do mobile technologies affect L2 learning?: Smartphone apps vs. pocket e-dictionaries

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02739
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Osaka Ohtani University
• Principal Investigator: Koyama Toshiko 大阪大谷大学, 教育学部, 教授 (20352974)
• Research Collaborator: YAMANISHI hiroyuki ; YABUKOSHI tomoko
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 電子辞書 / スマホ辞書アプリ / タブレット / 英語教育 / 辞書検索行動 / 辞書指導

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of these studies was to investigate how EFL learners differ in dictionary use focusing on pocket e-dictionaries, smartphone dictionary apps, and tablet dictionary apps when reading English texts. Their look-up behavior, such as time needed, the number of looked ups, reading comprehension, and retention of the look ups were investigated respectively. The results showed no significant difference between pocket e-dictionaries and smartphone apps, however, a difference was found in the retention of look ups between smartphone apps and tablets apps.
A questionnaire whose goal was to seek out differences in college students’ attitudes towards dictionaries including paper and pocket type dictionaries, and smartphones was conducted. The results showed college students made use of not only pocket e-dictionaries, but also Web searches using their smartphones when reading and writing English passages.

Free Research Field

外国語教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

教育のICT化が推進される中、英語学習に欠かせない学習辞書のあり方も変化している。教具としてその地位を確立した電子辞書は、今やスマホやタブレットの爆発的な普及に伴い、特に大学生には携帯されなくなってきている。
本研究では、こうしたディバイスの変化が英語学習者の行動や学習効果にどのような影響を与えているかを多角的に調べ、辞書指導のあり方を含めた今後の辞書利用の方向性を考察したものである。