Smart LearningA Guide to Integrating Smartphones into

Business English Learning

Kristen Acquaviva. June 25th, 2011. BESIG Summer Symposium. Preston, England

Smartphones and Mobile Learning

Smart Phones Mobile Learning

What exactly is a smart phone?

There is no official industry definition, but it is a phone with integrated PDA and cellular phone features.

M-learning: learning through the use of mobile technologies, such as smart phones or tablet computers.

M-learning is meant to supplement traditional learning materials, not supplant them

Smartphones:◦ Are familiar to learners◦ Require few additional resources◦ Are learner-controlled◦ Promote interactive learning◦ Are realistic◦ Are not classroom dependent◦ Promote independent learning◦ Are fun!

What are the benefits of using company-issued smartphones with Business English learners?

Photo Credit : CBC News © 2011

How to incorporate smartphones when teaching Business English:

1. Integrate smartphones realistically in communicative tasks

2. Practice Business English skills using smartphones creatively

3. Seek out applications promoting Business English learning

Makes tasks more relevant, authentic, and personalized

As an example, the phone’s GPS could be used in tasks where learners have to give and take directions or practice asking indirect questions.

What other smartphone applications (e.g. calendar, contact list, browser, dictionary, text messages) can be incorporated into functional language practice?

Using smartphones in communicative tasks

Calendar: make and change arrangements, practice dates

Browser: get and paraphrase information about products, companies, or relevant topics

Email/Texts: practice sending and receiving short messages

Contacts: give or confirm information, spelling, describe jobs and responsibilities

As in real life:

Many applications such as the camera or voice recorder can enhance skills practice.

For instance, learners could take pictures of and describe product features, or use the application store and describe a given application’s benefits.

How could learners practice extended listening, presenting, making suggestions, giving sales reports, and/or giving instructions with smartphones?

Channeling Business English skills by using standard smartphone applications creatively

Listening: podcasts, YouTube, (e.g. TED talks)

Presenting: camcorder (with or without sound), images from internet or gallery to be used as visual aids

Trends: current stock reports

Reported speech: news, weather updates

Making suggestions and recommendations: social networking applications like FourSquare and Yelp

Giving instructions: changing phone settings, explaining application features

Skill Practice Using Mobile Phone Applications

Not all need to be geared towards learning English: some business-oriented applications are wonderful for middle and upper level learners, such as Dale Carnegie’s Secrets of Success or Howcast.

For example, in a task with Howcast, learners could first explain a process, watch the corresponding video, recreate the instructions from the video together, and finally provide narration for the video on mute to practice giving instructions and explanations.

However, to keep the lesson learner-centered, the app must be accessible on their devices

Using Applications Smartly

Learning Business English with Smartphone Applications

What applications have you found particularly fun and useful with your learners?

kacquaviva@gmail.com

Thank you for your attention!