Language Learners' Perceptions on Using Information Communication Technologies

Abstract

As the Internet use has been growing and attracting more and more people, the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has become popular among people, especially young people. Young people are not only keen on using ICTs for communicating with their peers but also for their education because they are more computer literate than their teachers and parents. Thus, they prefer to have fast and instantaneous communication and reach information quickly. Although teachers and students are far from each other physically, they communicate thanks to information and communication technologies, learn new information about their lessons, repeat this information, and reinforce what they learn in class. The developments in the use of ICTs also affect language education since language education cannot be thought without ICTs. Students who learn a language do not only use their textbooks, but also join Facebook groups, use digital learning materials, communicate with their friends and teachers via Skype and Whatsapp, listen to podcasts, and watch videos on Youtube. Keeping in mind the importance of ICTs in education, this study aims at exploring the perceptions of language learners on the use of ICTs and mobile applications in education, especially in language learning. Participants of this study are 137 students at Modern Languages Department who are learning English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Russian at the School of Foreign Languages, Anadolu University. Necessary data for the study were collected via a questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of questions seekingparticipants' demographic information and some predetermined open-ended questions exploring participants' use of ICTs. Emerging themes in open-ended questions were found using Constant Comparison Method. The results of the study served to establish models in innovations in language teaching, new methods to make lessons more attractive, recommendations for educational institutions and teachers. Based on the results, certain implications were drawn from the study in order to organize future language teaching practices that utilize ICTs.