Technology-Based Language Learning: Investigation of Digital Technology and Digital Literacy

Hussien Mohamad Alakrash and Norizan Abdul Razak
Additional contact information
Hussien Mohamad Alakrash: Center for Research in Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Norizan Abdul Razak: Center for Research in Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: The use of digital technologies in developing the four language skills in English classrooms has not been sufficiently researched. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital technology and digital literacy in teaching and learning English. This study aims to firstly investigate the applications of digital technology and the level of digital literacy in learning and teaching English. Secondly, to measure the significant differences between EFL teachers and students in their usage of technology and digital literacies in English classrooms. Two questionnaires were distributed to 150 students and 40 teachers. The data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS 23.0. The findings show that students’ use of digital technology was the highest in learning vocabularies and lowest in reading skills, while teachers’ highest use was for general teaching practices and lowest for reading skills. Participants have high digital literacies. The findings supported the null hypotheses related to the significant difference between usage of digital technology for language pedagogy. These findings offer implications for policymakers towards designing plans to integrate digital technologies in the language classrooms of marginalized societies such as B40 in Malaysia.

Keywords: digital technology; technology-based learning; English learning; English teaching; Malaysia; fourth industrial revolution (4.0) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/21/12304/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/21/12304/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:12304-:d:674225

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().