Investigating EFL High School Students’ Smartphone Usage for Learning Purposes and Social Activities

Abstract

Abstract

Smartphones contribute significantly to the improvement of learning quality as they provide learners with rich learning resources. However, their destructive uses also ruin the quality of learning. Therefore, this present study attempts to investigate EFL high school students’ smartphone usage for learning purposes and social activities. This study applied the quantitative method. The cluster random sampling method was also employed. The samples (n = 157) were Cambodian EFL students in the 11^th grade of Maung Russei High School. The questionnaire adapted from Ahmed (2015) was used as the research instrument. Three main results were indicated. First, in learning English, students mainly used their smartphones to listen to music in English, and use dictionaries or search for the meaning of vocabulary in order to learn it. Second, in social activities, they used their smartphones as a watch and alarm clocks, to make and receive calls, listen to music in Khmer, watch movies or videos in Khmer language, and take photos for pleasure. Third, students used their smartphones predominantly for social activities rather than academic purposes. The study suggested that English teachers should introduce positive uses of smartphones as learning resources to learners and take serious actions by not allowing them to use their smartphones during classes or making good classroom management and strict regulation concerning smartphone use in the classroom.