CHAPTER 19

Perceptions of Secondary School Igbo Language Students on the Use of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Application: A Case Study of JSS Students in Lagos State

Blessing Chidiebere Emodi

University of South Carolina, Columbia

INTRODUCTION

Since the introduction of smartphones and their use by a significant number of the population, different applications have been developed and utilized to enhance learning and other activities. Many scholars have pointed out language improvement and learner engagement as positive results that the use of mobile applications for language learning have recorded. These scholarly works were carried out in other languages. Therefore, this study focuses on the perceptions of Igbo language students in secondary school on using mobile-assisted language learning applications in acquiring the Igbo language.  The data was collected from a descriptive survey through a questionnaire of 22 items distributed by the researcher among the study population, comprising all junior secondary school students in the purposely selected school. The study sample consisted of 150 students randomly selected from four secondary schools in Lagos state. A simple percentage was used to calculate and analyze the collected data. The results obtained from the analyzed data showed that mobile language learning applications will be advantageous to the teaching and learning of language in schools, that students of Igbo language are slightly aware of the available Igbo Language Learning Mobile Applications, and that the introduction of Igbo Language Learning Mobile Application (ILLMA) will be beneficial to the teaching and learning of Igbo language in junior secondary schools (JSS). These findings underscore the potential of mobile language learning applications and recommend the development and accessibility of more Igbo language applications for students, instilling hope for the future of language acquisition in Nigeria.

Improvement in the teaching of the Igbo language in Nigeria began when the government of Nigeria started showing interest in teaching Nigerian languages through the National Curriculum Conference of 1969. The result of that conference led to the production of the first official document on education, “The National Policy on Education," first published in 1977 and revised in 1981, 1998, 2004, and 2014.^[1]This policy made it mandatory for all secondary schools in Nigeria to teach Nigerian languages. Even the 1981 revised edition of the policy made it compulsory for every child to learn their mother tongue by secondary school in addition to one of the three major Nigerian languages (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba) as a second language (L2). However, as the objectives and curriculum for the subject illustrate and the methods/strategies used in the teaching/learning of the subject determine, to an extent, the policy achieved the stated objectives. There is a need to rethink the choice of teaching and learning methods used in schools because continuing conventional teaching methods does not advance learners’ critical thinking skills. To develop the higher-order skills (Competence and Skills) needed by 21st century learners, the learners would engage in meaningful inquiry-based learning that will arouse their interest, motivate them, and sustain the interest. Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is the answer to it with its potential to engage students, increase their interest, and sustain their motivation in learning the Igbo language.

MALL serves as this chapter’s main illustration because of the rapid increase in the use of smartphones in Nigeria. Statista 2018 gave the increase data: 2014, 11 million users; 2015, 13.2 million users; 2016, 15.5 million users; 2017, 18 million users; 2018, 20.5 million users; and a prediction of 23.3 million in 2019. Also, the 4th edition of a report by Jumia Nigeria revealed that while there are 1.04 billion and 82% mobile subscriptions in Africa, Nigeria, with an estimated 193 million population, has 162 million mobile subscriptions, which amounts to 84% of the population.^[2]

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

According to the nine factors purported by UNESCO on language vitality and endangerment, the Igbo language fits the characteristics of an endangered language. Reasons for this endangerment range from lesser intergenerational transfer, non-availability of materials for its education and literacies, non-enforcement of the language policies made by the Nigerian government, and parents and their children preference of speaking other languages than Igbo. The partial implementation of language policy in some schools is yielding poor results; this poor result has been reported to have been caused by many factors, including teaching and learning methods. Uzuegbunam (2019)^[3] showed that Nigerian teens rely extensively on mobile phones and mobile internet for social connectivity; 66% use mobile phones between 1 to 5 hours whenever they get a chance. The lack of interest of students toward learning the Igbo language alongside their addiction-like attachment toward mobile phones provides a reason to investigate the perceptions of Nigerian language students on the use of mobile-assisted language learning applications, particularly with the Igbo language JSS-3 students.  

The main objective of this study is to investigate the perceptions of secondary school Nigerian language students toward the use of mobile-assisted language learning applications. This objective contains specific components:

• To determine the students' perception of the importance/advantages of mobile language learning applications to language teaching and learning processes.
• To determine the level of awareness of the JSS 3 students of the available Igbo language learning mobile applications.
• To gather students' views on introducing the Igbo Language Learning Mobile Application (ILLMA) as a language learning tool as a tool in teaching and learning the Igbo language in Nigerian secondary schools.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The focus on Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) started with the invention of such things as the clay tablet, the scroll, the book, audio recordings, and audio-visual technologies (Burston 2012).^[4] In the language learning trends, MALL followed Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), making smartphone devices for not only making and receiving calls, receiving and sending SMS, interacting in social media, and exchanging emails; MALL has been updated to help students in learning both their language and others’ languages. Students are now able to learn different languages and access language-related materials through mobile applications like Busuu, Byki, Duolingo, English to Igbo, Igbo 101, Igbo Dictionaries (e.g., Lite Dictionary, Work Offline English and Igbo Dictionary, Offline English Igbo Dictionary), Isabi Igbo, Mango Languages, Memrise, Mindsnacks, Penyopal, Rosetta Stone, Soro, and Voxy,^[5] (Heil et al. 2016)^[6].

Mobile phones are significantly helpful in people's everyday lives (including but not limited to students); they make available many capabilities that enable independent learning, cooperative learning, constant learning, and learning of other languages (Salim and Ahmed 2018)^[7]. The availability of MALL tremendously expanded the opportunities for learning languages worldwide. Traxler (2007),^[8] listed about ten characteristics that mobile language learning is known for: bite-sized, context-aware, informal, opportunistic, personal, pervasive, portable, private, situated, and spontaneous. ^[9]MALL also gave room for expanding learning practices beyond the four walls of the school, ensured by lots of downloadable language learning applications, thereby reducing the excuse of no opportunities to learn languages (Kukulska-Hulme, 2012).^[10] Cavus and Ibrahim (2009, in Chen 2016) examined the effects of mobile technology and texting in language learning and confirmed that students enjoyed and learned new words with the help of their mobile phones.

 MALL has had a significant influence on language learning. For example, the New Media Consortium’s 2013 report determined that eTablets and mobile applications provided precious near-term tools for learning both in and outside the school environment (Lindaman and Nolan 2015)^[11] This finding agrees with Czerska-Andrzejewska‘s^[12] emphasis on the borderless nature of MALL in terms of time and place. MALL gives room for spontaneous and in-situation learning, providing also helpful links between the subject and the object of study. Regarding the objective of capturing students’ interests, Burston (2013) found that the students’ attitudes toward the use of MALL in learning have been greatly positive. According to Celik and Yavuz (2018)^[13]MALL has made a great and deep impact on language instruction and learning, as evidenced from principles, techniques, strategies, teacher and learner roles, material use, and finally, the evaluation process.^[14]

METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

This current study employed descriptive survey design to examine the use of mobile applications in teaching and learning the Igbo language. Descriptive survey design, as explained by Cohen et al. (2017),^[15] gather data at a particular time to describe the nature of existing conditions, to identify standards against which existing conditions can be compared, or to determine the relationships that exist between specific events.

POPULATION

The study's population is made up of all JSS students in the purposely selected schools in the Yaba local government of Lagos State. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 150 students from the selected schools.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

The data for the study was collected through a carefully constructed 4 Likert scale questionnaire (student perception questionnaire) prepared to encompass the study's objectives; it consisted of twenty-two (22) items, which the researcher distributed among the sample of the selected population. The respondents indicated their degree of agreement or disagreement on their perceptions of the use of MALL applications in the study of the Igbo language. The aspects covered include the advantages of its use, their awareness level of its existence, and their thoughts on its introduction into school activities. The participants were monitored, which resulted in collecting all the distributed questionnaires. Simple percentage analysis was used to calculate and analyze the collected data.

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Below is the data from the questionnaire distributed to and collected from the study sample. The data provided an overview of the answers to the research questions. They include the importance of MALL, the level of JSS 3 students’ awareness of the available ILLMA, and a conclusion about how the introduction of ILLMA as a language learning tool will affect the learning of Nigerian languages (Igbo). 

RESEARCH QUESTION 1

Of what importance/advantage is Mobile Language Learning Application to language teaching and learning processes in general? The research question has seven (7) items with the response as follows:

From the data gathered, 98.7% of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed that using mobile-assisted language learning will make language learning easy. Meanwhile, only 1.3% of respondents disagreed and strongly disagreed. 84% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that using MALL applications makes learning of language flexible, while 15.3% disagreed/strongly disagreed. 65.4% of the correspondents strongly agreed/agreed that any language can be learned without the language teacher's presence once there is MALL applications available. 90% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that MALL applications allow for individualized learning, while 10% disagreed/strongly disagreed. 84.7% of the respondents agreed/agreed that using MALL applications can make language learning faster, while 15.3% disagreed/strongly disagreed with the affirmation. 85.3% of respondents strongly agreed/agreed that MALL applications can help eliminate distance, time, and methods that can hinder language learning, while 14.7% did not agree. 94.3% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that the internet connectivity interface built into MALL applications allows for peer tutoring and exchanges, while 5.7% did not agree. 

Table 1 above shows that from the percentage of responses received, more students agreed that using mobile language learning applications greatly benefits language learning. A few of them feel that there is no benefit to using mobile language learning applications.

RESEARCH QUESTION 2

To ascertain the level of awareness of the available Igbo language learning mobile applications by the students, the survey has ten (10) items with the response as follows:

Table 2 above highlighted the respondents’ views on the survey questions. 64% of them indicated that they are aware of the available ILLMA in the market. While 34.6% said they were unaware of the available ILLMA in the market. 31.3% of the respondents stated that they use ILLMA in their Igbo language learning process, while 68.7% of them, although aware (by some of them) of ILLMA, do not use them. 71.6% of the correspondents use ILLMA to solve Igbo language learning-related problems, while 25.3% do not use it. 25.6% of the correspondents use the Isabi Igbo application in their Igbo language learning process, while 70.3% do not use the language application. 18.6% of the correspondents use the Mango Languages application in their Igbo language learning process, while 81.3% do not use the language application. 28.6% of the correspondents use the Soro (talk Soft) application in their Igbo language learning process, while 71.4% do not use the language application. 34% of the correspondents use Igbo 101 Language Learning application when studying the Igbo language with friends, while 66% do not use the language application with friends. 58% of the correspondents use English to Igbo Common Words in their Igbo language learning process at home and in school, while 42% do not use the language application. 36% of the correspondents use the Speak in Nigeria Igbo language application in searching for difficult words in Igbo, while 64% do not use the language application. 48.6% of the correspondents use Igbo Dictionaries, an Igbo language application, in searching for the meaning of words, while 51.4% do not use the language application.

In all, Table 2 above shows that few of the students have used the few mentioned Igbo language mobile applications available in the market, while most of them are not even aware of the available ILLMA, let alone use them in their Igbo language learning activities.

RESEARCH QUESTION 3

To ascertain if the introduction of Igbo Language Learning Mobile Application (ILLMA) as a language learning tool will benefit the teaching and learning of Nigerian languages in secondary schools. The survey has five (5) items with the responses as follows:

88.7 of the correspondents strongly agreed/agreed that the use of ILLMA will make learning the Igbo language interesting and easy for them, while 11.3% of the respondents do not agree with such. 94% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that the availability and accessibility to ILLMA will improve their understanding of the Igbo language, while 6% disagreed with the assertions. 88% of the respondents believe that the availability of ILLMA will improve the four language skills that help in effective communication, while 12% disagreed and strongly disagreed, respectively. 83.4% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that ILLMA use can arouse interest and active participation in the Igbo language learning process, while 16.7% disagreed with the assertion. 85.3% of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed that ILLMA use can bridge the language learning gap created by individual learning styles, while 14.7% disagreed with the assertion.

Table 3 above shows from the major responses that the introduction of ILLMA and its use will improve the learning of the Igbo language and increase the interest of learners using ILLMA, while fewer responses showed that it would not do so.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Research question 1 above shows that a more significant number of students agreed that using mobile language learning applications will greatly benefit language learning. This finding aligns with Salim and Ahmed (2018),^[16] which emphasized that language learning becomes more flexible, more mobile, and more exciting with the use of multifunctional mobile applications once integrated into educational settings and language learning contexts. Also parallel to this finding is the study of Ekinci and Ekinci (2017),^[17] which states that the language learning applications helped the participants in their study to learn and revise the learning content of the language application. They further explained that mobile apps help students feel motivated during language learning, and also, mobile apps make learning more efficient, especially vocabulary. 

Responses to research question 2 showed that few students use the mentioned Igbo Language Learning Mobile Application that is available in the market. At the same time, the majority of them are not even aware of the ILLMA availability not to mention using them in their Igbo language learning activities. This result points to the fact that while ILLMA is available in the market, students are not aware of the application. There is a need to broadcast the available ILLMA and encourage learners of the Igbo language to make use of them to aid in their language acquisition. 

Responses to research question 3 showed from most of the correspondents that the introduction of ILLMA and its use would improve the learning of the Igbo language and also increase the interest of learners using ILLMA. This sense of the application’s potential is reflected in a class project, which found students more willing and confident to get involved in activities involving the use of mobile phone applications than those using computers, as reported by Kim et al. (2013).^[18]  Furthermore, Zhu (2018) showed that students are always satisfied and happy with using mobile apps for language learning. Al-Shehri (2011) and Zou and Li (2015) also support this assertion, stating that students positively perceive mobile learning and the use of mobile phones as educational tools.

CONCLUSION

Mobile Language Learning Applications have positively impacted the field of language learning. Coming specifically to the field of Igbo language learning among Nigerian Junior Secondary School Igbo language learners, the low level of awareness of the available Igbo Language Learning Mobile Applications (ILLMA) can be said to be the cause of the lack of interest in the learning and using of Igbo language. This can be seen in the respondents’ answers to research question two, where the majority of them, through their responses, said they were not aware of the available ILLMA. The paper further examined the respondents’ views on introducing ILLMA in their language activities, which, through their responses, showed that they would embrace such and gain more from it. Mobile Language Learning Applications have come to stay with many advantages, including motivation in learning languages, flexibility in the mode of learning, interest in learning the language, and sustenance of the interest. Creating awareness of the available MLLA and ensuring its use will go a long way in improving language acquisition in Nigeria, including Igbo languages.  

END NOTES

1. National Policy Education. Lagos: NERDC, 2014) ↑

2. Adeyemi Adepetun, “Jumia Mobile Report Nigeria 2018,” The Guardian, March 16, 2018, https://guardian.ng/business-services/nigerias-mobile-phone-penetration-hits-84-per-cent/.↑

3. Chikezie Uzuegbunam, “The Digital Lifeworlds of Young Nigerians-Exploring Rural and Urban Teens’ Practices with, and Negotiation of Digital Technology” (PhD diss., University of Cape Town, 2019), 197. ↑

4. Jack Burston, “Mobile Language Learning: Getting IT to Work,” in Foreign Language Instructional Technology: Theory and Practice, ed. Jack Burston, Fryni Kakoyianni-Doa (Cyprus: University of Nicosia Press, 2012) ↑

5. Catherine Heil, Jason Wu, Joey Lee, and Toben Schimidst, “A Review of Mobile Language Learning Applications: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities,” The EUROCALL Review 24, no 2 (2016): 31-50 ↑

6. Soran Salim and Ibrahim Ahmed, “The Use of Handheld and Mobile Devices for Language Learning,” in 9th International Visible Conference on Educational Studies & Applied Linguistics, 2018, 3-12. ↑

7. Özgür Çelik and Fatih Yavus, “An Extensive Review of Literature on Teaching Vocabulary Through Mobile Applications,” Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 3, no 1 (2018): 56-91. ↑

8. Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, “How Should the Higher Education Workforce Adapt to Advancements in Technology for Teaching and Learning?” The Internet and Higher Education, 15, no 4 (2012): 247-254. ↑

9. Xiaojun Chen, “Evaluating Language-learning Mobile Apps for Second-language Learners,” Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE), 9 no 2 (2016): 39-51. ↑

10. Dana Lindaman and Daniel Nolan, “Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: Application Development Projects Within Reach for Language Teachers,” The International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT), 45, no 1 (2015): 1-22. ↑

11. Dorota Czerska-Andrzejewska, “Mobile assisted language learning,” Zeszyty Glotto-dydaktyczne, 6 (2016): 43-52. ↑

12. Burston, “Mobile Language Learning: Getting IT to Work” ↑

13. Celik and Yavus, “An Extensive Review of Literature on Teaching Vocabulary Through Mobile Applications”. ↑

14. Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion, and Keith Morrison, Research Methods in Education (London: Routledge, 2017). ↑

15. Salim and Ahmed, “The Use of Handheld and Mobile Devices for Language Learning” ↑

16. Ecem Ekinci and Mithat Ekinci, “Perceptions of EFL Learners about using Mobile Applications for English language Learning: A Case Study,” International Journal of Language Academy, 5, no 5 (2017) 175-193. ↑

17. Daesang Kim, Daniel Rueckert, Dong-Joong Kim, and Daeryong Seo, “Students' Perceptions and Experiences of Mobile Learning,” Language Learning & Technology, 17, no 3, (2013): 52-73. ↑

18. Jiawen Zhu, “Students’ Perceptions on the Use of Mobile Applications in English Language Learning,” in Proceedings of the E-Learn 2018 - Las Vegas, NV, United States, October 15-18, 2018. ↑