The Desirability of short Message Service (SMS) Technology in Language teaching and Learning.

Abstract

The evolution of handheld portable devices such as the mobile phone and wireless technology has resulted in radical changes in people’s lifestyles around the world, including learning. Mobile phone which houses the short messages service (SMS) is most widely used technology in the world and the closest to the language learners. This paper therefore takes a look at how SMS technology can be a language teaching and learning potential, the earlier negative findings notwithstanding. As many educational institutions today suffer from cuts in contact hours, large class sizes, insufficient and lack of qualified language teachers, SMS technology offers a way of counteracting these constraints by making the language learning process interesting and student-centered. The paper observes that courtesy of the SMS students are now engaging in reading and writing more than ever before and the educators can harness the technology to help students learn school-related content such as sparking students’ thinking processes, note-taking, comprehension of materials presented through an audio system, summary writing, vocabulary development and audience analysis in writing. The paper however, recommends that educators should be skillful and sensitive in exploiting this language teaching and learning phenomenon.