The Esepod Project: Improving Listening Skills Through Mobile Learning

Abstract

In the current century learning models are changing very quickly, particularly due to the unceasing development of ICTs. Not only the amount of information currently available is massive thanks to the Internet, but also channels of accessing this knowledge have developed immensely to the point that anyone can be connected to the web at any time and at any place. This revolution has been bloomed by the promotion of iPhones, Blackberries and Androids in the last five years. Within this context, and particularly with adult learners, new teaching and learning methodologies are flourishing in order to take advantage of m-learning. This paper describes the ESEPOD project -Extensive Spoken English through Podcasting- focused on improving EFL spoken skills using m-learning. We will first examine the main literature on mobile learning in relation to EFL. We will detail the advantages and disadvantages of m-learning and we will analyse different available mobile resources to improve spoken skills. Then, we will describe the ESEPOD project carried out at the University of Granada (Spain) with students from the Faculty of Education. We will discuss data recorded from participants. Finally, we will get to the conclusions and to the immediate future of the ESEPOD project.