The iPad as Mediating Tool to Support EFL Speaking Skills

Abstract

Research on the use of mobile devices in the English as foreign language (EFL)
classroom has tended to focus on perceptions or receptive skills like listening and reading more
than on speaking and writing skills. This study aimed to examine possible uses of the iPad to
develop productive skills rather than receptive skills. In particular, this paper investigates the
role of mobile devices as mediating tools in EFL by considering the use of the iPad in designing
and performing speaking tasks by teachers and learners. It examines the quality of the mediation
of the tool by looking at the interaction between learners and the iPad in the second language
context. In particular, the mediation of the tool in this study is examined in the light of the quality
and the type of support it potentially offers during the task performance. Results show the
influence of the mobile device in the interaction between the learner and the tutor during the
learning process.