Using iPads for ELL Vocabulary Instruction
Teachers of English Language Learner (ELL) classrooms have had to advance their teaching strategies to better relate to the new generation of “digital natives.” The term “digital native” refers to the individuals who were born with technology fluency and have always had devices easily accessible to them (Prensky 2001). In the growing possibilities of technology, there are many forms that are valuable to the educational field. Since students today and future students will most likely know how to operate a variety of mobile technology by the time they enter kindergarten, educators need to be one step ahead of this generation in knowing how to effectively incorporate technological advancements into their classrooms. The emergence of the Apple product, the iPad and products like this have introduced an endless world of learning possibilities that encourage portability to the educational world (Larabee, Burns, & McComas, 2014). In the elementary ELL classroom, vocabulary is a very important skill to master and is needed before the student can become a successful English language speaker. Vocabulary is essential to effective language learning and developing both productive and receptive language skills (Vungthong, Djonov, & Torr, 2017). To ensure ELL students are receiving the most up to date and effective education the reader asks themselves: what are ways teachers can use iPads to enhance vocabulary skills in elementary school ELL classrooms?
Importance of Effective ELL Vocabulary Instruction
A teacher might be wondering, why would I need to know how to utilize iPads to facilitate ELL learning in my classroom? The answer to this question is related to the rising increase in the number of individuals immigrating to the United States. In 2013, the number of people entering our country was around 990,000, and is only expected to increase as the years progress (Yearbook of Immigration and Statistics, 2013). For these ELL children entering American classrooms, a common difficulty seen by teachers is in their developing language skills. The key to success when learning a new language is developing a proficient vocabulary. Vocabulary is a very important factor in the production of speech and writing, and for developing receptive skills such as: listening and reading. The amount of vocabulary words a student is able to master has a large impact on his or her second language reading comprehension and writing skills (Vungthong, Djonov, & Torr, 2017). As stated in Sibold (2011), vocabulary words can be arranged into 3 groups. The first group of words predominately contains simple and frequently expressed words that will be heard in an everyday conversation with peers. The second group of vocabulary words include the words that have possible multiple meanings and are used in academic settings. Lastly, the third group of vocabulary words are mostly content specific and are not spoken in the daily conversation or used often. Since developing a second language for English Language Learners (ELLs) is complicated enough on its own, it is important that students gain a strong background in vocabulary to make the language development process easier. One great way to make developing vocabulary words easier for the ELLs is by using visualizations of the word being taught. According to Sibold (2011), when a child is able to see a physical image of the word they are trying to master, it increases the chances that the child will be able to retain the information and build a relationship between the two items.
The Value of the iPad Device
The use of technology in the classroom while teaching vocabulary has become more popular in schools today due to its positive impact on student’s comprehension (Wheatley, Muller, & Miller, 1993). More specifically; iPads have begun to impact elementary classrooms in a positive manner (Delacruz, 2014). Qualities of the iPads such as audio and visual representations, applications, accessibility, and portability are only some of the characteristics of the iPads that can be used to promote building an English vocabulary. As a service learning project for INST 362, I visited and English as a Second Language (ESL) class at the Bryan Adult Learning Center in Bryan, Texas over the course of 4-8 weeks, gaining a total of 8 hours of experience. Throughout this experience I was able to see first-hand the positive impact that technology makes on English Language Learning students. There were multiple forms of technology found in this classroom and each of them were used to enhance a specific language skill for the students. The class I was assigned to had an iPad that was used by the students to play vocabulary building games and use an application to quiz their vocabulary development skills. iPad devices are becoming increasingly more popular in the education world and in society in general, so by using these products, an ELL student will not feel like they are using a device that is different than any other student at school. According to Larabee, Burns, and McComas (2014), many of the schools that have made the advancement to incorporate iPad devices into their classrooms, have not fully exhausted the unlimited possibilities these devices have to offer.
Applications
There are many applications that can be downloaded onto the iPad device that are specifically created to enhance elementary ELLs vocabulary comprehension. To name a few of these there are the Kids' Vocab by MindSnacks, English First High Flyers, Flashcardlet, and Futaba (Burns 2013). The free application ‘Kids’ Vocab’ by MindSnacks works to improve ELLs tier three vocabulary skills and is one of my favorites out of the ones listed, due to its organization of material in a manner that excites children to learn the new material. The ‘Kids’ Vocab’ app provides support for the learning child by encouraging correct answers and positively reinforcing the child when they are incorrect, until they have gained mastery. Another incredibly useful application is ‘English First High Flyers,’ this app provides an engaging vocabulary learning experience through its auditory and visual support for each new word, and the mastery quizzes that will give each student a sense of accomplishment after completion. Flashcardlet is a free application created by Quizlet for the iPad, and allows users to customize their own flashcards and test their comprehension of the word using quizzes and games. Next, Futaba is an intriguing game for 1-4 players that quizzes players using images of common objects and tells the users to name the item being shown. Futaba increases ELL vocabulary while creating a friendly competition of who can name more words in one minute (Burns 2013). All of these amazing applications are free on the Apple ‘App Store’ and include practice with vocabulary words by the use of games, quizzes, or tests. The resources provided within these applications are incredible because they deliver such a wide variety of instruction, which is so important because each child will learn different than another, and at their own pace.
Features Built into the iPad
Aside from the remarkable applications that can be downloaded onto the iPad devices, there are also features that come built into the iPad that can be useful to ELL students in the progression of their vocabulary word development. One of these features is within the international settings on the iPad, and will allow the user to change the language of the keyboard throughout the device. This setting permits the students to change the iPad’s keyboard back and forth between their native language and the language they are working on mastering, which is very convenient for students that are struggling with translating words from their native language to English. Another helpful source found on the iPad is one that is used so often it is frequently overlooked, it is the action of searching unknown words on the Safari app. This app is a source of internet that comes on Apple products and gives ELLs access to language through a visual dictionary of an image search. Students can simply type the word or phrase they are trying to master into the search bar and instantly access pictures, videos, spelling, and even verbal pronunciations of the word.
Conclusion
To Conclude, there are many ways that technology can positively impact an English Language Learner (ELL) student in an elementary classroom. However, when it comes to developing a wide range of vocabulary, the Apple iPad has the most up to date and effective technology that will meet the needs of our “digital native” students. Vocabulary is such a vital principle to master when it comes to developing language, and by exhausting the many amazing possibilities the iPad offers, vocabulary development can be taken to a new level. The iPad enhances student learning by the use of applications that provide games, flashcards, quizzes and tests, and through features of the iPad that come built into the device. Teachers can use these devices in an endless array of possibilities to build their students mental library of vocabulary words while keeping the class engaged in the lesson.