Mobile-mediated communication and students' listening skills: a case study

This research attempted to shed light on the impact of using mobile chat-based applications on the development of language listening skills in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) was used to develop students' listening skills in second language learners as well as to observe students' experience within the application and its potential features for educational use. A total of 61 students that enrolled in an Administration and Business Management course participated in the experiment and were divided into control and experimental group. 20 students were selected to participate in a WhatsApp group on a daily basis as part of their study for a semester. A mixed method research design was used to analyse the data in both groups. Results indicated that voice-based chat conversation helped students adapt to different accents and tones, and gave rise to a high number of language related-episodes which may foster listening comprehension. Students also reported benefits in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation.