Advantages and Disadvantages of the Use of Smartphones by EFL Learners

Résumé

In recent years, English language learners are becoming highly dependent on the use of their smart phones to find out meanings of the vocabulary they usually do not know. A study by Soy (2022) highlighted that English language teachers need to introduce the use of smartphones as a learning tool to their students and take serious actions by not allowing them to use them during classes or making good classroom management and strict regulation concerning smartphone use in the classroom. The researcher in this paper attempts to shed lights on research conducted in this field by exploring advantages and disadvantages of the use of smartphones by (EFL) English language learners. This paper aims to identify the effectiveness of smartphones in enhancing language acquisition among learners by synthesizing data from various studies. The data of this study included analyzing 47 articles published between (2014) and (2023). The topics of the articles predominately were about smartphones and English language learning. This simple paper offers valuable insights for educators and stockholders seeking to optimize smartphone use in language education.