The effects of using a smartphone application to learn English sentences on industrial college students.

This study examines the effects of using a smartphone application(App) for English learning on industrial college students. It focuses on the learning of English sentences by participants who are lacking practical communication skills. 42 participants used the App to learn sentences taught in an English elective course over a semester. They took the conversation class first and learned key sentences from the class using the App every week during the semester. When the course was finished, this study conducted a post-semester survey to examine the effects of using the App. As a result, first, this study found that participants had the attitudes of being repetitive and steady, self-directed, and willing to use spare time for learning English. Second, this study found that the App helped to improve participants’ motivation, confidence, and interests. The results also showed that the App helped students with their English reading, listening, vocabulary and expressions, understanding of sentences, and English conversation skills well. Overall, this study confirms that using an App satisfies the needs of industrial college students who want to improve their practical communication skills. Finally, this study provides some suggestions on how to improve English communication skills for industrial college students.