INVESTIGATING THE PREFERENCES OF DIGITAL TOOLS IN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING CONTEXT AMONG EFL & ESL INSTRUCTORS

Abstract

Learning and Teaching English with the assistance of digital tools is an exciting experience for both the teachers and learners. The involvement of learners in the language learning process is the need of the hour in the techno-era. The Technology Based Teaching is being implemented in several educational institutions worldwide. A plenty of digital tools are within the reach to all irrespective of location and budget. The interaction between teachers and learners has turn out to be easier due to digital tools such as soft wares, mobile apps, collaboration, multimedia, mobile apps, and so on. The present paper focuses on the preferences of English as Foreign Language (EFL) in Saudi Arabia and English as a Second Language (ESL) in India teachers’ preferences and practices of digital tools in their teaching comparatively. The method adopted is both quantitative and qualitative method of data collection via google form comprising a questionnaire. The participants are the English teachers from different parts of India and Saudi Arabia. The findings reveal the technical gadgets chosen by the language instructors in their language classrooms irrespective of place, gender, qualification and specialization to improve the language skills of the English language learners. The language instructors are favourable towards teaching English as either second or foreign language with the innovative digital tools, gadgets and applications to improve students’ interest in their own desirable learning methods.