Cell Phones and SLA

     I have spent most of this week laying the groundwork for my project.  I wanted to pursue a topic that involved technology and second language acquisition (SLA).  The technology needed to be accessible, reliable, and easy to use.  The cell phone came to mind.   I then searched the literature to determine the extent to which cell phones--although somewhat controversial in the K-12 classroom--had been utilized in language learning.  Once I had deciphered all the acronyms used to describe technology-assisted language learning (CALL, MALL, CMLL, TELL, etc), I decided there was enough supporting research to proceed.  A number of the studies focused specifically on using cell phones to expand L2 vocabulary; the target learners were generally university students.  I am more interested in using the cell phone to expand the opportunities for my adult English Languages Learners (ELLs) to communicate in the mode of their choosing.  One student wants to improve her writing skills; another really wants to work on his speaking.  All have cell phones capable of sending and receiving text messages and have agreed to participate in a cell-phone/language learning project.  The goal is to provide at least two short assignments via cell phone each week; students then respond, and I provide specific feedback on their responses.  The content of the assignments will come from material covered in class, or from activities and events in the students' lives.  In this way, students will have additional opportunities for focused but authentic communication in English throughout the week.  
     The trial run this week was promising.  Students responded well to my text and voice messages, and I was able to give them feedback via email.  We also had a chance for more spontaneous communication as a result of the holiday (I had to alert a student that the local library was opening late), and the weather forecast (I had to let everyone know that class was cancelled).  I'm still mulling over how I will monitor their progress; the "data" will be more qualitative than quantitative. And I certainly would like feedback from the students about whether these assignments are beneficial to them....

I am excited about my project, but this design by Stephen Doyle makes me a little nostalgic....