EFL Learners’ Speaking Enhancement through WhatsApp Messages: A Case of Learners' Gender and Affection

Abstract

Mobile technologies and portable devices have a crucial role in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). This paper evaluates the difference of gender in the improvement of oral skills via WhatsApp Application (WAA) and the impression of mobile devices on students’ motivation, satisfaction, and anxiety and the learners’ opinions. A mixed method study was used on the sample size. Quasi-experimental and non-experimental survey designs were carried out in this research. The study’s participants were composed of 30 EFL learners at an upper-intermediate level in Zanjan, Iran. A face-to-face verbal interview was implemented for recording the pre-test before setting up the experimental course on WAA and by creating the interaction group on WAA, the learners communicated (written and voice messages) with the tasks that they received every week for six weeks. Then the teacher ran another interview and used a questionnaire consisting of thirty 5-point Likert item questions adopted from Horwitz et al. (1986) to estimate the participants’ contentment and attitude with mobile education classes, the effectiveness of this process on their inspiration to get involved in class interaction, and the anxiety of learners in this approach. The findings displayed that the female participants’ performance was slightly better than male participants and the use of WAA on mobile devices can enhance speaking proficiency among EFL learners by decreasing their anxiety and increasing motivation resulting in their satisfaction.