Abstract:

One of the issues teachers struggle with on a daily basis in the present world is how to motivate students and engage them inside classrooms. Today's students have a shorter attention span compared to those of old days. Besides, in ESL classes students may lack schemata or background knowledge on topics that are discussed in classrooms or experience difficulties understanding input due to their limited vocabulary repertoires. While such difficulties required double efforts from teachers in the past, instructors today are blessed with technologies that can facilitate the task for them and help them design more learner-centered activities. the IT knowledge that today's students bring to classrooms can also help transform the learning environment and inspire teachers to engineer activities that inspire motivation and engagement on the part of their learners. in addition, the availability of mobile technologies and network broad-band connections in most schools is another push factor that can enhance acquisition and shift attention from teaching towards learning. However, technology comes at a cost. Teachers who intend to IT and mobile technology in classrooms may be faced with a myriad challenges that can fill them with disappointment and push them to drop the idea altogether. Nevertheless, combining The use of these technologies with self-regulated learning instruction and self-efficacy beliefs as well as implementing some guidelines for students' use of mobile technologies during classes can lead to optimal results. Drawing on my classroom experience and a research experiment that I carried out in my classes, this presentation is going to make the case for the importance of BYOD instruction (bring your own device instruction) in maximizing students' engagement and enhancing ESL acquisition. This paper will also share some interesting suggestions on how enhancing students' self-regulated learning skills and self-efficacy beliefs can facilitate the use of BYOD instruction inside English classes. The presenter also intends to share the results and implications of an experiment that tested the effect of using BYOD instruction on students' engagement and learning with the audience.

Keywords:

ESL Learning, BYOD Instruction, IT and Mobile Technology, Self-regulated Learning.