ENGLISH-MAJOR STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TO LANGUAGE LEARNING APPS – IS THERE ROOM FOR PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE?

Abstract

Technology has introduced numerous options for language learning, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic has instituted novel ways for supporting or entirely substituting traditional classroom teaching. The current paper explores the attitudes of Serbian English-major students at the Faculty of Philology and Arts, University of Kragujevac, toward the usefulness and effectiveness of language learning apps. Along with investigating general attitudes pertaining to the use of language learning apps for different language skills, special attention is devoted to the attitudes toward the effectiveness of language learning apps regarding pronunciation practice. To further explore the attitudes, four factors were introduced in the analysis: gender differences, L2 exposure, overall language proficiency and Phonetics proficiency. The findings indicate positive attitudes toward language learning apps in general, even though the participants demonstrated awareness of certain disadvantages, as well. Gender differences were found in the frequency of use, while L2 exposure was a significant predictor of general attitudes. While overall proficiency did not seem to affect students’ choices, the results indicated that there were differences in the frequency of use and attitudes to pronunciation practice opportunities and effectiveness in relation to students’ Phonetics proficiency. The results provide important implications for pronunciation teaching in the Serbian foreign language teaching context and foreign language teaching methodology in general.