International Journal of Advanced Trends in Engineering and Technology (IJATET) Impact Factor: 5.665, ISSN (Online): 2456 - 4664 (www.dvpublication.com) Volume 2, Issue 1, 2017 139 INTEGRATING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN ESL CLASSROOMS K. Manigandan*, N. Santha Kumar** & B. Devi** * Assistant Professor, Department of English, AMET University, Chennai, Tamilnadu ** Assistant Professor, Department of English, Aadhi College of Engineering and Technology, Wallajabad, Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu Cite This Article: K. Manigandan, N. Santha Kumar & B. Devi, ―Integrating Mobile Technology in ESL Classrooms‖, International Journal of Advanced Trends in Engineering and Technology, Page Number 139-141, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2017. Abstract: It‘s the right time to know more about mobile technology and mobile learning in the present digital era where mobile phones have become an integral part of everyone‘s life. In recent years there have been amazing advances in mobile technology. Mobile learning has enabled various institutions, colleges and schools throughout the world in order to modernize aspects of teaching, learning and training. The key words in mobile learning are ―facilitate, support, enhance, extend‖. Key Words: Mobile, Technology, SMS, Dictionary & Vocabulary Introduction: There is now a wealth of examples of innovative ways in which mobile technology can be used to enhance learning both within the formal classroom and in informal settings (Ally, 2009). The viral growth of mobile technology and its application has made a greater impact in the field of communication and also in education. The integration of mobile technology and its applications allow teachers and learners to explore different strategies in m-learning. Mobile technologies are the new frontier for teaching and learning in institutions of higher education. What can you do with a device such as a mobile phone? How can we integrate mobile technology in teaching English as a second language? Mobile technology offers innumerable practical uses in English language learning. A mobile phone is no match for a computer in handling various types of information such as visual, sound, and textual information, but it is superior to a computer in portability. Mobile phones can be easily utilized outside and inside the classroom. It‘s no wonder when a student asks your pen for writing when you dictate something and the borrowing of half torn sheets from his/her friends is quite common. The mobile phone has become an artificial organ of the human body. Mobile phones have become a part of our daily life. Life has become indispensable without mobile phones. It has become quite common to see an elderly woman in a village who had received no education has a mobile phone with her and talks to her friends and relatives and uses it even to check time and date. SMS & MMS: The most powerful mobile technologies which can be used as a medium of learning are the Short Message Service (SMS) technology. SMS vocabulary lessons can be sent to ESL learners and the learners can read their messages literally anytime, everywhere – while commuting, between classes, or even before going to bed. For example, we have various websites which offer Vocabulary lessons like www.wordsmith.org, www.merriam-webster.com, dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday, and so on. You can even ask learners to subscribe for vocabulary service pack. Students would prefer to learn through mobile phones than PCs, because mobile phones are more convenient than PCs in this situation. Special message boosters can be used for teaching and learning the English language with a wide range of opportunities for integrating text into teaching and learning strategies. The students will have positive perceptions about the use of SMS for learning and the use of their own mobile phones as a learning tool. They will find it interesting in receiving education content via SMS which would greatly improve their language learning performance. Short Message Service technology might prove especially effective for learning vocabulary, vocabulary items can be presented through relatively short, discrete definitions with examples that suit the screen dimensions and general handling capabilities of a mobile phone. SMS based vocabulary learning will be able to enhance ESL students learning by adding flexibility and providing a stronger motivation for study. SMS is the most reliable and popular message communication on mobile phones today. Presently, students mainly make use of their mobile phones educationally to contact staff and fellow students. This is most usually via voice, but students also use short message service (SMS), although to a lesser extent (Cheung, 2004). Although voice makes up the bulk of carrier revenue in Australia, the prediction is that non-voice services such as SMS, multimedia messaging service (MMS) and mobile packet data services will show strong growth over the next few years (Chaisatien, 2004). The technology service which can be used is free SMS facilities which are readily available online such as way2sms.com. This system service allows SMS text message to be prepared well in advance and then, when required, they may be sent to a large group of people via e-mail and a PC. The sender can create instant, scheduled and delayed message across all networks, regardless of the carrier. So, for example, a message may be prepared in advance and then scheduled to be sent to a group of student‘s mobile phones on a certain day at