Influence of digital technology in EFL learning at Bangladeshi universities

Abstract

In this modern era, use of technology has become an essential part of foreign language teaching and learning. This research attempts to find out how technology influences learning of English as a foreign language from the perspectives of the students and teachers at different government and private universities of Bangladesh. In order to do so, the researcher has conducted a survey on randomly selected 140 EFL students and 28 EFL teachers of the tertiary level of Bangladesh. Among the students, 80 students are from 6 private universities and 60 students are from 4 public universities of Bangladesh. On the other hand, among the teachers, 18 teachers are from 6 private universities and 10 teachers are from 4 public universities of Bangladesh. Along with this, the collected data were analyzed by using a mixed method of analysis consisting of both quantitative and qualitative method. The findings suggest that in most of the cases, technology positively influences the learning of English as a foreign language in various ways. Also, the study shows that technology cannot have a positive impact in learning English if a technological aid is not selected according to the needs and interests of the students, and also according to the context. Besides, the study recommends that universities should be equipped with modern technological facilities for effective teaching and learning. This study is important for the teachers, students, course designers, and authorities since from this study they will know how technology influences learning of English as a foreign language, and they will also know about the existing technological facilities of the universities.