Original article

Mobile-assisted language learning advantages in English writing fluency

0000-0002-7373-1037Tamara Carpio Afonso^{1  *}  , 0000-0002-5471-5445Mallelin Bonachea Rodríguez¹  , 0000-0003-3482-6081Francisco Joel Pérez González² 

¹ Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Sancti Spíritus. Cuba

² Universidad de Sancti Spíritus José Martí Pérez. Cuba

ABSTRACT

The inclusion of Information and Communication Technologies in the teaching-learning process of foreign languages is a challenge due to the possibilities it offers to modern life and the practice of the profession. Health professionals who attend the postgraduate course in English as a foreign language at the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus present difficulties with fluency in writing. The objective of this article is to expose the didactic benefits of creating a WhatsApp group as a tool to strengthen fluency in writing the English language, in the intensive postgraduate course for health professionals. A systematization of experiences was carried out in a group of health professionals who studied the English language postgraduate course during the 2020-2021 academic year. To obtain information, the following methods were used: documentary analysis, qualitative interview, in-depth session, participant observation during the application of the actions, and triangulation for the qualitative interpretation of the information. The results show advances in motivation, group work and authentic negotiation of meaning through instant messaging. The creation of a WhatsApp group was conceived as an effective way to strengthen writing fluency in health professionals.

Key words: postgraduate; writing; foreign language; smart phones; English

Introduction

The continuous changes in contemporary society due to increasing technological advances are not alien to the teaching-learning process of foreign languages; they reside in the so-called "knowledge society". In postgraduate classrooms for health professionals, migrants and digital natives coexist, which represents a challenge for the practice of the profession.

The inclusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching-learning process of English as a foreign language in the postgraduate course for health professionals is certainly a challenge, since this opportune character, immediate, adaptable and affordable that offers modern life and the practice of the profession, offers the possibility of accessing different applications from your smartphones for learning English, such as: dictionaries, videos, PDF, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, web-based language learning, among others (^{Suárez Lantarón, 2018}).

From the point of view of ^{Sánchez and Martínez (2018}), the use of mobile applications is shown as an instrument conducive to improving the English language; the creation of a WhatsApp group is conceived as an effective way to treat writing (^{Al-Shehab, 2020}). In the case of health professionals who attend the postgraduate course in English as a foreign language at the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus, it is conceived as a possible way to strengthen writing fluency.

The fluency construct, according to Mavrou, needs a reconceptualization, in order to make sense for the particular case of writing. This research assumes the concept of writing fluency offered by this researcher.

The foreign language learner's ability to access and retrieve segments of his memory and efficiently translate his thought within a given time interval, both in terms of quantity and speed, and in a manner comparable, though not necessarily identical, to of a competent speaker or writer, native or not (^{2016, p. 62}).

Fluency in writing receives little attention in the bibliography and in the materials used for teaching-learning English as a foreign language in Medical Sciences. Even in classroom activities, not all the necessary attention is devoted to it. It is vital to strengthen this aspect and, above all, take into account the significant role it plays in the teaching-learning process.

In an exchange with English professors, experienced in teaching Medical Sciences and with postgraduate students, it was recognized that writing is one of the linguistic skills in which the professionals have the most difficulties and the least like to practice. health who attends the postgraduate course in English as a foreign language at the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus.

In the initial exploratory study, it was found that when health professionals carry out written activities aimed at fluency, about content in different situations of their reality, they present: difficulties with vocabulary and limited grammatical acuity; insufficient syntactic elaboration and short sentences; little creativity in the texts; deficiencies that influence the work with the comprehension and intelligibility of the message, as well as the coherence and cohesion in the text, they constantly review what is written. Marked repetition of words, inappropriate choice of words or expressions that are appropriate to the text cause monotony to the reader.

Those elements that were detected in the initial exploratory study led to progress in writing fluency at the elementary level, since there is evidence of greater emphasis on the treatment offered to the English linguistic system than on the functional aspects of writing.

The objective of this article is to expose the didactic benefits of creating a WhatsApp group as a tool to strengthen fluency in writing English as a foreign language, in the intensive postgraduate course for health professionals.

Materials and methods

The present pedagogical investigation assumed the dialectical-materialist method, as well as other methods, techniques and procedures. The particular method that was selected was the systematization of experiences. An inductive-deductive methodological path was assumed, with a predominance of qualitative orientation, of a transformative and evaluative nature.

The research was launched in the English language postgraduate course for health professionals (N=22) at the Sancti Spíritus University of Medical Sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year. The teaching group was made up of 10 professors, two of them PhDs in Pedagogical Sciences and tenured professors, and the rest master's degrees and assistant professors. All with more than 20 years of experience in university teaching.

In this scenario, he highlighted the presence of health professionals who expressed their aspiration to study the English language with a view to fulfilling a mission as collaborators or in medical assistance in English-speaking countries; They came from the different assistance units of the province.

The article shows part of the results of the first stage of an investigation that responds to a task of the institutional research project, "Learning strategies for the development of communication skills", which was approved by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee. and the Scientific Council of the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus (^{Carpio Alfonso, González-Valero, Bonachea Rodríguez & Rodríguez Estevés, 2022}).

The study unit is made up of 22 health professionals who have a common characteristic that they have not completed a mission in English-speaking countries and present an A2 level according to the descriptors proposed by the Common European Framework of References for languages (CEFR).

In this first stage, an exploratory study was carried out on the main limitations of health professionals who attend the postgraduate course, in relation to fluency in writing in the English language. The reflections are focused on the recovery of the process that is lived, in which the characteristics, methodological demands and requirements that typify it are described for the strengthening of fluency in writing in the teaching-learning process in the English language of the students. health professionals running at each stage. Potentials, adverse factors and results in each of the actions were determined. Feedback prevailed that leads to the transit of each one of the stages that are mentioned.

For the analysis and interpretation of the information, the following methods were used: documentary analysis, the qualitative interview to obtain empirical information on the change in the subjects; in-depth session with the participants and other specialists as a criterion of scientific rigor; participant observation during the application of the actions; triangulation of data, sources and methodology, for the qualitative interpretation of the information; Researcher's diary in recording the experience and data collection.

Through a working group, a documentary analysis was carried out, the different editions of the postgraduate course for health professionals were systematized from its beginning in 1999 to the present. Postgraduate programs and methods used in the teaching-learning process of writing in the English language were included. The main errors and how they are solved, as well as the main strengths, were analyzed.

The documentary review was conceived with the purpose of analyzing the ways that are suggested to strengthen fluency in writing, the types of texts used and the exercises derived from those texts; The postgraduate regulations, resolutions 138/2019, 140/2019, and the review of the bibliography that is related to the postgraduate teaching-learning process, as well as fluency in writing, were also analyzed.

The categories and subcategories of analysis that constitute points of arrival in the investigation were established:

Analysis category 1. Cognitive fluency: it is the speaker's ability to plan and communicate through language.

Subcategory: 1.1 Motivation as a key element to move the professional towards higher levels in the teaching-learning process of English as a foreign language.

Analysis category 2. Fluency of expression: refers to the performance of the writer.

Subcategories:

2.1 Temporal elements in the teaching-learning process of English as a foreign language (speed when writing).

2.2 Grammatical acuity.

2.3 Syntactic complexity.

2.4 Lexical complexity.

Analysis category 3. Perceived fluency: refers to how fluent the speech is and how the reader perceives it.

Results

Document review analysis

The diploma program in English for Health professionals (English for professionals) was analyzed, which is taught continuously from the academic year 1999-2000 until 2015 at the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti-Spíritus. It was verified in the minutes that the diploma has more than two hundred graduates.

When analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the diploma in a meeting with the experience teachers, by consensus, it was concluded that once the health professionals completed their language preparation, there were still oral and written limitations in the language. That is why the diploma ceases to be the main way of preparation for health professionals.

Among the main regularities it is mentioned that:

• The approach used is the classical communicative approach. This approach dedicates little time to the formal aspects of oral language (timbre, tone and intensity) and of writing (spelling, syntactic and morphosyntactic aspects); no treatment is observed towards fluency in writing.

• Something positive is that aspects related to the profession of the students are dealt with and medical and nursing terms are introduced through the different exercises, which motivates the students to pave the way for English for Specific Purposes (IFE) of some elementary aspects.

In this program it was verified that it has its general bases in the classical communicative approach and aspects of the cultural historical approach. The hierarchy that covers the work with the four language skills for linguistic advancement was pointed out.

In addition, it is proposed that it provides knowledge of aspects related to extraverbal language and cultural elements of the language in question. This allowed to achieve the communicative competence that, although it is not mentioned, is inferred by the characteristics that are described.

On the other hand, emphasis was placed on group work or in pairs and the use of the mother tongue in the classroom, only in those cases that are useful or that are strictly imperative. In the same way, it is suggested that the explanations about grammar and phonetics or another aspect of the language, be done through the functions and in a communicative way, in such a way that learning in an "upward spiral" is achieved.

When carrying out the review of the English programs that were taught in the postgraduate course up to the year 2019, it was possible to verify that in some cases the use of one element of the language or another, or some linguistic aspect, was worked on; but little emphasis is placed on writing fluency. The content does not always respond to the context and expectations of health professionals.

As of 2015, and with the introduction of the Common European Framework of References for languages (CEFR) in universities, language preparation continues through postgraduate courses that are taught to date.

It starts with a diagnosis, in which each professional is given a level according to the CEFR descriptors. In the same way, in each edition of the postgraduate course, the positive and negative aspects are analyzed, and it is verified that fluency in writing is one of the most affected.

Among the positive aspects of the postgraduate course, it is valid to highlight the use of the initial diagnosis to work in groups with similar levels of knowledge, but the insufficient follow-up that this diagnosis received as part of the postgraduate course is a weakness. This limited the possibilities of knowing, analyzing and evaluating from its initial reality the progress of professionals in the teaching-learning process of the English language as a foreign language.

Another limitation that was found is that the use of the benefits offered by Mobile Assisted Language Teaching (ELAM) is not included, as the tool that is most used and is linked to the daily life of students and teachers.

Focused qualitative interview

It was applied to experience teachers from the language department; includes undergraduates, with the aim of verifying the ways they use to strengthen fluency in writing and its importance for professionals.

They explained that they almost always guide the writing as independent study, then review it, correct any errors, and then return it to them. They expressed that they have little time in class for writing; In addition, they take advantage of the time in the rest of the skills.

It was verified, in the different writing activities, a poor mastery of these elements in the completion of the task, which compromises the possibility of fluently communicating their ideas and the inefficient search for the appropriate vocabulary for the context in which the writing is carried out. task.

The authors confirmed that writing fluency is not among the priorities of the program. It is for this reason that the types of exercises that were used are not always intended to improve fluency in writing in English, as a foreign language, since its content is directed to grammar and vocabulary; the writing was oriented in the majority of the occasions of independent study to deliver in the next meeting.

The ten teachers who participated in the interview agreed that the work that is done with writing fluency in postgraduate classes should be strengthened, since in many of these classes the professionals only got to work on writing through delivery of a text that the teacher reviews and no time is dedicated to strengthening fluency from the class. They recognize that ELAM is a useful tool for the teaching-learning process of the English language, but state that to date they have not used it for didactic purposes in postgraduate studies.

The more experienced teachers reflected that group work must take into account active approaches and social skills, which are very necessary to guarantee a successful interaction. In addition, they believed that the benefits that social pressure offers to sociolinguistic competence should be taken advantage of.

It was also verified that the objectives that are proposed in the postgraduate classes had restricted purposes and not the fulfillment of a task with goals, where the professional is free to use the language, they already know; that is, they work with certain predetermined functions and objectives.

It was evidenced that, although the teachers have pedagogical mastery and experience, they must continue the work to raise their knowledge in relation to contemporary approaches. On the other hand, it was found that there is no evidence of the use of ELAM and of a diagnosis that follows up on the needs and expectations of these professionals.

The methodological triangulation, at the starting point, from the correlation of the results of the documentary analysis and the focused qualitative interview allowed a more objective understanding of the scenario in which the teaching-learning process of the English language as a foreign language takes place at the University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus. With the information that was collected, a group of regularities was determined. Among the strengths identified are:

• The University of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus has defined a language preparation strategy that includes postgraduate studies. The pedagogical group has vast experience.

• The preparation of health professionals in the English language constitutes a strategic element that is in function of strengthening communicative competence.

• The teachers that make up the sample show interest in the subject and understand the need to work on fluency in writing in postgraduate classes.

Among the main weaknesses are:

• Fluency in writing for health professionals is not a priority in the graduate program.

• There is very little work on writing and most of the time it is oriented as an independent study activity, which does not promote fluency.

• A diagnosis of needs, concerns, characteristics and interests is not always addressed, in such a way that it is oriented towards where to direct the actions aimed at strengthening fluency in writing, which implies the inadequate activation of the learner.

• Group work is traditionally promoted.

• The use of ELAM in the postgraduate English language teaching-learning process is not included.

This first moment had as objective to sensitize the participants in the experience about their roles, the importance of fluency in writing in the teaching-learning process of English, as a foreign language. Also, about the benefits of Information Technology and Communications and, in particular, the use of the WhatsApp application, as a possible change proposal.

Participant observation

He promoted the exchange between the team of researchers and the postgraduate scenario to verify in the WhatsApp group the transformation of the fluency in writing of the health professionals who attended the postgraduate course. The behavior of the categories and subcategories of analysis in each of the text messages was also verified, since they have the possibility of interacting online, negotiating meanings, manipulating the language in a natural way and providing the confidence of not fearing the mistakes.

In depth session

Once the WhatsApp group was created, the researchers returned to the path followed and an in-depth session was held with the professors who participated in the postgraduate course. The benefits of ELAM and the use of WhatsApp to strengthen fluency in writing were emphasized. Among the main positive aspects that were derived, it is convenient to underline that:

• It made it possible to update the initial and continuous diagnosis on the progress that health professionals have in terms of fluency in writing, as the postgraduate course progressed, and thus reflect on the actions to follow.

• He favored an environment of exchange in which writing was contextualized, with an authentic negotiation of meaning, as close as possible to real life.

• It promoted writing, which is often an unappealing skill for students.

• They used phrases that are worked on in class, consulted dictionaries or materials to acquire new expressions.

• They got involved in the discussions through the instant messaging that motivates the exchange.

• It was verified in the message's creativity, reflection and the correct use of grammatical structures to present their ideas and points of view.

• Different spaces were provided in which writing was used with a communicative purpose and as close as possible to everyday life.

• Videos, audios, links to databases, messaging, phrases, among others, were shared.

• The social function of fluency in writing was assumed, taking into account the interests, tastes, expectations, and concerns of the health professionals who attended the postgraduate course.

Within the limitations it can be noted that:

• It is necessary to find other opportunities to create, model, participate and evaluate with the students the main difficulties that appeared in the chats.

• The telephone space has its rules in terms of vocabulary, formality, courtesy, interaction and response that must be dealt with in face-to-face activities.

In the in-depth session with the health professionals who attended the postgraduate course, it was verified that through the WhatsApp group:

• Better affective relationships were created between the members of the group, opinions were exchanged on different topics of daily life and the profession.

• They practiced writing outside of class, and with the teachers' answers they often realized the grammatical mistakes they had made.

• The phrases that were worked on in class were practiced and new ones were shared.

• The exchange was done in real time, which led to practice outside the context of the class, so the time spent writing was extended almost without realizing it.

• While reading the messages, their vocabulary increased, because many times they had to look for new phrases to understand some messages and express what was meant.

• Not only writing was practiced, but also reading and listening to the videos that were shared and from which opinions had to be issued.

• The topics that were shared were attractive, not only for the profession but also for the social relationships that were established outside the professional context, but that are part of the social relationships that are established in the workplace.

By triangulating the results of the participant observation and the in-depth sessions, it was found that the majority of the participants recognized the benefits of using the ELAM for strengthening writing fluency; They admitted that WhatsApp is a pertinent tool. With the information that was collected from the application of these methods, the following precisions are established:

• The social function of writing was promoted and authentic communication was established between the members of the group.

• Group work and cooperation among members were encouraged, taking into account the context and expectations in which these professionals operate.

• Greater motivation towards writing was achieved as a way to move the professional towards higher levels of fluency.

• A great variety of very powerful didactic media was used, such as: videos, audios, links to databases, messaging, among others.

• A change in attitude towards writing was observed, recognizing the social value of writing.

Discussion

The inclusion of ELAM in the teaching-learning process of foreign languages is the subject of research in dissimilar studies, both internationally and nationally. Despite the fact that a significant approach to this phenomenon is established, the need for new theoretical contributions and practical proposals that improve the didactic teaching-learning process of English as a foreign language is still revealed, through the use of different applications that strengthen the fluency in writing in foreign languages.

^{Kan and Tang (2018}) recognize the pedagogical potential in teaching English with university students in distance education and in face-to-face education; they suggest that it should be included in the curriculum and propose that teachers should design small activities that are easy to understand or remember and increasingly attractive and interesting, in line with the expectations of the students; in such a way that they integrate with them outside of class to support their formal learning, with which ^{Erbay (2020}) agrees in his research.

In the study carried out by the researchers ^{Ozer and Kýlýç (2018}) and ^{Alamer and Khateeb (2021}) they also assess the positive effects on motivation in learning foreign languages by university students, as well as on the feedback that the teacher receives through this channel. ^{Ahmed (2019}) examines its effectiveness for progress in writing and reading; concludes that this technique is very effective for developing vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and writing.

^{Sari and Putri (2019}) conclude in their study that the creation of a WhatsApp group is a means of learning that increases communication between group members and promotes an effective atmosphere for learning and an interest in writing, promotes dialogue, as well as offers the possibility of using and sharing learning materials.

^{Ghorbani and Ebadi (2020}) evaluate the impact of ELAM, but from the Telegram application, on the effectiveness of grammatical accuracy in foreign language learning, motivation, and feedback. ^{Al-Shehab (2020)} shares similar results in writing and motivation. Among the limitations that he perceives is the lack of cooperation in the feedback with the other members of the group, as well as the lack of practice in editing the texts.

For their part, ^{Vilches Vilela & Reche Urbano (2019}) state that WhatsApp facilitates the development of collaborative tasks, but states that its use can also hinder interpersonal relationships and the intragroup communication process. Due to the opening in the chat of multiple topics of conversation, difficult to follow, or due to the appearance of conflicts in the group for various reasons, such as confused messages, misunderstandings or lack of commitment of some members regarding previously established tasks, another threat What makes the group effective and cohesive is the fact that it saturates the chat by sending irrelevant content that is unrelated to the academic purpose for which it was created, which is distracting and annoying.

The authors of this article agree with the contributions and include them in the case of postgraduate studies due to the benefits they bring to health professionals. By promoting reading comprehension and decoding, they constitute a fundamental element of the language; In this activity, students gain information, their understanding of the world around them, the meaning of the messages, and their appreciation. It is of great importance for professionals to strengthen fluency in writing to achieve effective comprehension by the reader.

The analysis of the limitations suggested by these studies serves as a guide for the present proposal and are conceived as distinctive elements when it comes to guiding the exchanges that appear through WhatsApp, in the postgraduate course of health professionals; in such a way that a close relationship is reached with factors that promote fluency in writing in a foreign language: availability of information, interaction and information output (^{Mavrou, 2016}).

In the national context, ^{Vigil García, Acosta Padrón, Andarcio Betancourt, Dumpierrés Otero & Licor Castillo (2020)} conclude in their study that ELAM promotes the development of communicative, interactive and intercultural competence. They recognize as advantages the development of metacommunicative and metalinguistic skills, the cultural transmission between students, at the same time that it helps them to overcome their fears regarding the use of language in social communication(^{Acosta, 2020}). On the other hand, they admit that students are motivated in learning languages and constitutes an alternative in the teaching of foreign languages in the non-contact distance modality.

The evaluation of the results of these investigations confirms that the use of smartphones and different applications such as WhatsApp register benefits in the teaching-learning process of foreign languages, among which we can mention: more immediate and effective communication, between and with students, which helps decision-making, which provides compliance with school activities, as well as monitoring the fulfillment of tasks by students; likewise, it offers the possibility of exchange at any time or place.

These results are corroborated by the present investigation in the context of the postgraduate course for health professionals, because in the WhatsApp group the students expressed their ideas, opinions and feelings. Although the intention is not to emphasize the use of certain grammatical elements and spelling errors, progress was found through participant observation; In addition, it was confirmed through text messages, how an informal conversation is promoted, where the fluency of writing is the main objective and not the writing of a text where correct use of grammatical structures is requested and a more language is needed. formal.

In this interaction, the teacher reads the comments and responds using the correct grammar and asks questions, if necessary, but should not make direct corrections. In this dialogue that is established online, students obtain information, their understanding of the world around them, the meaning of the messages and offer their appreciation on different topics. It is very useful not only for writing, but also for effective understanding by the reader. It allows to verify the strengthening of fluency in writing.

The WhatsApp application is used as a didactic tool outside of postgraduate class hours to help strengthen fluency in writing English as a foreign language; we proceed to work with it because it provides features that allow online interaction between students and the teacher.

The teacher creates the WhatsApp group that facilitates online interaction through text messages related to daily life, professional life or any question related to the postgraduate course; any member can share materials, audios and phrases that favor debate and learning. Through this exchange, the elements that had already been introduced at the first moment of the investigation are followed up (^{Carpio Afonso et al., 2022}).

In the WhatsApp group, students express their ideas, opinions and feelings spontaneously. It can be compared to an informal dialogue, where writing fluency is the main goal and not formal presentation. In this case, the teacher has control of the participation of the group members and updates the diagnosis with the most frequent errors to provide follow-up from the class. Its main objective is to promote fluency, accuracy and interaction outside of class hours.

Health professionals feel motivated when making use of Mobile Assisted Language Teaching; they do not conceive of writing as a boring obligation, but as a way to express through text messages social aspects, of their life or of the profession that remain in the dialogues of that group, that are preserved for a period of time and serve as a guide so that the teacher can readjust decisions in the teaching-learning process of the English language as a foreign language.

The participant observation verified, through the WhatsApp group, a transformation in the writing fluency of health professionals based on the influence that mobile phones have on people's daily lives and the benefits of social networks. In each of the writing tasks of the postgraduate class and in the online interaction, progress was made in the coherence of the messages, in the variety of forms and syntactic structures that they used, as well as in the incorporation of new vocabulary and expressions. in text messages.

Health professionals felt motivated with the use of Mobile Assisted Language Teaching; They assumed the work in the WhatsApp group as a way of expressing in English aspects of their daily life, interactions between professors and health professionals who attend the postgraduate course were encouraged.

Through participant observation and in-depth sessions, the benefits of the WhatsApp group for health professionals who attend the postgraduate course were verified. All express a marked interest in continuing in the postgraduate course and a high level of motivation for writing tasks, something that is not common, since their main interest lies in topics related to their specialty.

Among the limitations of the study, it is necessary to emphasize that the WhatsApp group by itself does not strengthen fluency in writing; it needs other tools that complement it from the postgraduate class. This scientific result is in the process of construction through a systematization of experiences.

The use of mobile devices and the messaging application of the WhatsApp group gave the health professional the possibility of recreating different communicative situations in real time and they were used to the maximum for educational purposes.

The WhatsApp group facilitated interaction and cooperation by overcoming barriers of time and space, also those of a psychological nature. In addition, it promoted student motivation and authenticity in writing, by opening the possibilities of practicing it outside of the formal context of the postgraduate course and incorporating it into daily practice.

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Received: July 11, 2022; Accepted: January 19, 2023

^*Autor para correspondencia. E-Mail: [e-mail]

Los autores declaran no tener conflictos de intereses.

Los autores participaron en el diseño y redacción del trabajo, y análisis de los documentos.