Adult Language Learners' Informal Employment of ICT Applications and Websites to Assess Their English Skills

Abstract

This chapter attempts to investigate which ICT applications are employed by language learners to assess themselves. The study focuses mainly on 500 universities in the intensive English programs that aim to furnish students with essential language skills to pursue their studies in their subsequent departments or programs. The participants were directed to an online questionnaire in which they were asked to indicate the ICT applications that they did employ informally outside the classroom. Moreover, the participants were also asked to explain how they used these applications during the interviews. The findings of the study indicated that the participants employed websites and applications mainly for listening and grammar and that the participants had fewer options regarding speaking and writing assessment activities. Regarding the participants' choices of the applications that they could use to assess themselves, several reasons were provided that show the cost of the application and easy access and use.