Camera phones provide a great way to ask learners to ‘notice’ grammar around them. You can encourage students to take photos of street signs, menus, advertisements, or other examples of written English that they see around them. Spotting the misuse of apostrophes (‘s) or noticing incorrect spelling are my favourites.

Another useful tool is the recording function on mobile devices. Here are three examples:

1. Learners can record themselves speaking English and share it with friends, who can offer feedback. This is a great opportunity to practise pronunciation.
2. Learners can record conversations with native speakers on a range of topics and integrate them into projects.
3. Learners can use the microphone creatively, and incorporate voice recordings into edited videos.

Mobile technology turns the question ‘What did you do last weekend?’ into a personal story, as learners can share with the group photos or videos of what they did, where they went, and how they felt. They can also share their social media activity, providing an opportunity to explore what their friends thought of the weekend.

Technology is transforming how we communicate, socialise, play, shop and conduct business. These profound changes place pressure on the traditional models of language learning, such as teaching in a formal classroom setting. They also present us with amazing opportunities to re-design the way we teach and learn English.