1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Mobile Devices in a University Language Classroom

Table 1: Historical Timeline of Mobile Devices
Device
Year Comments
Newton Message Pad
1993
First PDA on the market
Palm Computing
1996
First commercially successful PDA
Microsoft Tablet PC
2001
First tablet on the market
Apple iPod
2001
First commercially successful MP3 Player
Apple iPhone
2007
First smartphone from Apple - iOS released
Apple iPod Touch
2007
First non-phone PDA from Apple
Amazon Kindle
2007
First commercially successful eBook reader
Google Android OS
2008
First serious competitor to Apple iOS
Apple iPad
2010
First commercially successful tablet computer
Apple iPad Mini
2012
First small tablet computer from Apple
(Apple, 2015c; Arar, 2009; Honan, 2013; Microsoft, 2015)

---

4
Robert CHARTRAND
Using Mobile Devices for Language Learning
As PDAs, cell phones, and MP3 players converged into more sophisticated 
mobile devices, the iPod Touch emerged as a mobile device with language learning 
possibilities. The first generation iPod Touch was equipped to perform a number 
of tasks, many of which could be used to accomplish a multitude of educational 
objectives (Banister 2010). Some of these tasks used programs such as YouTube 
for watching videos, iTunes for listening to music, Safari for browsing the Internet, 
and others. Although this seems like basic functionality in today's multimedia 
world, using these features on an iPod Touch was a new experience for teachers 
and students. Before the advent of the iPod Touch, the only way to view videos, 
listen to music and browse the Internet was with a smartphone or a computer. 
Thus, having a mobile device such as the iPod Touch was an excellent choice of 
technology since it was small, powerful and cost effective.