Teachers? Reflective Journal Analysis of iPad Based Language Learning through the Activity Theory Framework

This is an experimental study of an iPad based language learning in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) context. A tertiary level college in the UAE went paperless in 2012 and implemented iPads for its Foundations Program, eliminating paper and pen teaching-learning methods from the classroom. The innovation brought up challenges in the technical and methodological fields, as well as in language learning ways, skills and practices. The aim of this study was to find the emerging themes of the teachers? reflective journals in the evaluation of their lessons and diagnosis of problems throughout the two-phase experiment. The data sources that informed this study were: soft copies of four teachers? weekly written reflections in phase one, which lasted for four weeks, and soft copies of two teachers? weekly written reflections in phase two which lasted for another four weeks. So, four teachers teaching four groups for four weeks wrote sixteen journals in phase one, and two teachers teaching two groups for another four weeks wrote eight journals in phase two. By the end of the experiment the teachers produced twenty-four reflective journals, which this study looked at through the Activity Theory framework. The results showed that today?s ?digital natives?, who were elementary level Emirati language learners, demonstrated a strong preference and motivation for using iPads for their everyday language learning.