Gadgets and Foreign Language Acquisition in the Digital Era

HUMANIORA - (16/4/2024) In the increasingly advanced digital era, the use of gadgets has become an inseparable part of our daily lives. Today's children grow up with easy access to various types of gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, which have become an integral part of their routines. Gadgets provide unlimited access to various information, entertainment, and communication tools. Nevertheless, the debate about the impact of gadget use continues, especially in the context of its influence on children's learning processes.

This became a hot topic in the final thesis defense at the Faculty of Humaniora on Wednesday afternoon, April 3, 2024, by Humaniora Faculty student, Ula Robbithotul Rohmah. Ula is a student who completed her final assignment through a scientific article pathway. This English Literature Study Program student has successfully published her scientific article entitled "Gadgets and English Vocabulary Acquisition of Rural Preschool Children in Malang" in the journal LETS: Journal of Linguistics and English Teaching Studies, volume 5, number 1, 2023, accredited SINTA 4.

Ula's article highlights the positive impact of gadget technology on children's acquisition of foreign languages, especially English. Although often considered a disturbance in children's development, this research shows that access to entertainment through gadgets can help them acquire foreign language vocabulary, especially English.

As explained in the article, children are able to express themselves and understand the content they repeatedly watch through gadgets. They can also mention colors, simple verbs, nouns, and adjectives in English. This indicates that supervised gadget use by parents can have a positive impact on children's foreign language acquisition.

Ula Robbithotul Rohmah's thesis defense not only marks the completion of a study phase but also serves as inspiration for other students to explore their academic potentials. With the support of the Faculty of Humaniora, it is hoped that more students can achieve similar success in their brilliant academic journeys. [al]