The Integration and Utilization of ICT in Learning English as a Second Language at University Level

Abstract

Many university students cannot focus on learning English by depending solely on the classroom method, especially when the session is textbook-based and boring. The use of digital resources in students' daily lives can assist them learn vocabulary, pronunciation, and language growth. The study analyses how students and teachers view ICT integration and its impact on English language skills. Five undergraduate students and four English language instructors from a public Lahore university were interviewed qualitatively. Braun and Clarke (2006) used a thematic analysis to find ICT use themes. The results show that students who want to improve vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing use mobile apps, YouTube, online dictionaries, and Grammarly. Teachers use multimedia, videos, online exercises, and mobile-aided activities to promote speaking, listening, and reading. ICT improves interaction, provides real-life English, and makes learning more fun and flexible, according to both groups. However, unstable internet, difficulty in accessing paid apps, distractions, teacher training, and institutional assistance are also found. The article concludes that balanced integration, good infrastructure, and training instructions can improve language acquisition using ICT. Since ICT can enhance teaching approaches to make language acquisition meaningful and durable, it should not replace them in the classroom.

Keywords: ICT integration, ESL learning, thematic analysis, digital tools