Psycholinguistic Factors and Technology Appropriation in EFL Learning: An Instrumental Case Study

This instrumental case study described the psycholinguistic factors related to technology appropriation and language learning among English as a foreign language university students in Medellín, Colombia. Conducted at a private university’s language department, the 64-hour English course combined traditional and digital teaching methods with 22 participants from diverse undergraduate programs. Employing maximum variation sampling, the study captured perspectives across age, gender, technology appropriation, academic performance, and cultural background. Data collection included interviews, a technology appropriation self-perception survey, language proficiency tests, and classroom observations. Using the analytical framework of Miles et al. (2014) the analysis revealed that students relied on digital tools such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets to support their academic work. In terms of social interaction, WhatsApp and Instagram emerged as the most used social media for communication with classmates, facilitating both academic coordination and informal exchanges. Differences in technology appropriation reflected students´ diverse backgrounds in terms of prior digital literacy, access to devices and familiarity with educational technologies. Findings emphasize the importance of adapting technology use to diverse learning needs, offering relevant insights to the Colombian context, with potential implications for similar settings within the Latin American technology-enhanced language education landscape.