Training in teacher digital competence: teacher perceptions of learning Spanish as a foreign language assisted by mobile devices in the pre-pandemic context

This paper presents an exploratory quantitative study ( n = 110) that addresses the perceived usefulness of mobile -assisted language learning in teaching Spanish as a foreign language (SFL), considering both teachers' digital competence and the use of smartphones in their lessons. Therefore, the main objective is to describe the use of mobile technology, as well as the digital competence and training of teachers (men and women) of SFL in the global and prepandemic context. In terms of methodology, a digital questionnaire with a total of 20 items and closed questions was designed as the main research tool. The results show that, although the attitude towards the use of mobile phones in SFL learning and teaching processes is mostly positive, teachers face several obstacles, such as their lack of training and digital competence, connection problems, and how students use technology for educational purposes. Finally, this research includes general considerations and recommendations to facilitate the use of mobile devices in the SFL classroom.