Social Networking Sites and Language Learning (original) (raw)
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Despite their spectacular growth in both daily life and mainstream education, little research to date has been conducted concerning the use of social networking sites in foreign language learning. The aim of this study, therefore, is to examine the use of such sites to learn a foreign language. Using an auto-ethnographic approach that included self-aware participation, learner diaries and peer debriefing, we investigated the social networking site Livemocha to study Korean from our perspectives as native speakers and experienced teachers of English. Specifically, we focused our questions on aspects of socio-collaborative principles and practice. Results of a grounded, thematic analysis indicate that the site had number of counter-productive pedagogical impediments to language learning that included, for example, flaws in site design. We conclude our paper with suggestions for improved foreign language learning through social networking sites.
Social networking and language learning
2016
Our increasing dependence on and use of various technological tools has impacted every facet of our lives, and language teaching and learning are no exception. Educators regularly incorporate a variety of tools (Thorne and Payne, 2005) to engage their students and to allow them to interact in new and different ways, both in class and beyond the walls of the classroom. In particular, popular social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, Edmodo, and LinkedIn offer educators even more ways to help students increase motivation and reinvigorate the classroom climate (Mazer et al., 2007). Social networking tools such as these, and others, also provide opportunities for language learners to enhance digital and multiliteracy skills, interact in and through the target language, work collaboratively, and enhance their linguistic and pragmatic proficiency (Blattner and Fiori, 2011; Blattner and Lomicka, 2012b; Lomicka and Lord, 2012; Mills 2011). This chapter examines the theoretical underp...
Enhancing Opportunities for Language Use Through Web-Based Social Networking
Action research, 2006
The aims of this study are to understand the ways that web-based social networking can be used to provide English as a Second Language (ESL) students with the opportunity to use English, and to reflect on and improve our own practice with a view to create an atmosphere where webbased social networking can be used as a medium to enhance students' interaction in the language. The subjects of this study are members of English Speaking Zone (ESZ) Facebook group -a group created and maintained by the researchers -for students in a residential college at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). We used an action research methodology because our intention was to improve our own practice and to learn from the participants. We analyzed the data gathered from the content analysis of the interactions on the Facebook group and also conducted interviews with 20 participants. The results show that the interactions (number of posts) in ESZ Facebook differ according to different phases of the use of the technology.
The Role of Social Networking Sites for Language Learning in UK Higher Education
Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications
This paper seeks to assess the potential for Social Networking Sites (SNSs) to play a role in language learning in the UK Higher Education (HE) sector. These sites are characterised by certain features including learning materials, synchronous and asynchronous video and text chat facilities, a peer review feature, and some sites also incorporate an award system, in the form of points (http://www.livemocha.com) or 'berries' (http://www.busuu.com). This serves to motivate participants by rewarding them for their progress and for their peer review activities. In order to consider if, or how, to integrate SNSs into the UK HE curriculum it is important to consider the views of practitioners and learners towards such sites and whether they consider them to have a potential role in HE language education. The paper will report on the outcomes of two small research projects which have sought to establish the view of both practitioners and students towards SNSs in the HE context. When considered overall the practitioners were more positive about the site than the learners.
A Critical Review of Research on Social Networking Sites in Language Teaching and Learning
The current study aims to present a critical analysis of research on social networking sites (SNSs) in second language teaching and learning (L2TL) context. Twenty-two studies published from 2011 to 2017 were included in the analysis through the selection criteria devised by the researcher. The descriptive analysis reveals that Facebook was the most commonly explored medium, and more than half of the studies featured English language learners in various levels. Following the content analysis of the studies, the emerging aspects of the literature review are treated under five overarching themes: practicing multiple language areas and literacies; authenticity and negotiation of meaning through interaction; development of intercultural competence and socio-pragmatic awareness; membership in L2 communities; and (re)construction of identities. Following an account of pedagogical considerations such as the dynamics of classroom, technical features, and various cultural uses of the SNSs, the study concludes with suggestions and directions for future research in regards to the incorporation of SNSs such as Facebook and Twitter into L2 classrooms.
Social Networking in Second Language Learning
… Understanding Media Today Barcelona May 23rd25th, 2011
This study is related to nowadays' knowledge society in the era of the Internet and aims to investigate the most important potentialities of the communities in Social Network Sites (SNSs) for second language (L2) learners. In this way, it would be possible to assess how to insert in formal learning activities some of the new forms of learning beyond the book that are taking place through the Web 2.0, taking into consideration that the term "learning" itself is being constantly explored and redefined according to the needs of Web 2.0 learners and to the new possibilities offered by our era. My research, in particular, attempts to raise awareness of some of the complex issues (learner autonomy, motivation, collaboration) surrounding learning taking place on SNS communities referring to the context of in informal L2 learning and reframing these communities as Personal Learning Environments (PLEs). Ethnographic data (e.g. rich accounts of learners' perceptions about their experiences in learning a language on SNSs, interviews and electronic discourse) will paint a picture of learners' behaviour when interacting in these social spaces and sharing videos, pictures, games related to their target language. In this way, I will be able to map out possible difficulties and opportunities for further research into the potential use of SNSs for second language learners.
Practising Language Interaction via Social Networking Sites
Computer-Assisted Foreign Language Teaching and Learning
This chapter reports on the evaluation of language learning SNSs carried out by “expert students” who are training to become Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. While stressing the positive features available on these sites and novel ways in which they can enable personalised language learning, this study also focuses on some troublesome aspects that occur when learners engage with Web 2.0 tools. It discusses how initial motivation towards these tools can turn into frustration, mirroring the results of a previous autoethnographic study carried out on SNSs. It also illustrates how these global ubiquitous platforms pose a dilemma for language practitioners who work within institutional teaching settings. Teachers recognize the language learning potential of these tools, but are also worried by the ethical threat they can pose, which can normally be avoided, or at least moderated, within institutional proprietary and “less exc...
The use of social network sites for second and foreign (L2) language learning and teaching has recently gained attention by practitioners and researchers of applied linguistics and L2 education. Informed by socially informed theories of language learning and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) studies, researchers have examined L2 learning and use in non-educational or vernacular sites like Facebook, L2 pedagogy using vernacular sites, and the use of commercial social networks designed specifically for language learning, like LiveMocha. Findings implicate the role of self-organized, autonomous learning processes, the development of socio-collaborative learning community, and the challenges of balancing the learning benefits emergent from the user-driven agency of everyday use with the demands to meet formal curriculum-driven objectives. After a brief discussion of influences and definitions, this chapter examines, analyzes, and synthesizes selected research that illustrates these findings, concluding with problems and future directions.