Social Media in EFL Context: Attitudes of Saudi Learners

Haque, Saifa; Salem, Norah Mofareh Al

doi:10.17507/jltr.1005.16

Cited by 14 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Li argued that students' comfort with online class design, structure, level of interaction between students and faculty, the quality and amount of class content and overall experience with online class delivery impact the overall learning experience and determine the ultimate success or failure of online mode of education. Haque and Al-Salem (2019) have also found that social media is a good platform for students as it provides opportunities for learners to study foreign languages.…”

Section: Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of social media on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic

Muftah

2022

PRR

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PurposeThis research shows how social media has affected learning at present during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has become the largest and most convenient area of communication. In the current scenario, it seems that social networking sites not only had a profound impact on our social structure and intra-social interaction, but also affected education in general and learning English language in particular. It has been proven that these various social media platforms have created a realm of digital environment in today's new-age learning. Social media platforms are social networking sites through which people interact and communicate with each other easily and conveniently. Undoubtedly and unquestionably, social networking has been proven to be a global phenomenon that has caused a vast paradigm shift in the world of Learning and education during the current pandemic. Therefore, the present study aims to reach the extent of the impact of the various social media platforms on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic from the students' point of view.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted at the undergraduate level for English language learners. The sample comprised 166 undergraduate students at Najran University. A survey questionnaire was administered to find out the impact of various social media platforms and social networking sites on learning English language in the academic year of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to highlight possible suggestions for improving future virtual language learning.FindingsThe findings of the study contributed to the area of online learning of English language during the COVID-19 pandemic. Final results confirmed that the utilization of social media has been significantly perceived to have positively impacted learning English language in terms of writing style, reading skills, listening and lexical variation, communication skills and grammar usage.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study can serve as fundamental indicators to implement prompt pedagogical reformations, for which a number of pedagogical implications can be proposed. Another equally important pedagogical implication is to design and provide professional development and training sessions to both students and educators on the ultimate utilization of social media as instructional technologies in the context of English language teaching and learning.Originality/valueThis research provides insights in developing policies to assist with the integration and utilization of social media platforms as instructional technologies in the context of English language teaching and learning and how institutions can respond to the advent of advancing technology, especially during and after the COVID-19 era. A model to improve online English language learning process is recommended as a guideline for all educators offering online learning.

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Section: Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of social media on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic

Muftah

2022

PRR

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“…A questionnaire was designed to examine the participants' perspectives on their experience using WVM. Ten statements were adopted with modifications to suit the purpose of the current study from different sources (Ali & Bin-Hady, 2019;Alqahtani et al, 2018;Cheng & Kim, 2019;Hamad, 2017;Haque & Al Salem, 2019) The questionnaire consists of four sections: effectiveness, attitude, motivation, and anxiety. It uses a five-point Likert scale to determine the degree of agreement: 'strongly agree', 'agree', 'neither agree nor disagree', 'disagree', and 'strongly disagree' (see Appendix C).…”

Section: Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Use of WhatsApp for Teaching Speaking to English Language Learners: A Case Study

Albogami¹,

Algethami²

2022

AWEJ

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Being able to speak or communicate orally is an ultimate goal for most English language learners. Thus, teaching speaking is a main component of the curriculum in most communicative-based English language classrooms. However, teachers struggle to teach speaking in English language classrooms. Two main reasons contribute to this struggle: insufficient time for speaking practice in language classrooms and students’ unwillingness to communicate due to anxiety. Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (ACMC) may have the potential to provide a solution to this difficulty. A widely accessible mobile application that can provide an easily implemented ACMC tool is WhatsApp. The current case study explored the potential use of WhatsApp for teaching English speaking in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. 15 Saudi EFL learners of English were recruited to participate in the present study. A mixed-method approach comprising pre and post-tests, closed-ended questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data for the current study. The findings showed that using WhatsApp can have the potential for improving EFL learners’ speaking performance, increasing their motivation and attitude towards speaking, and decreasing their anxiety and fear of making mistakes when speaking. WhatsApp can provide an effective platform for teaching speaking in an EFL setting where there is a scarcity of time available for oral communication.

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“…Studies investigating language applications' effectiveness in Saudi literature and EFL learners' attitudes towards them are limited (Alabbad & Huwamel, 2020;Bahjet Essa Ahmed, 2016). Although the Saudi literature is limited in investigating language learning apps, there are studies which investigated social media applications to foster foreign language learning, such as (Abdulaziz Al Fadda, 2020;Haque & Al Salem, 2019).…”

Section: Mobile Assisted Language Learning (Mall)mentioning

confidence: 99%

EFL Learners’ Perceptions Regarding the Use of Busuu Application in Language Learning: Evaluating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

AlDakhil¹,

Alfadda²

2021

ELT

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After the exceptional circumstances the whole world has experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students have become digital natives who seek learning that overcomes the barriers of place and time. This mixed-methods study aimed at investigating EFL learners' perceptions regarding the application of Busuu in language learning, by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The participants were 58 first secondary stage students in a Saudi private school. An online survey and a semi-structured interview were used to collect data. The results revealed that EFL learners have a positive attitude towards Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL).  Additionally, according to the TAM, the participants found the language application Busuu useful and easy to use. They also thought of Busuu as a valuable resource for language learning, which increases their motivation to be autonomous learners. However, in addition to the TAM components, the results also showed that affordance and joyfulness could be strong indicators of learners' acceptance of a particular technology.  Moreover, the results revealed that mobile applications might be more helpful for beginner learners than advanced ones. On the other hand, the findings also showed that Busuu might distract learners from doing their homework. Besides, the regular use of Busuu might be harmful to their eyes due to the small mobile screen size. For further research, the recommendation includes a large sample size in addition to a long-term study of EFL learners' perception towards Busuu in normal classroom circumstances. 

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Social Media in EFL Context: Attitudes of Saudi Learners

Cited by 14 publications

References 19 publications

Impact of social media on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic

Impact of social media on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic

Exploring the Use of WhatsApp for Teaching Speaking to English Language Learners: A Case Study

EFL Learners’ Perceptions Regarding the Use of Busuu Application in Language Learning: Evaluating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

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