Use of Viber Platform as a Social Media Application in TEFLat Erbil Polytechnic University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/4patgv63Keywords:
Social media, TEFL, Viber application and English language.Abstract
The use of social media platforms has become very popular in recent years. Academic institutions such as universities, colleges and institutes around the world have adopted such platforms into their educational systems for educational purposes. One of the popular and practical platforms providing such opportunities is Viber. This paper examines the usefulness of Viber as a social media platform for English language learners at the language centre of Erbil Polytechnic University (EPU). The study is conducted on 40 participants (24 males and 16 females)of two IELTS preparation courses with a pre-intermediate language proficiency level who wanted to take the IELTS test as part of the requirements for obtaining academic titles or joining postgraduate studies in Kurdistan Region Universities. The researchers adopted a quantitative approach to collect data from the participants. An original questionnaire was designed through the free online Google form that consisted of 18 Wh and Yes/No questions. The learners' thoughts about the usefulness of the platform were investigated in regards to motivation, L2 promotion and learning targets. Online access to the questionnaire was provided at the end of the preparation courses in order to give the learners a chance to express their perceptions on the progress of language learning. The results of the study show that the majority of the learners (32 learners out of 40)think that such platforms are effective and necessary in English language teaching (ELT) courses for encouraging learners to practice the target language and motivate them to be independent learners. A large population of this study were above the age of 30 years old, therefore, the most significant finding of this research is that not only the new generation of learners, but also senior learners (people over 30 years of age) are also interested in the use of social media in TEFL courses. This could provide help for English language teachers to implement the use of social media networks into their language classes.
Downloads
References
1. Alfaki, I. M., & Alharthy, K. (2014). Towards a digital world: Using social networks to promote learner’s language. American International Journal of Contemporary Research, 4(10), 105-114.
2. Alnujaidi, S. (2017). Social Network Sites as ESL/EFL Learning and Teaching Tools: A Critical Review. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 6(3), 34-42.
3. Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 11.
4. Clarkson, K. (2013). Usage of social network sites amongst university students. Munich, Germany: GRIN Verlag.
5. Duman, G., Orhon, G., & Gedik, N. (2015). Research trends in mobile assisted language learning from 2000 to 2012. ReCALL, 27(2), 197-216.
6. Farahmand, F. (2016). The Effects of Using Viber on Iranian EFL University Students’ Vocabulary Learning (An Interactionist View). International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation, 3(5), 33–39.
7. Jang, H. (2008). Supporting students’ motivation, engagement, and learning during an uninteresting activity. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 798–811.
8. Jang, H., Reeve, J., & Halusic, M. (2016). A New Autonomy-Supportive Way of Teaching That Increases Conceptual Learning: Teaching in Students' Preferred Ways. The Journal of Experimental Education, 84(4), 686-701.
9. Kumar, A. V. (2014). Technology in learning by EFL Omani students in ELT Classrooms. International Journal on English Language and Literature, 2(1), 43-50.
10. Lamy, M., & Zourou, K. (2013). Social networking for language education. Springer.
11. Liu, M. (2013). Blended Learning in a University EFL Writing Course: Description and Evaluation. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 4(2), 301-309.
12. Manan, N. A., Ashaari, A. A., & Pandian, A. (2012). Utilizing a Social Networking Website as an ESL Pedagogical Tool in a Blended Learning Environment: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of Social Sciences, 2(1), 2-9.
13. Murati, R., & Ceka, A. (2017). The Use of Technology in Educational Teaching. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(6), 197-199.
14. Nakatsukasa, K. (2009). The efficacy and students’ perceptions of collaborative blogging in an ESL classroom. Developing and evaluating language learning materials, 69-84.
15. Nakatsukasa, K. (2009). The efficacy and students’ perceptions of collaborative blogging in an ESL classroom. In C. A. Chapelle, H. G. Jun, & I. Katz (Eds.), Developing and evaluating language learning materials (pp. 69‐84). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
16. Reeve, J., & Jang, H. (2006). What teachers say and do to support students’ autonomy during learning activities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 209-218.
17. Ríos, J. A., & Campos, J. L. E. (2015). The role of Facebook in foreign language learning. Revista de Lenguas Modernas, 223-253.
18. Seyyedrezaei, S. H., Kazemi, Y., & Shahini, F. (2016). Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL): A Contributor to Language Learning and Teaching. International Journal of Research in Linguistics, Language Teaching and Testing, 1(1), 14-21.
19. Tafani, V. (2009). Teaching English through Mass Media. Acta Didactica Napocensia, 2(1), 81-95.
20. Thurairaj, S., Hoon, E. P., Roy, S. S., & Fong, P. W. (2015). Reflections of Students’ language Usage in Social Networking Sites: Making or Marring Academic English. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 13(4), 302-316.
21. Tochahi, E. S. (2015). The Use of Viber as an Online Tool for Assessing the EFL Learners Knowledge of Grammar Dynamically: An Interactionist View. Journal of Language Sciences & Linguistics, 3(4), 68-72.
22. Vansteenkiste, M., Simons, J., Lens, W., Soenens, B., & Matos, L. (2005). Examining the motivational impact of intrinsic versus extrinsic goal framing and autonomy-supportive versus internally controlling communication style on early adolescents’ academic achievement. Child Development, 2, 483–501.
23. Warschauer, M. (2013). Technological change and the future of CALL. New perspectives on CALL for second language classrooms (pp. 27-38).
24. Xodabande, I. (2017). The effectiveness of social media network telegram in teaching English language pronunciation to Iranian EFL learners. Cogent Education, 4(1), 1-14.
25. Yunus, M. M., Salehi, H., Amini, M., Shojaee, M., & Fei, W. Y. (2016). Activities and suggestions for using social networking in teaching ESL writing. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, 84(2), 170.
26. Yunus, M. M., Salehi, H., & Chenzi, C. (2012). Integrating social networking tools into ESL writing classroom: Strengths and weaknesses. English Language Teaching, 5(8), 42.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Author
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
