#Social media and the facilitation of second language acquisition. (c2019)

Abstract

While the concept of utilizing technology in educational settings is nothing new, the technology being applied normally serves one function and is solely educational in purpose. Given that students today are just as modern as the world they are living in, the current trends in teaching and learning may not be unlocking their full potential. Driven by the intent to bridge the gap between modern education and modern technology, this study aimed to explore whether or not social media in its purest, unaltered form could be used to facilitate second language acquisition for English as a Second Language students. It also acknowledged and explored the concerns related to the pedagogical implementation of social media. A qualitative case study was employed in order to gather data from a sample of 149 Lebanese students from the 8th, 10th and 11th grade levels of 3 schools from across Lebanon, alongside 7 English teachers. Data were collected from students through 2 questionnaires and a social media-based activity sheet, and from teachers through semi-structured interviews. The study's results ultimately revealed that second language acquisition can be facilitated by challenging English sub-skills through social media, while the pedagogical implementation of social media was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from both students and teachers. Despite the positive response, results of the study also suggested that there are valid concerns with the pedagogical implementation of social media. Given that this study is among the first to explore the connection between social media and education in Lebanon, further research at a larger scale is recommended.