Learner-Initiated Language Learning Through Social Media Sites (SMSs)

2020 ◽  
pp. 69-88
Author(s):  
Rashad Ali Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
New Research

Social media sites have become an essential part of communication and interaction all over the globe. They have also offered numerous opportunities to language learners across geographic borders, paralleled by a new research interest in their potential. The present study joins this relatively new line of research as it adds data from a sample of Yemeni English language learners about their uses and perceived benefits of using social media sites in English beyond formal education. The study came up with a conclusion that Yemeni EFL learners were actively participating in social media sites and were aware of their language-related benefits. The participants reported that social media sites were helpful for building various aspects of their English proficiency but found them most useful for their writing and reading skills, expanding their vocabulary, having access to authentic materials, and communicating with English speaking friends, both native and non-native speakers. They ranked their usefulness in the following order: Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter.

scholarly journals Multilingual access: Language hegemony and the need for discoverability in multiple languages

2018 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 617
Author(s):  
Kelly McElroy ◽  
Laurie M. Bridges
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
English Speaking World

It is widely accepted that English is the current lingua franca, especially in the scientific community. With approximately 527 million native speakers globally, English ranks as the third most-spoken language (after Chinese and Hindu-Urdu), but there are also an estimated 1.5 billion English-language learners in the world.The preeminence of English reflects the political power of the English-speaking world, carrying privileges for those who can speak, write, and read in English, and disadvantages to those who cannot. This is also the case in scholarly communication. Linguist Nicholas Subtirelu identifies three privileges for native English speakers: 1) easier access to social, political, and educational institutions; 2) access to additional forms of capital; and 3) avoiding negative opinions of one’s speech.For example, we were both born into families that speak American English at home, we were surrounded by English books and media growing up, and our entire education was in English. Even defining who counts as a “native” speaker can be refracted through other social identities. As college-educated white Americans, our English is never questioned, but the same is not true for many equally fluent people around the world. 

scholarly journals The Impact of the English Language used in Social Media on English Language Learners at the Undergraduate Level in Sargodha

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-161
Author(s):  
Rana Muhammad Basharat Saeed
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Statistical Design ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The study aimed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the English language used in social media and its impact on English language learners at the undergraduate level in Sargodha. Approach/Methodology/Design: Five private colleges in Sargodha were selected through convenient sampling. A total of 82 learners participated in the study and the individual perception of each learner was recorded using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. Due to the nature of the study tool, descriptive and inferential statistical design was adopted to analyze the collected data using SPSS, version 20.0. The reliability of the questionnaire was substantiated using reliability statistics (Cronbach’s alpha). Findings:  The results indicated that social media plays a vital role in advancing the language learnability of English language learners. It proved instrumental in enhancing vocabulary and improving the overall reading, writing, listening and speaking skills of the learners. It was also found that the overwhelming use of shortened forms, slang, and incorrect sentences on social media adversely affects the academic writings of the learners. However, the overall perception of the learners signified that social media positively impacts the learnability of the English language learners. Moreover, though practicing social media is imperative in learning the English language, the use of informal English language may prove a future risk to Standard English. Practical Implication: This research contributes to understanding the role of social media in language learning. The findings of the study present practical implications for teachers as well as learners to direct the teaching/learning process in a better way, adopting appropriate ways of writing English on social media. Originality/value: This study is different from other similar existing studies as it focuses the perception of the learners towards English language learning through social media in the Pakistani context, and empirically examines the impact of the English language used in social media on English language learners at undergraduate Level in Sargodha. 

scholarly journals Using Blogs: authentic material and ranking quality for SLA

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Xulian Coppens ◽  
Mercedes Rico ◽  
J. Enrique Agudo
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Authentic Material ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Web

<p>Exposure real life language experiences forms an integral part of the acquisition process. Authentic materials – those derived from the culture of the target language rather than specially produced for language learners – increase the relevance of the learning experience by reusing texts taken directly from the target culture. Web 2.0 technologies increase opportunities for bringing authentic materials into formal language learning environments by allowing material to be collected, reused and shared amongst language teachers and learners. This paper aims to look at the role of blogs in facilitating the use of authentic material by English language teachers and learners and the impact of the most authoritative blogs in the wider Web and in Social Media.</p><p>To reach this objective, the blog ranking site Technorati was used to select the most popular blogs for English language learners and teachers and each blog was analysed according to the authenticity of the cultural material used for language learning. The analysis reveals that 100% of the material on 56.25% of the blogs selected was authentic material and over 70% of the material on a further 35.3% of blogs was authentic.</p><p>Secondly, the impact of these blogs in the wider Web and Social Media was measured in order to draw some conclusions regarding the role of language learning blogs outside the world of blogging and the communities they serve and provide an image of the relationship between blogs and bloggers, the Web and Social Media.</p><p>The results show an inherent bias within Web 2.0 technologies towards providing contemporary authentic material for language learning – the technology itself encourages its use – and that sometimes blogs can have an impact beyond their communities through the Web and Social Media.</p>

scholarly journals Incorporating Authentic Materials and Digital Taxonomy in Teaching English: Pragmatic Innovation Through Integrative CALL

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
Ahmed Al Shlowiy ◽  
Marvin Wacnag Lidawan
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Assisted Instruction ◽  
Single Material

This article centers on the development of multimedia and technology that proliferates around 21st century English language learners creating a media&mdash;rich environment, but accessibility of these may not be similar on how other learners may benefit. This imparts how learners benefit indiscriminately through integrative Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) with pragmatic tasks from authentic materials incorporating digital taxonomy. As adapted methods, a rigid review of related studies and practical examples to underpin three conceptualized techniques. These were subjected for exemplification in the discussion: (a) producing varied independent outputs through different materials, (b) creating a single independent output through intertwined task from a single material, and (c) producing varied independent outputs from varied tasks through a single material. It is recommended that researches alluding to this paper must be conducted quantitatively to find out the correlation or significance of students&rsquo; critical thinking achievement with the engagement of digital taxonomy such as what Cotton (1991) emphasized that Computer Assisted Instruction aids the development of students&rsquo; critical thinking in which learners&rsquo; Higher Order Thinking skills (HOTs) activities are generated from varied computer manipulation. She further supported her study and claims through experimental researches conducted by Bass and Perkins (1984); Riding and Powell (1987); Pogrow (1988) and Baum (1990) that tend to be dominant manifestations prior to the formal discovery of digital taxonomy, its importance has been pioneered by several scholars.

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Knowledge of Spanish-Influenced English and Dialectical Differences: A Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 152574012110188
Author(s):  
Kelsey E. Smith ◽  
Allison M. Plumb ◽  
Mary J. Sandage
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Context Data

The purpose of this study was to assess speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) competence in serving bilingual or English-language learning children. Specifically, are SLPs able to identify acceptable English productions of a native Spanish speaker when described and/or given in context? Data were collected through an anonymous 28-question, web-based survey designed for practicing SLPs who worked with children. A total of 99 completed responses were received. The majority of SLPs demonstrated a basic understanding of aspects of Spanish-Influenced English (SIE) and dialectal features associated with native speakers of Spanish; however, SLPs were better able to identify errors in context than features of SIE. To ensure best practice in service provision for children who are English-language learners, SLPs need an understanding of the features of SIE and other English variants. Training programs should therefore provide education on the specific contrasts between languages/dialects while encouraging critical thinking and self-study.

Children's Nonword Repetition Tasks and English Language Learners

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-79
Author(s):  
Sara C. Steele ◽  
Deborah A. Hwa-Froelich
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
English Language ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Internationally Adopted Children ◽  
English Speaking

Nonword repetition performance has been shown to differentiate monolingual English-speaking children with language impairment (LI) from typically developing children. These tasks have been administered to monolingual speakers of different languages and to simultaneous and sequential bilingual English Language Learners (ELLs) with mixed results. This article includes a review of the nonword repetition performance of monolingual and bilingual speakers and of internationally adopted children. Clinical implications for administration and interpretation of nonword repetition task outcomes are included.

scholarly journals A Study of Language Anxiety among English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Badia Muntazer Hakim
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Self Awareness

Classroom anxiety is a recurrent phenomenon for language learners. There are various factors that cause language anxiety, the most common of which include learners’ excessive self-consciousness and self-awareness concerning their oral reproduction and performance and their peculiar, and quite often misplaced and mistaken, views and beliefs regarding different approaches. Other potential reasons for this problem could include the fear, and the consequent deterrence occasioned thereof, of encountering difficulties in language learning, specifically learners’ individual problems regarding the culture of the target language and the varying social statuses of speakers. The most important fear is, perhaps, the deterrent fear of causing damage to one’s self-identity. Therefore, while needing to paying special attention to language learners’ anxiety reactions, language teachers have a crucial role in helping their students achieve the expected performance goals in the target language. Another factor that could potentially lead to language anxiety is simply the poor command of the target language. This problem could be attributed to linguistic barriers and obstacles language learners encounter in learning and using the target language. In the current study, using a qualitative, semi-structured interview and the focus-group discussion technique, the researcher aims to investigate the factors that contribute to language anxiety among Arab language learners. It focuses on learners both within the classroom setting and without, i.e. in the social context, and recommends a number of approaches to manage and overcome this problem.

scholarly journals FROM INLAND TO OUTLAND: EXPERIENCES OF NON-NATIVE EXPATRIATE TEACHERS TEACHING IN A FOREIGN CONTEXT

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-37
Author(s):  
Remart Padua Dumlao ◽  
Trixia Mengorio
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
English Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking

The numbers of English language learners and limited domestic English language teachers have grown exponentially in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as to the ASEAN region over the past decades due to the demand of globalization. Given the huge cultural and linguistic diversity among learners, educating these populations of English language learners can be a challenging but also beneficial for foreign language teachers. This study aimed to analyse the experiences of fifteen Non-native English Speaking Foreign Teachers (NNESFT) teaching in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The results of this study suggested that although teachers’ reasons in teaching English language in a foreign classroom were more extrinsic reasons rather that intrinsic and altruistic. NNESFT recognized benefits of teaching in foreign classroom, namely, financial aspects, personal development, and building cultural awareness. Meanwhile, challenges were reported include as a non-native English speaking teachers in a foreign classroom, on the part of textbooks and curriculum, and cultural differences in the classroom. Implications were discussed in light of the findings and recommendations formulated for future research directions.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS` PERCEPTIONS of MOST USEFUL VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES (VLS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-295
Author(s):  
Elnaz Zariholhosseini ◽  
Ehsan Namaziandost ◽  
Mehdi Nasri
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
New Words ◽  
Novice Learners ◽  
Vocabulary Learning Strategies ◽  
Personal Use

Purpose of the study: This article report’s findings from a study on the differences and similarities between experienced and novice English language learners with regards to their personal use of VLS. Methodology: Closed questionnaire and semi-structure interviews were applied to collect the data. The questionnaire was distributed among 60 (30 experienced learners and 30 novice learners). In addition, 20 learners (10 experienced learners and 10 novice learners) were asked to answer the questions in the interview. Therefore, descriptive statistics, U Mann Whitney test, and independent-sample t-test were run to compare and analyzed the data. Main Findings: The finding showed that there were significant differences between experienced and novice learners’ thoughts towards vocabulary learning strategies and experienced learners used vocabulary learning strategies while learning new words in English language learning. Applications of this study: If the learners are taught how to use each strategy correctly, their understanding of the language can naturally be improved. Moreover, VLS is beneficial throughout the process of vocabulary learning which makes learners more independent and allows teachers to focus on other things as well. Novelty/Originality of this study: To the best of researchers’ knowledge, no study has been done on investigating Iranian experienced and novice English language learners` perceptions towards most useful vocabulary learning strategies (VLS).

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