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‘Usage of Facebook And Its Effect on English Language Learning’ by Jinali Patel

May 1, 2013 by eltweeklyeditor 1 Comment

ABSTRACT

Very few websites have become as instantly and universally popular as Facebook.
It is especially popular among teenagers and college students, who find no end of
joy in posting pictures, updating family and friends about their daily lives, and
harvesting their virtual crops on FarmVille. In this research paper researcher has
examine the usage of Facebook and its effect on English language learning among
the students. The research tests the hypothesis: using social networking website
such as Facebook has neither interfering nor assisting effects on English language
learning. The study aims to answer the following questions.

1. What are the major motives to use Facebook?

2. How does the usage of Facebook affect on students ability to read and write
English Language?
3. How the usage of Facebook does influence the students in using words and
expressions which are not grammatically correct?
4. How the usage of abbreviated words, phrases and sentences on Facebook
does affect the students’ ability of English language learning?
5. Do students feel that the usage of Facebook helps them in enhancing their
writing skill/ communication skill/ vocabulary?

The data are collected from group of undergraduate students from two universities
using online questionnaire method. After presenting a descriptive analysis of the
data, the researcher concludes following:

1. The major motives to use Facebook among the students are to communicate
with their friends.
2. Standard of English language is not improved by reading and writing others
do on Facebook.
3. Facebook may improve reading skill but very few are careful in using proper
sentence construction/ appropriate vocabulary and common errors of English
language.
 4. Students are writing more how they speak and less like they used to write.
And, essentially, less like they had to write. Usage of abbreviations on
Facebook affects on English language learning.
5. Yes, students feel that the usage of Facebook helps them in enhancing
communication skill.

1. INTRODUCTION

Facebook is used widely by the students in fulfilling their basic needs and
interaction. It is becoming a popular medium for socializing. The frequent use of
Facebook brought habit towards the site and simultaneously influences student’s
academic and personal life at large. Facebook, a well-known social networking site
launched in February, 2004 in the U.S., become popular around the world in the
recent years (Facebook, 2013). According to the official statistics, there were 1.06
million Facebook users, who were active per month (6th February, 2013). The
availability of more than 70 languages on Facebook indicates its popularity. “Send
the friend request n I’ll friend u” while this sentence makes sense to some users of
English, others will find it absolutely idiotic. Since the meaning of language has a
social significance and depends largely on the consensual understanding among the
users, the members of Facebook may not see any problem in the aforementioned
sentence. Their main argument will be that they can completely understand the
meaning conveyed in the sentence. Here in this research paper, researcher has
explained the usage of Facebook and its effect on English language learning.

1.1. Facebook Usage

A Facebook usage refers to the frequency of application used on Facebook.

Application includes Status Update, Upload photos & videos, Play games, Poke
friends for fun and Comments on friends post. Status updated is to make
immediate announcement on News Feed. It can be a post with texts, photos or
videos. Photos and videos uploaded are a popular function on Facebook. One can
create albums and upload photos and videos online to share with their friends.
Besides, messages sent are available for both online and offline chats on Facebook
among users. They can chat with single or a group of friends. Also, the ‘Like’
button is for people to give a ‘Click’ so as to indicate the awareness of
presentations or to express preferences on posts. Lastly, comments on Facebook
allow people to express opinion in texts for posts put up by others on Facebook.
Both the ‘Like’ button and comments available on Facebook can enhance
communication and interaction between users in an easy and convenient way.
1.2. English Language Learning

Like many Facebook users, the researcher began using the site while a student. At
first the site was a fun way to get to know friends, classmates, to reconnect with
childhood friends and to share information. As a result, researcher found himself/
herself being more in touch with the latest news and events. However, it was also
evident that the way researcher reading and writing was changing on the Facebook.
Surprisingly, the researcher came to know that no one was instructing his/her to
change, where it has linguistic errors.

In the era of Google, computer-based technology is playing such a vital role in

language learning and teaching that a new mode of language learning Computer
Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is currently in practice. Nowadays, language
learning taking place in various forms such as email exchanges, chat lines, online
projects and webinar. People across the world are using social networking websites
such as, Twitter, Orkut, My Space, Google + and Facebook for socialization;
moreover many of them find the sites helpful in developing English Language skill
by making virtual friendships and chatting with English speakers.

In the age of speedy communication, it is hard to ignore the role of communication

technologies in English language learning. In the field of language learning and
teaching CALL has secured strong positions. However, it is not free from
controversy. Many scholars, educators and professionals find it an effective
medium for teaching because learners tend to be better engaged in CALL
activities. On the other hand, those who are skeptical about CALL express their
concerns about the quality of teaching materials and evaluation systems, and
affordability of new costly technology. To evaluate whether or not CALL is an
effective approach to teaching English is not the objective of this study. The main
focus is on the use of social networking websites such as Facebook and its effect
on English language learning.

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1. Research Design

For this research, researcher has followed the descriptive method. Kothari points
out, “Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding enquires of different
kinds.”(2). Since researcher wanted to investigate the existing phenomena with
specific question in mind, researcher chose to use descriptive method.
A set of self administrative questionnaire was distributed to the respondents’ via
online survey through email or directly on Facebook. Since researcher wanted to
investigate the existing phenomena with specific question in mind, researcher
chose to use descriptive method.

2.2. Research Hypothesis

The research tests the hypothesis: using social networking website such as
Facebook has neither interfering nor assisting effects on English language learning.

2.3. Population

For the research, researcher chooses population of following universities

undergraduate students:

1. Kadi Sarva Viswavidyalaya

2. Gujarat University

2.3.1. Respondents

A total 55 Undergraduate students, who were studying at Kadi Sarva

Viswavidyalaya and Gujarat University, were invited. Participation was voluntary.

2.4. Sample

For this research, researcher chose a specific group of people. The sample was
choosing based on random selection techniques. All of them were undergraduate
students of Kadi Sarva Viswavidyalaya and Gujarat University. The Sample size
was 55 students. The group of students comprised from various disciplines and
with varying proficiency levels in English.

2.4. Data Collection

Data was collected via online questionnaire. A set of questionnaire consists of 20

questions was developed to investigate usage of Facebook and its effect on English
language learning. The link for online survey has been distributed among students
in early April, 2013. Then a total of 55 questionnaires were collected in mid April,
2013 for the final data collection and data analysis. Students were required to 5-7
minutes to complete the questionnaire.

3. DATA ANALYSIS
Table: 01: Frequency of Demographic information:

Demographic Information Frequency (Number) Percentage (%)

Gender

Male 34 61.8

Female 21 38.2

Academic Year

First Year 9 16.4

Second Year 16 29.1

Third Year 30 54.5

University

Kadi Sarva Viswavidyalaya 32 58.2

Gujarat University 23 41.8

One of the research objectives is to find out the prior motives that influence
students to use Facebook site. The researcher identified five major motives for
Facebook use including:

1. Social Interaction
2. Passing time
3. Entertainment
4. Companionship
5. Communication

Finding of the study shows out of 55 students 24 numbers of students mostly use of
Facebook to keep in touch with friends. 20 students primarily use Facebook to pass
time when they feel bored and this relate to the idea of being socialized with
friends online. In term of entertainment, the findings shows 23 number of students
believes that Facebook is the source of entertainment. Facebook has the function to
facilitate friendship. 06 respondents used Facebook to find long- lost friends.
Moreover, Facebook operates primarily as a tool for communication among
students. 35 respondents use Facebook to send message and share information with
their friends. The use of ‘message’ in Facebook can save time and money and it
was the fastest way to share information from one to another. Students can share
information regarding their university activities, class notes, and assignments.

Table: 02: Distribution of Respondents motives to use Facebook

Motives to use Facebook Frequency (Number) Percentage (%)

Social Interaction 24 43.6

Passing Time 20 36.4

Entertainment 23 41.8

Companionship 06 10.9

Communication 35 63.6

Results show that out of all application on Facebook 2.47% students like to update
videos, followed by 2.27% students like to play games. Apart from this, only
1.76% students like to chat with friends. Interestingly, the result shows in
Table:03: majority students like to use below listed application on Facebook.

Table: 03: Usage of application on Facebook

Usage of application on Facebook 1- Rank 2- Rank 3- Rank Rating Rating

Average Count

Update Videos 34 8 13 2.47

Play Games 32 17 6 2.27

Poke Friends for Fun 32 18 5 2.25

Update Photos 22 15 18 2.13

Update Status 22 18 15 2.07

Take survey/ Quiz on Friends 22 21 12 2.02

To post an opinion/ a thought/ a 21 23 11 1.96

statement

Comments on Friend’s Post 19 22 14 1.95

Chatting with Friends 14 7 14 1.76

Results from Table: 04 would demonstrate the purpose of Facebook usage. 38 out
of 55 respondents used Facebook to improve their communication skill. 24 of them
preferred to use Facebook to enhance their vocabulary in English and only 19
respondents used Facebook to improve their writing skill.

Table: 04: The purpose of Facebook usage.

The purpose of Facebook usage Frequency (Number) Percentage (%)

To improve my communication skill 38 69

To enhance vocabulary in English 24 43

To improve my writing Skill 19 34

As displayed in Table: 05, the majority of the students 30 out of 55 agreed with the
statement I oftenthink about spellings/ grammar while posting/ sharing walls.
Followed by 26 of them believed that It has become a part of my daily life. 24
students said that I often think about English language while chatting with Friends.
Furthermore, 16 respondents agreed that I think life without Facebook would be
boring. Really, Facebook has become the first thing for the students when they
logged to the Internet.

Table: 05: Facebook as a Social Networking Site (SNS) & Students view

Facebook as a Social Networking Site (SNS) & Students Frequency Percentage (%)

view (Number)

I often think about spellings/ grammar while posting/ 30 5

sharing walls.

It has become part of my daily life. 26 4

I often think about English language while chatting with 24 4

Friends.

I think life without Facebook would be boring. 16 2

Moreover, there were a total of fifty five participants and many of them frequently
logged on to Facebook following are the key results of the words.

1. 66.5% of them become less careful of grammar and spelling while writing
on Facebook.
2. 83.6% respondents used abbreviated words such as ‘gr8’, ‘lol’ etc……
3. 94.5% believed that their Facebook friends understood the abbreviated
words and expressions.
4. 80.0% of them respondents preferred to use abbreviated words/ phrases
because it saved time.

1. 40.0% respondents sometimes wrote “U” for “You” and “n” for “and” in
their academic writings.
2. 72.7% of them greeted their friends very informally on Facebook.
3. 81.8% of them felt a necessity to convey as much information in words as
possible.
 4. 83.6% thought that Facebook encouraged them to use words and
expressions.
5. 70.9% believes that Facebook influence them to learn English as a foreign
language.

Facebook and its effect on English Language YES NO

Learning Frequency Percentage Frequency Percent

(Number) % (Number) %

1 Do you become less careful of grammar and

spelling when you chat or write on Facebook?

36 66.5 19 34.5

2 Do you use abbreviated words phrases and

sentences such as ‘LOL’. ‘Bcoz’, ‘Gn’?

46 83.6 9 16.4

3 Do your Facebook friends understand these

abbreviated words, phrases and sentences?

52 94.5 3 5.5

4 Do you use abbreviated language because it’s

save time?
44 80.0 11 20.0

5 Do you sometime write ‘n’ for ‘an’ and ‘u’ for

‘you’ in your academic papers or answer

22 40.0 33 60.0
sheets?

6 When you write on wall, send messages or chat

 with your friends, do you greet them formally? 40 72.7 15 27.3

7 When you write on wall, send messages or

chat with your friends, do you try to convey as

much information as possible in each word or

phrase? 45 81.8 10 18.2

8 Are you always willing to learn new words,

expressions or symbols used by other Facebook

46 83.6 9 16.4
users?

9 Do you think that Facebook influences you to

learn English as a foreign Language?

39 70.9 16 29.1

10 Do you think that Facebook influences you to

use words and expressions which are not

grammatically correct?
40 72.7 15 27.3

Table: 06: Facebook and its effect on English Language Learning

1. 4.

DISCUSSIONS

A researcher began his/ her research with hypothesis using a social networking
website such as Facebook has neither interfering nor assisting effects on English
language learning. 66.5% of the respondents think that Facebook encourages them
to use grammatically incorrect words and expressions. There is no doubt that due
to usage of Facebook, it’s interfering on English language learning. Some of them
also think that Facebook helps them to learn new vocabularies and elements of
effective cross-cultural communication. It is obvious from the respondents’
comments that they find Facebook a good site for socialization and entertainment.
However, many of them at times fail to differentiate between the standards of
English and to typical informal English used on Facebook. The findings of the
research has shown that using Facebook has both interfering and
facilitating effects on English language learning therefore, the hypothesis of this
research has been rejected.

Example: 01 Conversation between two users

Example: 02 Messages sent by Facebook user

Example: 03 Comments posted on the status uploaded on Facebook profile

5. CONCLUSION

Opinions regarding the usage of social networking sites, such as Facebook is

varied from person to person.

 The first group of people believes that Facebook does not have affirmative
effects on learning.
 However, the second group disagrees with the first.
 And the third group sees Facebook as both “poison” and “medicine”.

As a conclusion, Facebook is becoming an essential part of students’ daily life.

Students largely use Facebook for Communication and Social interaction with their
friends. However, when it comes to learning English, the negative effects of using
Facebook compensate the positive ones. From the researcher view, inclusion
of Facebook in the classroom is a positive idea because it helps dissolve the
stigma of learning being institutionalized, stale, and boring. When learning
experiences are infused with online platforms students learn while having fun.
It does not have to be separate and unattached. Researcher allows students
to create two groups on his/her Facebook profile.

First group titled as ‘Effective Public Speaking’, where students who have attended
the workshop of ‘Effective Public Speaking’ share their views to many of their
friends and because of that they recharge themselves. Second group
named S.Y.Bcom-‘A’, where students and researcher both update class details and
quotes. Surprisingly, students realize that learning can and should be a part
of everybody life.

Educators may see that social networking is not a pesky distraction, but a
valuable resource that can bring even more success to students in all
educational environments.

Acknowledgement:

I would like to give my deepest thanks to Dr. Jagdish Joshi for his guidance and
support during the progress of the research paper. Besides, I would like to give
special thanks to my colleagues cum friends Prof. Jayendra Jadav and Prof. Dharak
Patel for providing me the atmosphere where I could develop my critical ability
and confidence. I convey my special thanks to undergraduate students of Kadi
Sarva Viswavidyalaya & Gujarat University, who have provided me the
opportunity and facilitate for my research work. I thank ‘Survey Monkey’, a
private American Company that enabled me to create my own web-based survey.

Appendices

A set of questionnaire consists of 20 questions was developed on Usage of

Facebook and its effect on English language learning. A questionnaire has been
divided in two parts.

1. The growth of Facebook usage among students.

2. Facebook and its effect on English language learning.

* As researcher prepared online survey he/she is going to attach PDF

questionnaires as form of an attachment.

References
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Facebook, Facebook Statistics. Accessed on 12th April, 2013

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Hutchinson,T. and Waters. English For Specific Purposes: A Learning Centered

Approach. Cambridge University Press, 1987. Print.

Kothari, C. R. Research Methodology. New Delhi: New Age International (p)

Ltd.Publishers, 2009. Print.

Marshall, John P. The Teacher and His Philosophy. Nebraska: Professional

Educators Publishers Co., 1973. Print.

MLA. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. 2009. Print.

Rahman, Hifzur. Teaching of English. New Delhi: Sanjay Prakashan, 2005. Print.

Severin,W.J.,Taknard,W.J. Communication Theories Origins, Methods, and Uses

in the Mass Media.4th Ed., NY: Longman, 2007. Print.

http://steconomiceuoradea.ro/anale/volume/2014/n2/013.pdf

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON VOCABULARY LEARNING

CASE STUDYFACEBOOK

Sim Monica - Ariana, Pop Anamaria - Mirabela Department of International

Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
Department of International Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of
Oradea, Oradea, Romania [email protected] [email protected] Abstract: The
paper aims at investigating the impact of computer and social media in improving
students’ knowledge of English language namely vocabulary acquisition (focused
on Facebook) with intermediate and upper intermediate first and second year ELT
students in Economics at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea.
Social media technologies take on many different forms including magazines,
Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts, pictures,
videos etc. Technologies cover blogging, picture-sharing, wall-posting, music-
sharing just to name a few. Nowadays Facebook technology seems to play an
important part for the social life of so many becoming more and more popular as a
main means of communication, that it could also meet an educational need. Thus it
could play a distinguished role in foreign language learning and teaching. Several
studies investigate using different technologies in learning and teaching, in
particular, foreign language learning. Still, rare studies were interested precisely in
the role of Facebook in learning foreign languages. In this study was intended to
assess the role and effectiveness of Facebook use in vocabulary learning.
Particularly, the research attempts to answer the question: ‘Can social media affect
students’ development and progress in the foreign language?’ In order to discover
the answer to this question of the study, a project based on Facebook for the
experimental group was conceived. It was assumed that significant differences
were to be found between the groups using social media for learning purposes and
those who did not in developing vocabulary knowledge. The study was conducted
with a number of 127 students of the Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of
Oradea, 1st and 2nd year students following the specializations: International
Business, Management, Marketing, Finances studying in the academic year 2013-
2014. The development in each group was measured and it clearly demonstrated a
more significant improvement in vocabulary knowledge of the group exposed to
the Facebook group. It is a rather innovative study as there are not many similar
studies using the value Facebook can add to learning performed in Romania. The
results of the study did not support the assumption that the experimental group
would outperform the control group, as the differences between the two groups
were not that significant. However, there was an improvement in both of the
groups from pre-test to post-test scores. Keywords: social media; Facebook;
learning languages, vocabulary JEL classification: Y90 121 1. Introduction The
consequences of the fast development in science, technology and media are
reflected in the key verbs for foreign languages learning nowadays: challenge,
engage, and interact as it is perfectly embedded in the ancient Chinese proverb:
Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand. Therefore the
classic language class structure has changed dramatically in point of the methods
employed for teaching. Relying on textbooks and course books only in order to
increase proficiency and fluency in a foreign language will not yield immediate
and efficient benefits. As the Internet grows one of the latest methods of teaching
languages in general, vocabulary in particular, is obviously connected to it bringing
along clear improvement in the field of foreign language learning. The Internet and
computers offer so much especially because mastering a language means more
than just words, definitions and grammar rules. Consequently, foreign language
classes must take advantage and they actually do from the tremendous potential
provided by technical devices as TV, video projector, laptop, DVD player,
computer into the classrooms leading to what Krashen (1982:10) calls
‘subconscious language acquisition’. Knowing a language requires getting beyond
textbooks, it means understanding the cultural dimension as well. Listening to
music, watching TV in a foreign language – be it movies, shows, cartoons, using
computers effectively, with everything they may offer can turn boring and
sometimes ineffective language lessons into real language learning laboratories.
The present study attempts to explore the impact of computers and social media on
intermediate and upper intermediate first and second year ELT students.
Particularly, the research aims to answer the question ‘Can social media affect
students’ development and progress in the foreign language?’ It is assumed that
significant differences will be found between the groups using social media for
learning purposes and those who do not in developing vocabulary knowledge. This
study focuses on the vocabulary development process, rather than on reading or
listening comprehension. While doing this, it uses a vocabulary test applied to
participant students twice to assess changes or improvement of performance as
vocabulary acquisition is a continuum of development. Another innovation of the
study is using Facebook as a medium for language input. There are no similar
studies using the value Facebook can add to learning performed in Romania. 2.
Main Concepts 2.1. Social Media Social media is a fairly new concept since almost
nobody heard or use social media 10- 15 years ago. Nevertheless, nowadays
websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have more than 1 billion users
and account for almost 25 percent of Internet use. According to an article posted on
Facebook, it appears that only Facebook’s monthly active users now exceed 800
million and their daily active users, exceeds 400 million (Facebook a, 2012). It
looks like almost overnight, social media has grown indispensable to our lives--
from friendship and dating to news, weather forecasts and business issues. Social
media is a phrase used to describe various websites or other forms of technology
where people can connect and interact with one another and share information.
After all, why are people attracted towards using social media? They satisfy two
basic human needs: to meet new people and to strengthen existing relationships. As
defined by Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein (2010), social media is ‘a group
of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological
foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-
generated content. 122 Researchers argue that the impact of social media relies on
the fact that they employ mobile and web-based technologies to create highly
interactive platforms via which individuals and communities share, create and co-
create, discuss, and modify usergenerated content (Ahlqvist, 2008). Mikolaj Jan
Piskorski (2011) argues that the secret of successful ones – and here he refers to
the business rather than the social success - is that they allow people to fulfil social
needs that either cannot be met offline or can be met only at much greater cost.
This insight provides another perspective on social media: it does help not only
social communication, but also the business world. It implies that companies can
leverage social platforms to create a sustainable competitive advantage. Companies
need to help people interact with each other before they will promote products to
their friends or help companies in other ways. Examples of Social Media There are
many different forms of social media including Internet forums, weblogs, social
blogs, micro blogging, wikis, podcasts, pictures, video, and rating. In 2010 Kaplan
and Haenlein created a classification scheme for different social media types by
applying a set of theories in the field of media research -social presence, media
richness and social processes -self-presentation, self-disclosure. According to them
there are six different types of social media: collaborative projects, blogs and micro
blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and
virtual communities. Technologies cover blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs (video
blogs), wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing and others. Many of
these social media services can be integrated via social network platforms. Some
Facts about the Social Media According to a report by Nielsen (2012) ‘In the U.S.
alone, total minutes spent on social networking sites has increased 83 percent year-
over-year. In fact, total minutes spent on Facebook increased nearly 700 percent
year-over-year, growing from 1.7 billion minutes in April 2008 to 13.9 billion in
April 2009, making it the No. 1 social networking site for the month.’ As of 2012,
Facebook has 152,226,000 unique PC visitors and 78,388,000 unique mobile app
visitors. Twitter reported 37,033,000 unique PC visitors and 22,620,000 unique
mobile app visitors. Pinterest reported 27,223,000 unique PC visitors and
14,316,000 unique mobile web visitors. Google+ reported 26,201,000 unique PC
visitors and 9,718,000 unique mobile app visitors. Whereas according to the
Highlights of the Pew Internet Project’s research related to social networking
(2013) : ‘As of 2012, social media has become one of the most powerful sources
for news updates through platforms such as Facebook, Blogger, Twitter,
WordPress, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ Tumblr, MySpace and Wikia; fully 40%
of cell phone owners use a social networking site on their phone, and 28% do so on
a typical day; as of September 2013, 73% of online adults use social networking
sites.; as of the same September 2013: 71% of online adults use Facebook; 18% of
online adults use Twitter; 17% use Instagram; 21% use Pinterest; 22% use
LinkedIn.’ On the other hand, from a linguistic point of view, the impact of social
media is mirrored in the new words or expressions like: news feed, viral, hashtag,
wiki –just to randomly pick some- which did not make any sense few years ago, or
meant something completely different than they do nowadays. Even respectable
dictionaries, such as the Oxford dictionary, add derp, selfie, phablet, emoji, unlike,
and other fashionable items of vocabulary that only recently came into general
usage, many driven by these fastmoving trends in technology and culture. Brief
presentation of the media channels for socializing purpose- with reference to their
utility for language learning purpose Twitter – I twitter, do you? - is an online
social networking and micro blogging service created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey,
Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass. The service 123 rapidly gained
worldwide popularity, with 500 million registered users in 2012, who posted 340
million tweets per day as it appears from the List of virtual communities with more
than 100 million active users published online. Registered users can read and post
tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Users access Twitter through the
website interface, SMS, or mobile device app. It enables users to send and read
‘tweets’, which are text messages limited to 140 characters, which forces users to
choose words carefully and to convey the message clearly. This is excellent for
improving your English as unnecessary words are eliminated. Twitter helps users
improve English reading skills too. A variety of short messages on a myriad of
subjects can be read, therefore users are exposed to reading new words, facing
turns of phrase, and jargon, which all helps in building and expanding the English
vocabulary. Facebook According to its own description to be found on the starting
page, ‘Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who
work, study and live around them’, founded on February 4, 2004 by Mark
Zuckerberg with his college roommates. Its name comes from a colloquialism for
the printed or online directory given to students at some American universities
consisting of individuals’ photographs and names. Facebook users must register
first and then they can create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and
exchange messages; it is a web portal for keeping in touch with others. In addition
to text, messages can also contain photos, videos, music and links to other
websites. Moreover, Facebook can be an excellent tool for building or improving
several English skills: writing - users may gain English writing experience through
composing various messages; reading skills – users have the chance to read an
varied range of messages, leading to learning new words; English in use – users are
given the opportunity to study their way with words, as well as their word choice.
LinkedIn If Facebook and Twitter sound a bit frivolous for some tastes, LinkedIn
is different. It is a social networking site for professionals. This is an excellent site
for connecting with other professionals, be it in business, academia, or other
organisations.. LinkedIn offers the possibility of building business English skills
through writing profiles, and then keeping them updated. Business English skills
are also improved through sending messages to others, reading responses, and
replying in kind. YouTube is a video-sharing website. Users upload, share and
view videos on this social networking site. It can be a very useful tool when
learning English as it involves listening to the language used in the viewed videos.
Users can also improve reading skills when looking through the comments posted
in English, situated below each video. Sometimes, YouTube videos are actually
text presentations in a slide show format, or have subtitles available, so users can
actually read English in each screen shot. 2.2. Vocabulary Learning Vocabulary,
the core of any language, is probably the most challenging and time consuming
part of learning a foreign language. It takes time and flows like a continuous
process, once you have settled the fundamentals of a language (pronunciation,
orthography and basic grammar). Throughout this process, learners become
familiarized with the words they come across. As researchers claim (Nation, 1990;
Schmidt, 2001) it is frequency of usage and the number of encounters in different
forms and contexts that determine the acquisition of new vocabulary. When
teaching vocabulary the context is really important that is why Warschaur (1995)
underlines the more opportunities for real communication students might be
exposed to when using the Internet and the e-mail system in language learning.
Nader (1996) admitted the great challenge for teachers to design individual and
group activities using the Internet resources and also praised the benefits of the
students searching for them and thus exploring different cultures more directly and
effectively. 124 University language learners studying English as additional
subject, not a major one, still have problems in acquiring vocabulary. The
assumption is that this might be due to the strategies used in teaching vocabulary.
Thus, language teachers and researchers started considering technology as an
option to teaching more effectively. It seems that learners show very little effort to
deal with their problems about newly learned words when technology is involved
(Meara, 1980). During the lesson teachers often assume that students will deal with
this problem of vocabulary building outside the class on their own. However,
learners do not have enough knowledge about the vocabulary learning techniques
and they have difficulty in dealing with this problem themselves. 3. The Study of
Using Social Media (Facebook) in Improving Language Learning Social Media
Language Learning (SMLL) is an innovative approach in teaching languages
interactively, linking social media channels to language learning. Students are thus
encouraged and supported to develop communication and language skills. This
method was originally created by a Spanish company called Idiomplus from
Barcelona. Students are enabled to emerge as much as possible in activities which
require the use of language, given that all of them will result in learning. ‘Can
social media affect students’ development and progress in the foreign language?’
In other words, are there any statistically significant differences between the
students' vocabulary achievement by means of social media input as compared to
their achievement following the traditional instructional method of teaching? 3.1.
Significance of the Study First of all it should be mentioned that even if teaching
with technology is a pretty fashionable topic, there are few studies referring to
teaching vocabulary with the use of the Internet, and even less or almost no such
researches in Romania. Therefore the purpose of the study is to present the benefits
of using Facebook in teaching and learning vocabulary. The Facebook site is a
valuable communication tool for the students -to find out the latest activities,
courses and what is generally happening for and around the English class. It is a
valuable way for the students to communicate to each, and to communicate to the
college with feedback regarding suggestions for improvement and praise for
excellent events and training. Facebook provides our students with a unique and up
to date information portal regarding our Faculty, being connected to all the
breaking news-from scholarships, timetables and all sort of events. Moreover, it
attempts to ring a bell and perhaps dare to contribute to the improving and
updating EFL curricula and help designers and EFL methodologists develop
teaching materials which suit various ways of teaching and match students' level of
achievement in vocabulary. 3.2. Limitations of the Study This study is limited by
the following: • The number of the participant learners, the sample consisted of
127 students. • The study is restricted to the vocabulary referring to British and
American terms in point of similarities and differences. 3.3. Setting and
participants The study was conducted with a number of 127 students of the Faculty
of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, 1st and 2nd year students following
the specializations: International Business, Management, Marketing, Finances
studying in the academic 125 year 2013-2014. The participants of the study took
English courses at high school before their undergraduate education in ELT. They
all took an entrance exam in English as the necessary condition for them to study
English at the faculty. The exam covered questions regarding vocabulary and
grammar knowledge. All of the participants were approximately at a similar
English proficiency level (i.e. intermediate and upper intermediate) based on their
scores obtained at the entrance exam. 3.4. Design and procedure First of all, the
127 participants were randomly assigned to each group. In Group A (the group
exposed to the Facebook posts, or the experimental group), the 70 participants
were periodically sent materials and information regarding the vocabulary meant
for acquiring and in Group B (the group following only the traditional in-class
teaching methods, or the so-called control group) the 57 participants learnt the
studied vocabulary items in class, by reading, translating, comparing. Both groups
were given the same pre- and post-tests. Then, the research design of the study was
tailored using a pre-test - post-test experiment and group framework to find out the
impact of the Facebook instructional program on students' vocabulary
achievements. The test consists of multiple-choice questions. The students'
previous knowledge was assessed by the pre-test administered to both groups
(control and experimental) before the study started. The objective of the pre-test
was to assess the students' background knowledge of words. The same pre-test was
used at the end of the study as a post-test to assess the students' achievement on the
topic, that is the acquisition of the new vocabulary items. The objective of the post-
test was to assess the effect of both instructional methods (Facebook and
conventional) on learners' achievement. Facebook exposure At the beginning of
each academic year a Facebook Group is set up for the English class use only, with
a limited profile. Students are used to rely on the group for receiving materials,
information, and support regarding the language matters they are interested in.
They are in permanent contact with each other and with the teacher as well. For the
purpose of this study, several materials were posted to students in Group A, or the
experimental group, those meant to be exposed to the Facebook content. The posts
referred to the various differences between British and American terms: different
words, spelling, and were presented in an attractive manner, colourful, organized,
reader-friendly. 3.5. Steps and Procedures The research was conducted in the first
semester of the academic year 2013-2014. The Facebook group was set up. The
instruments of the study were prepared. The related literature about the roles of
using technology in teaching and learning vocabulary was reviewed. The first
common test was given to participants in the second week of the semester (6- 11
October 2013); after a month the students were divided into the two research
groups at random and were exposed either to the Facebook teaching material or to
the traditional lecture material (around 10-16 November 2013); the last common
test took place at the end of the first semester 6-11 January 2014 after
approximately one month from their exposure to the vocabulary items). For the
confidentiality sake, students were not informed about the aim of the research
before they finished with the post-tests. Students were not allowed to use
dictionaries or other materials when solving the test. Besides, before the
administration of the study the students were reminded that participation was
voluntary and there would be no extra marks or rewards. There was a post-test
given to both groups. 126 The results were statistically analyzed in order to reach
conclusion and suggest implications and possible recommendations. 4. Results and
findings It is clear from Table 1 and Table 2 that there were no statistically
significant differences between the performance of the two groups (experimental
and control) on the vocabulary achievement in the pre-test: 1% of students in both
groups knew all the answers, whereas the majority of 58% proved to be able to
answer three questions correctly. There were no major or significant differences
between the performance of Group A and B as far as the other items were
concerned. This shows that there were no differences in the pre-test for both
groups. It is assumed, thus, that both groups had similar knowledge about the
target words before they were exposed to the test. Table 1 Source: authors’
research data 127 Table 2 Source: authors’ research data However, the
development in each group was measured through the second test. It demonstrates
an improvement in each group as it appears in Table 3 and Table 4. It is obvious
from Table 3 and Table 4 that there were statistically significant differences
between the performances of both groups - the experimental and control - on the
achievement vocabulary post-test. There is an important increase in the number of
students giving all the answers correctly: 14% in Group A as compared to the first
test when the percentage was 1% and 10% in Group B as compared to the first test
when the percentage was the same 1%. Thus in spite of the difference compared
with the pretest of both groups, the difference acquired by Group A contrasted to
Group B is not very significant. The percentage of no correct answers decreased
significantly with both groups: From 8% to 3% in Group A and from the same 9%
to 5% in Group B, thus, the difference acquired by the two groups is insignificant.
This is the case for the 3 correct answers entry, where the percentages decreased
for both groups, whereas the difference between the two of them is not important
28% in Group A and 25 in Group B from a common 58% in the pre-test. The
results of the study did not support the assumption that the experimental group
would outperform the control group, as there were no significant the differences
between the two groups. However, there were improvements in both of the groups
from pre-test to post-test scores. Nevertheless, the overall differences are slightly
in favour of the Facebook instructional strategy as revealed for the experimental
group. This means that the Facebook strategy in teaching vocabulary proved a little
bit more effective than the traditional method, even if not necessarily crucial. 128
Table 3 Source: authors’ research data Table 4 Source: authors’ research data 5.
Conclusion The intent of this paper was to investigate teaching vocabulary through
Facebook. It has been assumed that technologies should be used as instructional
tool for vocabulary acquisition. It has also been argued that this type of learning is
beneficial for foreign language learners, as it considerably builds confidence and
increases learners' interest in the topic. The reasons could be the frequency of
exposure as a result to an expanded language input. The study showed that students
improved in vocabulary performance and confidence (even if slightly) after being
exposed vocabulary via Facebook as compared to the case of students benefitting
from traditional instruction only. The participants in Group A in the study
appreciated this type of vocabulary instruction they were really motivated to
challenge themselves to improve their English. Moreover, the participants began
commenting and sending some ideas related to the target topic to the teacher and to
each other on Facebook. The lessons via Facebook seemed more appealing to
students. Working on the Internet and dealing with each other through Facebook
anytime and anywhere is trendy nowadays. Consequently, Facebook could 129
become a very effective tool and medium for backing the traditional learning and
for selflearning English vocabulary. There are some recommendations following
the findings of the study: 1. Adopting technology in general and Facebook in
particular as a teaching strategy in universities when teaching English skills for
effectiveness and better academic achievement. 2. For generalization, validity and
applicability, similar studies should be conducted on other language aspects and
skills.

References Al-Smadi, S., (2013) The role of using Facebook in improving

English, TOJSAT: The Online Journal of Science and Technology, Volume 3,
Issue 1 http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/85324462/role-using-Facebook-
improvingenglish retrieved 10.03.2014 CALL (Computer assisted language
learning) Guide to Good Practice 3. Davies Graham retrieved on 20.03.2014.
Facebook a. (2010) Statistics. www.Facebook.com=press=info.php?statistics, ret
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ae95/e6440d912caad270cd9bf7be7031fd18566e.pdf

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORK ON ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

AMONG STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN
(UTAR) SUNGAI LONG, MALAYSIA

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

In this chapter, a series of relevant past studies will be reviewed, explained and
linked with the objectives mentioned earlier. In the first chapter, several potential
factors that could affect an individual’s English proficiency were mentioned,
hence, in this chapter, each possible independent variables will be reviewed and
defined based on relevant past studies from others prominent researchers. Besides,
the definition about of main factors mentioned above will be included into this
chapter as well, mainly to provide a rough explanation to the readers and make
sure the technical terms are not alien for them.

2.2 English proficiency

English is undeniably important and had been recognized as an international
language since decades ago. The origin of English is apparent due to the studies
conducted by archeologists, a finding stated that “The oldest known writing of the
real Old English words appears was found in 1981 at Undley Common, Suffolk. It
was formed by two words which were “mægæ medu”, written in Anglo-Saxon
version of the runic alphabet, the meaning of these words are “reward for a
kinsman”. These words were expected written between AD 450 to 480, which was
not long after English was separated from the Continental Germanic languages.
Before 1981, a roe-deer anklebone found in Norfolk and bearing a single word
interpreted as “roe-deer” which was also written in the fifth century, it was a
common finding that used by people as a 12 prove on the study of old
English.”(Geoffrey Sampson, 2014). Therefore, we can assume that English
Language was originated in fifth century. However, the growing transformation of
culture and technology has made the world concern about efficiency and
effectiveness. The English Language is different from the past, it had been
separated into two categories which were Old English and Modern English. Old
English, was used by the Anglo-Saxons in the ancient England and Scotland during
the mid of fifth century (Crystal, David, 2003). On the other side, a research from
Otto Jespersen stated that, Modern English, was spoken since the Great Vowel
Shift in England (Labov, William, 1994), which began in the late fifteenth century.
Proficiency of language can be defined as the ability of an individual to perform
and speak a particular language. Hence, English proficiency is the ability to speak,
read and write in English. In order to attain high language proficiency, one should
be able to have advanced abilities in all three areas of communication. There are
tons of methods to test English proficiency. In Malaysia, the most common test is
Malaysia University English Test (MUET). The grading system for MUET test
was separated into six levels, band one is the lowest and band six is the highest
grade.

2.3 internet slang

Internet slang is a series of jargons used by the Internet users to facilitate

communication or for other purposes. Slangs are the words that are not considered
part of the standard vocab of a language and they are usually used informally in
speech especially by a particular group of people (Merriam-Webster dictionary).
There are several types of internet slangs,
2.4 The impact of social networking sites on learning

The evolution of technology is apparent, and one of the most important evolutions
is Internet. Internet has shortened the distance between countries and continents by
connecting the people around the world. Internet worked flawlessly as a foundation
for social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Besides, it is also a main tunnel
for globalization. Social networking sites (SNS) can be defined as a web-based
platform that allows users to create a profile of their own in a protected system,
along with other users that share a centralized connection. The profile of registered
users can be viewed within the same system. The privacy policy can be differed
from site-to-site (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). Facebook is the most prominent social
networking sites in the world, with more than 1.32 billion registered users,
internationally (Mark Prigg, 2014). Social networking sites served as a shortcut for
the communication among people in every corner around the globe due to the high
accessibility of SNSs. In social networking sites, users are able to share anything
such as photos, videos, check-in of visited places and so forth. This is one of the
major reasons for the aggressive growth of SNSs. SNSs had been used as an
educational instrument by teachers to provide teaching materials and knowledge to
the students, it was remarkable. However, the lack of restriction on language used
in SNS’s has brought more harm to the users instead of good. Hence, the
emergence of SNSs can be both harmful and beneficial for the world.

2.4.1Facebook

Facebook, the most popular SNSs in the world was established in 2004 and served
as a bridge to meet new people and stay connected with the people you already
knew (Baron, 2008). Facebook was originated in University of Harvard (Ellison,
2008). Hundreds of personal information can be displayed 15 to public such as
interest, hobby, favorite movies and songs, relationship status, age and so forth
(Hargittai, 2011). Studies showed that, the top SNS could be utilized as a teaching
tool to improve users’ English reading and writing ability. However, the instructors
have to embed Facebook as an educational project with solid learning objectives to
guarantee the positive result. Studies showed, teenagers and children that
contributed huge portion of time on internet activities were generally facing a
similar problem which is difficulty to concentrate in class. These people were
usually consistently distracted and have shorter attention spans. Besides this, the
young generations are forgetting the importance of real life experience and face-
toface interactions (Andy Bloxham, 2010). Therefore, if youngsters are spending
hours on SNSs, hundreds of negative effects could be observed easily such as low
in concentration during class and difficulty to communicate. In the worst scenario,
students can become isolated from the society or any places without digital access.
Besides social interaction barriers, Facebook also brings significant effects on
language proficiency. When users use Facebook as an equipment for educational
purpose by exploring the site using English language, great opportunities arise for
users to learn English language with millions of users at the same time (Educause
Learning Initiative, 2006). Besides, Students are able to gain unlearned knowledge
after various interactions with other users on Facebook. When students received
direct or indirect advices in Facebook, it can be used for language enhancement
purpose. Moreover, when students are having discussions in Facebook, their real
identities are not compulsory, 16 providing a more relaxed mentality and
encourage interactions with errors. With the exposures of errors, instructors are
able to pinpoint them and correct the errors, which is ultimately beneficial for the
users. (Murphy, 2009). Such learning method can definitely vanish the Affective
Filter and eventually fuel motivation and risk taking in language learning
(Krashen, 1981, 1988). Besides students, Facebook also provides benefits to
teachers. Facebook would be served as a link between students and instructors to
share teaching materials, upcoming events, useful links and so forth.

2.4.2 Other Social Networks

SNSs are web-based services that enable users to create personal profile within a
protected network, and share personal or public information with other existing
users around the world. (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). SNSs users can be benefited in
terms of English learning where English is the most commonly used language in
social networks. In some advanced English classes, popular websites such as
Twitter and Wechat can be utilized as a platform to share ideas and opinions about
books (Grandzol and Grandzol, 2010). In social forums such as Reddit and
LowYat Forum, teachers could share important knowledge with other forum users.
Besides that, there are teachers who created a forum “Topic”, specifically for their
students for discussion purpose and project guidance. The aim of this move is to
create an interactive educating method and facilitate learning process. Furthermore,
students are able to see their peers’ projects and comment on them. It is definitely a
better and more efficient way to learn and teach. 17 On the other hand, shortening
of words is becoming common. The autocorrect feature in all almost all digital
devices as well as built-in operating systems are ruining the proper English
because the users will slowly forget the exact spelling of certain vocabs if they are
overly reliance on auto-correct (Yunus, Salehi & Chen, 2012). Difficulty to
construct an essay is another common issue among students. The lack of
inspiration and blanked mind caused by prolonged exposure to improper
communication tools are the major factors for this problem. Therefore, blogging
with proper use of language should be encouraged to enhance students writing
skills.

2.4.3 Short Messaging Service (SMS)

Short messaging service, also known as Text messaging, is supposedly a fast and
the safest method of communication (Yousaf & Ahmed, 2013). SMS is extremely
popular before the glorious days of Internet and it is also the origin of various
internet slangs such as letter homophones (c = see), number homophones (2day =
today), and phonological contractions (txt = text) (Plester, Wood, & Joshi, 2009;
Thurlow & Brown, 2003). Spelling errors during formal writings are becoming
extremely common these days due to excessive usage of SMS. (Yousaf & Ahmed,
2013). The usage of improper vocabs in SMS has implant new languages into users
sub-conscious mind. Therefore, users tend to write improper vocabs during
examination or formal writings unintentionally and reflexively. Texting has been
evolved into a fresh trend and full of negativities, used by an immature generation
that doesn't worry about traditions and standards (Yousaf & Ahmed, 2013). Users
of SMS are fast, and did not care about the traditional English vocabularies and
grammar. The alphabet limits in every SMS further fueled the usage of improper
English and shortened words (Mahmoud, 2013). Thus the 18 hypothesis mentioned
is proven and it is apparent that the excessive usage of texting affects writing
ability. It is reasonable to say that SMS should be used cautiously when necessary,
but not for entertainment purpose especially for teens (Yousaf & Ahmed, 2013).
2.4.4 Online games

Online game is extremely successful decades ago and the number of players is
growing continuously. As the time proceeds, more online games were developed
and enhanced along with the technological advancement. Undeniable, online
games are very addictive and fun, however, the negative impacts are influential
too. The in-game messaging system enabled players to communicate with other
players in the server. The exciting scenarios often drive players to an extent where
players are forced to type faster than usual. For example, a player has to type faster
to request assistance from teammate when he is being killed by foes because he has
to send the message before he is killed. Consequently, this “culture” has drastically
encouraged the usage of Internet slangs such as shortening of words and many
more, mainly to quicken the typing speed. Another previous investigation showed
the magnitude of online games on player’s English proficiency. Despite the fact
that online game provides players facilities to improve English proficiency, the
players only concern about the content of their messages instead of the grammar.
Therefore, the players are not exactly learning, but stepping on a sinking boat. But,
plenty of online gamers strongly disagree with this statement, and countered back.
The writing skills of online game players may be negatively affected, but the
reading skills are definitely improved, because in most games, players are 19
required to understand the in-game stories to complete certain missions or proceed
to the next level (Anna Vidlund, 2013).

2.5 Conclusion

Plenty of relevant past studies had been gathered summarized. Most of the
previous studies show that there is a relationship between the usage of social
networking sites and an individual’s English proficiency. However, the findings of
previous studies are not stagnant, some showed the positive relationship but some
negative. The primary aim of this study is to build a stronger pillar for previous
investigation and to find out the exact relationship between social networks and
English proficiency.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/32302570.pdf

SCHEMA THEORY AND LANGUAGE tOMPREHENSION • Patricia L. Carrell

Comprehending a text is not simply a function of the text itself--the text alone does
not carry the meaning to be conveyed. 1 The listeners or readers of a text make a
significant contribution to the meaning conveyed. A text provides directions for
listeners/readers as to how they should retrieve ,or construct the intended meaning
from their own, previously acquired 'knowledge. Comprehension is the interactive
process between the listener/reader's backgrou.nd knowledge and the text. Recent
research in discourse comprehension has shown that background or schematic
knowledge plays an essential role. in the psychological processes by which
listeners or readers comprehend. This paper reviews the most important. work on
the role of schemata in language comprehension, including both theoretical an~
empirical research. The latter includes first language research among fully
proficient adult native speakers of English and among children in the process of
acquiring English as ·their native language, as well as cross-cultural research and
second language research.

Background knowledge refers to a set of closely related concepts which have

recently been seen as useful in describing language comprehension. These
concepts, emanating from basic research at the intersection of artificial
intelligence, cognitive psychology and linguistics, in what is called the new
discipline of cognitive science, are referred to variously in the literature as
schemata,2 scripts,3 frames, 4 event chains,5 and expectations. 6 These terms,
which are referred to broadly as schematheoretical orientations, are not all
identical. They have importan~ differenc~s. Yet, they share some fundamental
assumptions and yield some of the same important insights into language
comprehension.

The idea of a schema was suggested as early as 1781 by Kant in his work The
Critique of Pure Reason. He proposed that concepts could have meaning only
when they were related to something the individual already knew. That is, the
individual possesses general concepts to which he relates more specific concepts.
Bartlett, in his 1932 book, Remembering, described a schema as an organization
of past reactions, or of past experiences 11 which is constantly functioning. 8
When new experiences are encountered, they are understood only as they can be
related to an existing schema and simultaneously become a part of it.

More recently, schemata have been called "interacting knowledge structures."9

These interacting knowledge structures are hierarchically related to one another,
from most general at the top of the hierarchy to most specific at the bottom. To
illustrate what is meant by a schema, consider Schank & Abelson's famous
example of the "going to a restaurant" schema. 10 In this general schema there are
certain components of the meaning sufficiently general to capture the essential
aspects of all members of the class--i.e., such general information as that a
restaurant is a commercial establishment where people pay money to have
someone else prepare their food and clean up after them. Included in this general
schema are event-sequential variables like entering the restaurant, being seated,
being given a menu, ordering, eating, paying, and leaving. Moving down the
restaurant hierarchy are more specific schemata, such as one for sit-down
restaurants, another for ethnic restaurants, dinner-theaters, and so on. Further down
the hierarchy of ethnic restaurants, for example, one might find Italian, Greek,
Chinese, Mexican restaurant schemata. At the bottom of the hierarchy for Mexican
restaurants, would be separate schemata for each known Mexican restaurant. In
general, as one moves down the hierarchy, the number of embedded schemata
multiplies, while the scope of each narrows, until at the bottom are unique
perceptual events. As new experiences are gained in going to a restaurant," these
new experiences are embedded into the existing hierarchy at all appropriate levels
of generalization.
http://journals.euser.org/files/articles/ejls_may-aug_15/Irena.pdf