Exploring Social Media as Tools for English Language Teaching, Learning, and Research

Abstract

Social media have proved to be very useful resources for language teaching and learning. This study presents the results of a project conducted with two multilingual groups of BA students in English Language and Literature at the University of Santiago de Compostela over the past two academic years. It has four main objectives: (i) to explore students’ views on their use of social media; (ii) to expand students’ knowledge of social media and their mode of expression; (iii) to encourage reflection on their use of social media; and (iv) to introduce them to linguistic research. Preliminary results indicate that students are highly active on social platforms, frequently use two or more languages in their exchanges, and demonstrate extensive metalinguistic knowledge, along with a strong capacity for reflection and analysis. As a corollary, the usefulness and effectiveness of social media as tools for teaching, learning, and research are also underlined.