SOCIAL MEDIA IN SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSROOM: A SURVEY OF ESL STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Abstract

This paper intends to analyze the choice of social media from Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, or any other means of communication by the students in learning English at university level. Social media has turned out to be a social reality of today’s world, particularly in the field of academics. The use of social media is not restricted to any social sphere of human life irrespective of any social varialbles. All the people are consumers of it in either one or the other way. Through this study, the dominant choice in various perspectives and its uses have been unfolded. The study is quantitative and tries to explore how the ESL students are trying to use social media in learning second language. The sample for the study is non-probability where 50 students from the Institute of English Language and Literature, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan have been selected on the non-proportional quota basis. The researchers received 48 questionnaires from the respondents. The questionnaire is mainly close-ended with nominal response category; however, ut some open-ended options were given to get a deeper insight into the issue. The data is analyzed by simple arithmetic and percentage. The conclusion is based on the findings of the data. In order to seek the possibility of the use of social media in the language learning or literary upheaval in using social media, the researchers found out that students are inclined towards the use of social media and it is helpful in the academics and learning the second language in multiple ways.

Keywords:Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, academic purpose, Language learning