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Like or Tweet: Analysis of the Use of Facebook and Twitter in the Language Classroom

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Abstract

Social media has become a daily activity in today’s technological age, and with this development, educators are met with another possible tool to facilitate language learning. This study was conducted to examine the use of social media, in particular Facebook and Twitter, as a pedagogical instrument in beginning level Spanish courses. Two university-level, beginning Spanish courses were analyzed for student preference and academic impact of the incorporation of social media as a course component – one using Facebook while another using Twitter. Equivalent semester-long assignments were implemented into both the Facebook and Twitter classes. Results show that students exhibited an overall positive perception of skill increase and an awareness of Spanish-speaking countries and current events. Results further indicate that students viewed social media as a valuable learning tool for cultural awareness and target language usage. These findings support the use of social media as a pedagogical resource for the twenty-first century language classroom.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Jessica Hubickey-Botha for allowing us to implement this project in her Spanish classes.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Languages and Linguistics, University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL, USA

    Alyssia M. Miller

  2. Department of Modern Languages and Classics, The University of Alabama, 200 BB Comer, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    William Justin Morgan & Bryan Koronkiewicz

Authors
  1. Alyssia M. Miller
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  2. William Justin Morgan
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  3. Bryan Koronkiewicz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alyssia M. Miller.

Additional information

The researchers would like to note a word of caution about the implementation of social media platforms in the classroom. It is necessary to consider the fact that the companies managing different social media may be politically or socially motivated, which could potentially lead to an influence on the participants’ attitudes towards the platform itself. Thus, the context in which the platform exists and the societal attitudes towards it play an active role in the utility of the platform as an educational resource.

Appendix

Appendix

Section 1 - Social Media Perceptions Survey

(Note: All items were assessed using a five-point Likert scale of Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.)

  1. 1.

    My Spanish writing skills improved as a result of using Facebook/Twitter.

  2. 2.

    My Spanish reading skills improved as a result of using Facebook/Twitter.

  3. 3.

    Using Facebook/Twitter helped me learn Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

  4. 4.

    Because of using Facebook/Twitter, I gained confidence in my abilities to do Spanish language activities.

  5. 5.

    Because of using Facebook/Twitter, I gained confidence in my Spanish reading skills.

  6. 6.

    Because of using Facebook/Twitter, I gained confidence in my Spanish writing skills.

  7. 7.

    Because of using Facebook/Twitter, I gained confidence in my Spanish speaking skills.

  8. 8.

    Because of using Facebook/Twitter, I gained confidence in my Spanish listening skills.

  9. 9.

    I feel like I learned about Spanish-speaking countries by using Facebook/Twitter in my Spanish class.

  10. 10.

    I feel like I learned about current events in Spanish-speaking countries by using Facebook/Twitter in my Spanish class.

Section 2 - Social Media Experience Survey

  1. 1.

    Give an overview of your experience of using Facebook/Twitter in your Spanish class. Likes? Dislikes? Comments.

  2. 2.

    What were some advantages to spending time on Facebook/Twitter for class?

  3. 3.

    What are some disadvantages from using Facebook/Twitter in class?

  4. 4.

    How did you feel about other students’ commenting on your posts?

  5. 5.

    How much time/effort did you put into using Facebook for the class?

  6. 6.

    On a scale of 1–10 (1 = terrible and 10 = great), how would you rate your overall experience using Facebook as part of the course? Why?

  7. 7.

    Do you feel like you learned about Spanish-speaking countries/ cultures by using Facebook? How? Which one(s)?

  8. 8.

    Are you more interested in visiting a particular Spanish-speaking country after using Facebook in this class?

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Miller, A.M., Morgan, W.J. & Koronkiewicz, B. Like or Tweet: Analysis of the Use of Facebook and Twitter in the Language Classroom. TechTrends 63, 550–558 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-018-0341-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-018-0341-2

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