Abstract
Learning a foreign language can be a daunting task which challenges students in several ways. Although students more readily identify anxiety as linked to speaking, all other language skills have been linked to Krashen’s affective filters. The present study sought to address these filters, with an emphasis on anxiety, by incorporating Facebook on mobile phones in the language classroom. A grounded action research method was adopted for the implementation as it enabled the researchers to alter their intervention, and provided a means to systematically analyze the data. A Facebook page and group were introduced to one single cohort of students in their French as a foreign language class. During three semesters, data were collected through online observations and interviews. A three-level coding scheme adhering to Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory enabled the construction of models describing the implementation. Findings revealed that students positively evaluated the incorporation of Facebook in their language course. An assessment of reports linked to anxiety indicated a positive change over the course of the study. Besides reduced levels of anxiety, the use of Facebook was associated with increased self-confidence and motivation. The benefit of learning with friends in an online environment was connected to adaptive strategies leading to improved learning experiences. These findings are discussed in light of the use of a social networking site in a social constructivist perspective.
Highlights
Learning a foreign language is not an easy task
The current study focuses on the anxiety affective filter in the context of language learning and language acquisition
The present study addressed this lack of knowledge by focusing on the use of Facebook in a mobile environment
Summary
Learning a foreign language is not an easy task. Language students are often challenged with the assimilation ofHow to cite this paper: Gabarre, S., Gabarre, C., Din, R., Shah, P., & Karim, A. As described by Oxford (1999), daunting aspects of foreign language learning are often assimilated with anxiety. For new foreign language learners, speaking is frequently the hardest hurdle in their apprenticeship, the other skills are not exempt from issues of affect (Cheng, Horwitz, & Schallert, 1999). The combination of the three factors of motivation, anxiety, and self-confidence form the Affective Filter hypothesis described by Krashen (2009) as well as by Dulay and Burt (1977). These three factors have a positive impact on acquisition as learners with higher motivation and strong self-confidence have the tendency to perform better in a foreign language.
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