Analyzing the Emergence of Social Media as a Sustainable Tool for Learning English in the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

The study aims to investigate Saudi ESL learners' attitudes toward utilizing social media as a sustainable tool of learning and their experience of learning and teaching with social media integration in ESL classrooms. In addition, it seeks to understand if the learners differ in their attitudes toward social media due to the differences in their demographic profiles. Using a simple random sampling method, 288 students were selected from the total population comprising different levels of the graduate program at Business College, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. Data were collected through a questionnaire and quantitative analysis was applied. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were employed to address the research questions. The study demonstrated that Saudi ESL learners differ in their perspectives on social media based on their parents' profession but not based on the gender and education of parents. The study suggests that promoting social media and its integration in ESL classrooms can play a vital role in academic empowerment, enhancement of language proficiency, and self-regulated learning of Saudi ESL learners who are eager to enter the ever-expanding job market in the kingdom.