Exploring emoji use on Twitter among students of English as a foreign language

Abstract

This study adopted a qualitative ethnographic approach to explore the factors influencing English as a foreign language undergraduate and graduate students’ emoji use in X (previously Twitter). To this end, a convenient sample of fifteen Twitter-using Saudi female undergraduate and graduate students at a Saudi University was recruited. Semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. The study revealed that there are some factors influencing emoji use. According to the study results, age impacts both emoji frequency and meaning. Moreover, it was found that different personas were exhibited by some participants, suggesting that they are much less reserved in English, which could influence their emoji use. Additionally, the results showed that different religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds can shape an individual’s perception and interpretation of emojis. The topic of discussion and the gender of the interlocutors were also mentioned as additional factors. The study thus provided insights into a rarely investigated area of research, which is the factors influencing English as a foreign language undergraduate and graduate students’ emoji use in online postings. Additionally, the study highlights the need to make an emoji function taxonomy, one that is adaptable both in versatility and applicability. Finally, the findings invite all academics to reconsider the rigidity of their anti-emoji beliefs, particularly relating to the students’ expected email etiquette practices.