FACEBOOK AS LOGISTIC SUPPORT TO LINGUISTIC INTERACTION

Abstract

New technologies provide significant logistical support to contemporary learning process, particularly in the field of university education. Students, as part of the youth population in the process of education, use new media technologies daily, among which an important place belongs to Facebook. Although Facebook is not characterised as a technology through which one learns, and is primarily used for communication and exchange of information, a number of research point to the importance of Facebook as a logistic support to the learning process. The main objective of the research was to determine students' attitudes about the use of Facebook in learning and sharing information important to learn the German language in the process of university studying. The study included 120 students of Faculty of Philosophy, who learn German as a second foreign language. Data obtained from the research confirmed that students use Facebook to share information related to exams, to exchange translation and other specialised texts in German. As for study purposes, the results of the research show that students mostly use Facebook for information sharing in the field of experience exchange with older colleagues, and least for the exchange of scientific articles. Research findings indicate that more than half of the surveyed students recognised Facebook as a significant support in learning the German language. As a recommendation, the need for greater use of new media for learning and for providing adequate logistics of the learning process stands out, which is particularly important in the current reform of higher education.