Abstract
This work aims to study learners’ attitudes towards practicing English Language on Social Networks Sites (SNS). The sample involved 110 students from the University Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabi in Ecuador, and the University of the Basque Country in Spain. The instrument applied was a Likert scale questionnaire designed Ad hoc by the researchers, to assess the dimensions: (i) Integration of SNS into learners’ academic everyday activities, and (ii) Learners’ attitudes towards English Language practices on SNS. All the data was analyzed using SPSS V24.00 of IBM. The findings showed corelationships between learners’ attitudes and the factors: learners’ sex, age, and country. The results also confirmed that both Spanish and Ecuadorian university students prefer YouTube, and Google+ for their easy access, and flexibility to strengthen listening, reading and comprehension skills in English. In addition, Facebook, and Whats App can be used to motivate reading, writing, and speaking practices in English.
Highlights
Learners’ attitudes towards foreign language practices are part of the existing debate about the real contribution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Educational Systems around the world, and implications for the success of the present and future learning processes (Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001)
1.2) I think I know perfectly well how to use the social networks like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp
1.6) I think social networks will hardly be replaced by other computer tools
Summary
Learners’ attitudes towards foreign language practices are part of the existing debate about the real contribution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Educational Systems around the world, and implications for the success of the present and future learning processes (Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001). SNS allow learners to produce their own content (Cabero, 2009) and practices. Such active participation stimulates learners’ creativity and collaborative abilities (Esteven, 2009) during their studies. The increasing availability of technological resources in educational institutions does not necessarily imply a significant modification of the traditional teaching models (Area, 2010); rather, teachers and students require of strategies to promote their own “learning to learn” abilities (Burgues, 2011) because “we participate, we are”. “that equilibrium results to be the most adequate perspective for the learning process of the current age of digital innovations” (Seely, 2012, p. 15)
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