Abstract
Purpose – This study examines university students’ perceptions and attitudes towards the use of Instagram in English language writing. Like other social networking sites (SNS), the design of Instagram promotes community-centeredness, and supports the dissemination of authentic content that creates opportunities for meaningful interactions among language learners. Methodology – There were 101 participants of this study who participated in a descriptive English essay writing activity on Instagram, answered a set of questionnaire with 20 closed-ended items, and five open-ended questions about using Instagram for English language learning. Focus groups’ discussions with all of the respondents were held to elaborate the open-ended items. The closed-items were analysed quantitatively using mean scores, while the open-ended items were analysed both quantitatively (mean scores) and qualitatively (content analysis). Findings – The results demonstrated students’ high positive perceptions and views towards using Instagram in improving their writing skills, but moderate attitudes. Significance – Based on the more favourable responses, it is about time that language teachers implement the preeminent social media platform such as Instagram to create conducive learning environment that could boost students’ motivation in English language learning.
Highlights
The rapid evolution of technology facilitates the birth of fastgrowing social media tools that are increasingly being used by students in social and academic settings
It is based on the premise that social media offers a myriad of advantages to language learning that this study proposes Instagram to develop students’ English language writing
The current study examines the use of Instagram for English language writing among Malaysian university students
Summary
The rapid evolution of technology facilitates the birth of fastgrowing social media tools that are increasingly being used by students in social and academic settings. SNS afford tremendous opportunities for language learning for both teachers and students (Aydin, 2014; Rios & Campos, 2015). They provide new ways for languages and cultures which rope students in for critical reflection in the process of meaning making (Chun, Smith, & Kern, 2016). Shih (2011; 2013) reported that the Facebook writing activities among Taiwanese EFL students have improved their language and generic skills as well as strengthened peer-to-peer relationships. Their writings were better in terms of organisation, vocabulary, grammar and structure. Tweeting has contributed to the development of a new literacy practice, i.e. Twitteracy, that supports both formal and informal learning (Li & Greenhow, 2015)
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