The Perceived Effectiveness of WhatsApp as a Supplementary Tool for Enhancing English Language Skills among Master's Level EFL Learners

Abstract

The world is dominated by technological advancement and information technology. Different fields of daily life are overpowered by such advancements. The world of education has also been dominated by technology. Use of different apps have made it to the classrooms. The study taken is to analyse the perceptions of the learners in the use of one such App known as WhatsApp in English Language Classes. The method used here is Qualitative in approach, where the selected participants were interviewed to see what they perceive of WhatsApp in their classes. Theoretical lens taken up by the researcher is Connectivism by Siemens (2008), which purports the knowledge is generated by interacting in the society. Population of the study were all the students of English language in universities. The sample selected were students of NUML University studying English language. The participants were selected randomly. It was analyzed through the study that WhatsApp is considered a very useful App in language learning. It not only enhances the four communication skills but also the vocabulary and Grammar. The role of teacher in using WhatsApp in classrooms was also considered important by the learners. However, it is also suggested in the study that more organized methods of using such apps must be introduced in the classrooms to ensure maximum productivity among students.