The Use of Social Media Viewed Through Some Language Learning Assumptions Lens

Abstract

To address whether social media helps the English language learning abilities of the learners, this paper probes into the strengths and weaknesses of social media as a platform. There is rarely complete agreement about the best way or the right way to learn the English language. Consensus usually remains difficult about social media, which is no longer a mere communication tool. If social media is considered to be an effective learning tool suitable for learners, then several assumptions about the view of learning need to be taken into account. Hence, critiquing the learning assumptions of Anderson et al. (1996), this paper aims to draw educators' attention to how they can make learners aware of maximizing the benefits of social media and take recourse to this learning tool. This study explores the perspectives of (N=40) undergraduate EFL students at a public university in Saudi Arabia about using social media to learn the English language. A questionnaire consisting of 26 items was prepared on a 5-point Likert Scale. After collecting the data, it was analyzed using SPSS (Version 20.0). Based on the findings, the paper concludes with some recommendations on how social media can be used to enhance students' performance in learning English.