5. Learning English in the Age of Facebook

Introduction

“Poke me n I’ll friend u.” while this sentence makes sense to some users of English, others will find it absolutely nonsensical. Since the meaning of language has a social implication and depends largely on the consensual understanding among the users, the members of Facebook may not see any problem in the aforementioned sentence. Their main argument will be that they can completely understand the meaning conveyed in the sentence.

In this era of globalization, computer-based technology is playing such an important role in language learning and teaching that a new mode of language learning Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) is currently in practice. Language learning is taking place in various forms such as chatlines, tandem email exchanges, telecollaborative projects, and virtual self-access centers. People across the globe are using networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook for socialization; moreover, many of them find the sites helpful in developing English language skills by making virtual friendships and chatting with English speakers.

A large number of learners of foreign languages use computers and the internet. It is hard to ignore the roles of communication technologies in foreign language learning. As such, CALL has secured a strong position in the field of language teaching and learning. However, it is not free from controversy and debate. Many professionals find it an effective medium for teaching because learners tend to be better engaged in CALL activities. On the other hand, those who are skeptical about CALL express their concerns about the quality of teaching materials, evaluation systems, and the affordability of new, costly technology. To evaluate whether or not CALL is an effective approach to teaching English is not the objective of this study. The focus is rather on a more recent phenomenon: the use of social networking websites such as Facebook and its effects on teaching and learning EFL.

How might Socrates have read the sentence “Poke me n I’ll friend u”? In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates uses the myth of Thamus and Theuth in which the king, Thamus, is concerned about the invention of writing. He believes that the young people will receive a quantity of information without instruction. He is also worried because the new technology, in this case writing, is a threat to the traditional transmission of knowledge through spoken discourse (Plato, 1973). It is a matter of dispute on how Socrates would have read the abovementioned sentence; however, many people of this era are concerned about the impact of communication technologies on language. In a deconstructionist reading of Plato’s Phaedrus, Derrida (1983) uncovers an ambiguity in the Thamus and Theuth myth. He argues that Plato sees the invention of writing as both “poison” and “medicine.” Situated in this line of thought, the article reports on a study which investigated whether the effects of Facebook on learning EFL are a poison or a medicine.

Background of the Study

In second language research, many questions and problems for investigation derive from everyday experience with language learning and teaching. Curiosity can be another source for research questions. One day while checking my students’ examination scripts, I noticed that one of them wrote “u” instead of “you.” I was well aware of the fact that people used many abbreviated forms of words and expressions while they are in online chatrooms. However, I was surprised to see such an abbreviated word in a piece of academic writing. My surprise, coupled with curiosity, increased when I noticed the use of many abbreviated words in the writings of some other students. As a teacher of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), I started to think whether there was a correlation between excessive use of social networking websites such as Facebook and the use of informal abbreviated words in academic writing. (It should be mentioned here that I have been using Facebook since 2005. Therefore, I am well acquainted with the typical words, phrases, and emoticons used by the Facebook community.) Then I talked with some of my students who frequently use Facebook and spend much time on Facebook on a regular basis. Some of them said that a website like Facebook helped them to learn English. Others, however, said the opposite.

I planned to start my research with the hypothesis: “Using a social networking website such as Facebook has interfering effects on learning English as a foreign language.” I could not continue with this hypothesis because it was directional. It predicted the direction of the probable outcome of the research. Then I formed another hypothesis: “Using a social networking website such as Facebook has facilitating effects on learning English as a foreign language.” But, this again turned out to be a directional hypothesis. The directional hypotheses are problematic because “it is very difficult to argue unambiguously for a specific factor causing the directional effect” (Seliger & Shohamy, 1989, p. 62). Finally, I came up with my research hypothesis in the form of a null hypothesis. I began to carry out my research to see either confirmation or rejection of the null hypothesis: “Using a social networking website such as Facebook has neither interfering nor facilitating effects on learning English as a foreign language.”

Design of the Research

For this research, I have followed the descriptive method. With the type of research question, a descriptive method seems to be appropriate because it is “concerned with providing descriptions of phenomena that occur naturally, without the intervention of an experiment or an artificially contrived treatment” (Seliger & Shohamy, 1989, p.116). Since I wanted to investigate the existing phenomena with a specific question in mind, I chose to use the descriptive method.

Participants

Descriptive research uses a number of techniques to specify, study, or describe the phenomena without the researcher’s manipulation. Therefore, the size, age, and education of the populations can play vital roles in descriptive research. For this study, I chose a specific group of people. All of them were undergraduate students of University College. They were my students and their participation in the study was absolutely voluntary. The population size was 89. Their average age was 20, with an age range from 18 to 22; 52 were male and 37 female. The group comprised of students from various disciplines and with varying proficiency levels in English. Seventy eight percent of them graduated from Bengali medium schools and twenty two percent from English medium schools.

Data Collection

Given the nature of the population, I chose the questionnaire method to collect the data because it was particularly useful for a large group of subjects. In the questionnaire, I provided specific questions with a narrow range of possibilities. The participants responded to each question by checking “yes” “no” or “other.” They completed the questionnaire during class time; however, I was not present in the classroom while they completed the questionnaire.

Results

There were a total of eighty nine participants, and eighty one of them frequently logged on to Facebook. Following are the key results of the study:

• 79 respondents used abbreviated words such as “gr8,” “BRB,” “LOL” etc.

• 83 believed that their Facebook friends understood the abbreviated words and expressions.

• 71 of them felt a necessity to convey as much information in each word as possible.

• 79 of the respondents preferred to use abbreviated words/phrases because it saved time.

• 76 of them greeted their friends very informally on Facebook.

• 84 respondents were willing to learn new words, phrases, and symbols typically used by other Facebook users.

• 77 of them became less careful of grammar and spelling while writing on Facebook.

• 41 respondents sometimes wrote “u” for “you” and “n” for “and” in their academic writings.

• 44 out of 89 thought that Facebook encouraged them to use words and expressions which were not grammatically correct.

Discussion

I began my research with the hypothesis: Using a social networking website such as Facebook has neither interfering nor facilitating effects on learning English as a foreign language. In the Results section, it is noted that 49% of the respondents think that Facebook encourages them to use grammatically incorrect words and expressions. This is no doubt an interfering effect of using Facebook on learning EFL. A number of respondents, on the other hand, wrote short comments in the questionnaire. Two randomly selected comments read: “It’s a nice way of sharing our thoughts and I like it,” and “Facebook is a wonderful site for entertainment.” Some of them also think that Facebook helps them learn new vocabulary and elements of effective cross-cultural communication. It is obvious from the respondents’ comments that they find Facebook a good site for socialization and entertainment. However, many of them at times fail to differentiate between the standard English and the typical informal English used on Facebook. The findings of this research have shown that using Facebook has both interfering and facilitating effects on learning English as a foreign language; therefore, the hypothesis of this research has been rejected.

Conclusion

It should be kept in mind that people have different opinions regarding the use of social networking sites such as Facebook. The first group of people thinks that Facebook does not have positive effects on learning English. The second group, however, disagrees with the first. And the third group sees Facebook as both “poison” and “medicine” as Plato saw the invention of writing. Apparently, Facebook has some positive effects such as socialization and entertainment. However, when it comes to learning English, the negative effects of using Facebook outweigh the positive ones. Whether websites like Facebook dwarf the potentials of the learners of English or open new vistas of possibilities triggers many questions in researchers’ minds. We surely need to wait to see where the new communication technologies take us. For now, the key finding of this research—the negative effects of using Facebook on learning EFL outweigh the positive ones—may generate questions for further investigation.

Further Research

In this paper, I have shown the effects of using social networking websites such as Facebook on learning EFL. Whether and how one can benefit from Facebook needs further research. As a follow-up study, I would like to create a Facebook Group for my students with a view to ensuring an online interaction among them outside of the classrooms. I will ask my students to join the group, and will observe how they respond to the learning activities, exchange messages, and interact with each other. I will use this Facebook Group more or less in the same way people use academic software such as Moodle and Blackboard. Thus, my next research will investigate whether using a Facebook Group can better engage students in an extra-class online interaction and collaboration and provide them with much fun and excitement in learning English.