Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2017 in the subject Pedagogy - Miscellaneous Topics, grade: 14, language: English, abstract: One of the longstanding problems in language acquisition is to have excellent level of language classroom interaction. Recent developments in this issue suggest that interaction must not exist only in the classroom and the learners must be given the opportunity to use the target language in different situations. Therefore, the present study aims at suggesting, identifying and describing tools in Social Network Sites that can foster Language Classroom Interaction. Given the sense of freedom and autonomy in building network of interaction embedded in social media, actually, Social Network Sites such as Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram are authentic resources and platforms to empower language classroom interaction if the sharing tools within are properly incorporated in a language class. In addition, Social Network Sites shape tools for life when comes to learn in the classroom and outside the classroom, because it presents tools that capacity learner in all aspects: cognitive, interactive and cooperative, and not forgetting learning skills. Furthermore, both learners and teachers, in Mozambican secondary schools have profiles in, at least, one of these Social Network Sites. The study shows that they generally access such sites for entertainment and sharing and never for learning. Among different reasons, lack of knowledge about the learning tools within social networks and low creativity and innovation in teaching are decisive to low exploitability of the tools. The research consists of both qualitative and quantitative methods and the data result from observations, questionnaires and interviews techniques set in Social Network Sites, especially Facebook to bring reliable and verifiable samples of the data analyzed. The research demonstrates how relevant the Social Network Sites are for Language Classroom Interactio

Sociocultural research has long recognized the necessity of sustained interpersonal interaction for language development. However, less is known about the underlying relationships that promote language acquisition and their relevance for language classrooms. Presenting cutting-edge research on social networks and their applications in language teaching, this book explores the relationships that mediate language learning in and out of classrooms. Highlighting the complexity of language in multilingual contexts, chapters engage social network analysis to understand the role of instructional practices, socialization, motivation, language status, online communications technology, and language policies in the development of social resources for language learning. Discussing popular language teaching frameworks such as translanguaging, Social Networks in Language Learning and Language Teaching provides a nuanced account of the influences of social context on language learning, exploring classroom applications and pointing the way to a robust research agenda.

It is commonly believed that foreign language skills improve through social interaction with speakers of the language. However, there is little research addressing the issue of access to such interaction. This book explores this issue, examining longitudinal case studies of interaction between language learners and speakers of the target language within their informal social networks. It looks at the complex social and personal factors that influence language choice. Kurata reveals that even for motivated learners opportunities to use the target language are limited, and suggests factors that promote language use and opportunities for learning. She proposes ways around obstacles to opportunities for second language use and second language learning and sets out important implications for language learning in and outside classrooms. A central implication is the necessity for educators to increase their awareness about their students' self-image as an L2 user. The book features Japanese as the target language under discussion but the results are widely applicable in other language contexts, particularly in English-speaking countries.

Social networking is now one of the ways in which anyone can set out to learn or improve their language skills. This collection brings together different sets of learning experiences and shows that success depends on the wider environment of the learner, the kind of activity the learner engages in and the type of learning priorities he or she has.

Study and residence abroad are important for adult second language learning, promoting oral skills, fluency and sociopragmatic competence in particular, alongside broader intercultural competence. However learner achievements during residence abroad are variable and cannot be fully understood without attention to the social settings in which learners engage, and the social networks they develop. This edited collection explores the relationship between sociocultural experience, identity and language learning among student sojourners abroad. Three broad themes are identified: the contribution of different settings (host families, student exchanges, work placements etc) to language learning opportunity; the role of social networks in sojourners' language practices and learning success; and their evolving social identities. The book is relevant for a readership interested in informal second language learning, as well as for managers of residence abroad programmes.

A growing number of people study languages online, and little is known about their attitudes toward this new learning approach, what practices they engage in, or what kinds of interaction they are involved in. This dissertation investigates users' attitudes, practices, and interactions on the largest language-learning social network site, Livemocha. Through a survey of 4,173 diverse users of the site as well as 20 case studies of individuals, this dissertation has yielded three main findings: 1) there is high attrition among Livemocha participants; 2) users who persist enjoy the environment and feel they are making progress, but linguistic analysis suggests that this perceived progress is not significant; and 3) the ways in which participants make use of Livemocha affect their progress. The study hints at the potential of online learning, given the generally positive regard participants have for the Livemocha environment, but it also shows its limitations, since most learners drop out or show only limited gains. The study suggests that if online education is to play a positive role in the teaching and learning of English and other languages, learners will need support, guidance, and well-structured activities to ensure the kinds of participation and linguistic interaction that can lead to success. These findings have implications for developers, educators, and researchers.

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2024 in the subject Communications - Mass Media, grade: A, Coventry University, course: Education, language: English, abstract: Social media contributes a lot in the learning of the second language by different learners all over the world. The major function of this paper is to discuss various ways or measures that the channels of social media have affected the second language learners in the present world. Social media defines the collective online communication channels that are used by people for communication, sharing and interaction reasons. In the past world, social media were not considered as the first means through which the information could be passed from one person to another since the technology was not developed and improved as compared to the current world. Social media has been used by numerous people in the current world to facilitate their communication and interaction with people in different regions or nations of the world. Additionally, it is through the social media that information is spread online from one person to another. Some of the social media channels that have been used by people to share information with each other include; Facebook, Twitter, Google, Linkedln, Google voicemail, blogging and e-mail, computer media, Pinterest. The existence of the social media has been characterized with different effects that it has developed in people including the second language learners. Some of the effects that have been observed as a result of the use of the social media have been presented in both positive and negative ways. The second language learners are described as the people who develop the interest to learn other languages. This has been observed in the current world where people travel from their nations to other learning institutions to learn other languages that are not spoken in their nations or Countries.

The book concerns the ways in which the new media shape communication along with educational expectations and practices in foreign language classrooms. Although foreign language learners have cheap and easy access to information and ways of communication, they also wrestle with problems that have always accompanied language learning. The focus of the book is two-fold. On the one hand, the authors demonstrate how using social networks, videoconferencing, mobile phones, wikis, and computer-mediated interaction contributes to the development of language skills, negotiated interaction, autonomy, and intercultural competence. On the other, they discuss “old” issues pertaining to the role of vocabulary, corrective feedback, textbooks and inner speech in the process of language learning and use. Every chapter reports original empirical research on issues related to the new media and old problems in foreign language teaching contexts in various countries, and with respect to various age groups.

A significant number of studies highlight the importance of informal interaction and social networks for second language acquisition and social support during study abroad. Many also indicate the importance of study abroad for providing language learners with opportunities to meet, interact, and establish social networks with other target language (TL) speakers. However, although an increasing amount of research has investigated the development of language learners' social networks during study abroad, research examining learners' ongoing network maintenance and development with TL speakers after their program completion remains scarce. The current study aims to address this gap in the literature by investigating the impact of study abroad on language learners' engagement with the host country, its language and its speakers. In particular, focus is placed on interaction and social networks with TL speakers during study abroad and onwards throughout their life trajectories. The study employed a qualitative, semi-longitudinal and cross-sectional approach, focussing on 134 learners of Japanese language who had participated in a university-level study abroad program. Eight focal informants completed a series of in-depth interviews and one-week interaction journals, and online questionnaire data collected from 126 respondents further validated and expanded upon this data. The analytical frameworks that guided this study were based upon Boissevain's (1974) criteria of network analysis, Fehr's (1996; 2000) factors influencing friendship development, and Grosjean's (1972) factors influencing language selection. Additionally, Norton's (2000) notion of investment and Markus and Nurius' (1986) possible selves theory were also drawn upon. This study increases our understanding of the nature of learners' interaction and social networks both during and post-study abroad. It provides insight into the development and maintenance of TL-speaking networks, patterns of language use within them, and the various personal, environmental and situational factors influencing these practices. Of primary importance to network development/maintenance and language use both during and post-study abroad were the environments in which the informants engaged, and their ongoing investment in the TL. One of the key findings was that, for the majority of informants, study abroad was a seminal event that positively influenced their L2 self-concept and ongoing engagement with TL-speaking networks throughout the life trajectory. In particular, it was found that study abroad experiences often resulted in a shift in L2 identity from language learner to user, and that established patterns of TL use during study abroad were, in the majority of cases, maintained once informants returned to their home countries.The current study also increases our understanding of the role of Interactive Communications Technologies (ICTs), such as social network sites (SNSs) and smart phone applications, in post-study abroad contexts. An important finding was that in addition to increasing the ease with which networks could be maintained, SNSs such as Facebook in particular facilitated more frequent engagement with network members, providing enhanced opportunities for continued TL use and learning. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for study abroad programs and future program participants, as well as for future theoretical and empirical/applied research concerning the analysis of social networks and language selection.

This book gathers together 11 empirical-based studies of classroom interaction carried out in different countries, including the USA, England, Kenya, Sweden, and China. Along with a state-of-the-art literature review, the chapters provide key insights and engagement priorities that will prove relevant to a variety of learning and teaching contexts.