Integrating Social Networking Tools into ESL Writing Classroom: Strengths and Weaknesses

Integrating Social Networking Tools into ESL Writing Classroom:
Strengths and Weaknesses

informal short forms appear increasingly and they will affect students’ actual writing.

SNS (Social Networking Service)

an online platform to share interest and activities (Wikipedia, 2010)

allow users to share their opinions, interests, activities and events within their individual networks

are web based and provide means for users to interact by using e-mail or
instant messaging.

widely used types

Facebook and Twitter=
worldwide

MySpace and LinkedIn =North America

Friendster, RenRen and CY
= Asia

Literatute review

Integrating SNSs into ESL Writing Classroom

6 steps for Constructing Virtual Classroom through Facebook (Munoz and Towner, 2009)

create a group by using Group Tool

if teacher wants, one can make it private, after all students have joined

after class teacher can close the discussion board

inside the group teacher can post discussion topics, videos, links

invite "Guests" into the group that other experts also can interact in the board

make sure that students actively engage in questions and discussion

advantages

disadvantages

familiar and comfortable(Warnock 2009)

build a community for disabled (Warnock 2009)

develop writing skills(Melor, 2007)

sense of
global interaction

multimedia interaction

responsibility for their works

can read comments

students’ distraction

breed inappropriate relationships between teachers and students.(Simon, 2008)

difficult to persuade learners to join online forum (Munoz and Towner, 2009)

diminished completion rates (Grandzol, 2010)

waste time(Kamarul Kabilan et al, 2010)

internet connection problems

"copy-paste"

Methodology

Research Design

online discussion

15 third-year TESL students (3 males and 12 females) in a state university in Malaysia

Research Instrument

3 open ended questions

Data Collection Procedure

coded, categorized and interpreted

3 open-ended questions

Results and Discussion

15 TESL students, 10 years experience in learning

do not use social networking

instant messaging for message, social networking

based on 3 issues

Planning Activities

Advantages of Using Social Networking Tools

Disadvantages of Using Social Networking

enhance outside classroom interaction

broaden students’ knowledge

increase motivation and build confidence

train students’ thinking and writing skills

lack of concentration on learning

learning environment boring

informal short forms appear increasingly and they will affect students’ actual writing.