THE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31851/pb92px32Keywords:
Social media, English writing skills, students' perceptions, language learning, digital literacyAbstract
This study investigates students' perceptions of social media as an instructional tool for enhancing English writing competency. The widespread penetration of digital platforms into academic settings has reshaped conventional approaches to language learning, prompting educators and researchers to examine their pedagogical implications more systematically. Employing a descriptive qualitative research design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and an open-ended questionnaire administered to 30 undergraduate students enrolled in an English language education program. The findings reveal that the majority of participants hold favorable views of integrating social media into writing practice, particularly platforms such as Instagram, Twitter/X, and WhatsApp. Students reported that consistent engagement with these platforms contributes to vocabulary enrichment, heightened motivation, greater exposure to authentic language use, and increased willingness to communicate. However, participants also acknowledged notable limitations, including informal linguistic registers, a tendency toward abbreviated writing styles, and susceptibility to distraction. These results suggest that social media can serve as a meaningful supplementary resource in English writing instruction when implemented with structured pedagogical guidance.
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