The Adoption of Facebook as a Virtual Class Whiteboard: Promoting EFL Students’ Engagement in Language Tasks
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Facebook, as one of the most popular social media sites, has been the subject of many studies especially in the field of English language teaching (ELT) in recent years. Such popularity stemmed from the belief that Facebook offers a new platform for language teaching and learning. Although most studies concentrate only on its integration into ELT for the improvement of learners’ language skills, it has been received positively by both teachers and students. For example, using Facebook in ELT classroom improves the writing skills and learning attributes of English language teachers. It enhances English as foreign language (EFL) students’ motivations and attitudes towards learning English for specific purposes (ESP). It reduces students’ stress level and anxiety when doing writing practices online because they can work on their writing activities anytime and anywhere. It provides an opportunity for students to monitor and reflect on the development of their language skills, making them responsible English language learners.
