Abstract:

Recognizing how essential communication technologies have become to language learners, the TESOL Technology Standards Task Force set three goals for learners (Healey et al., 2011): demonstrating skills in technology for a multilingual world; using technology appropriately and ethically; and using technology efficiently for their language learning needs. Nevertheless, despite the fact that social networking sites (SNSs), such as Facebook (FB), are perhaps the most frequently used communication technology, they are rarely mentioned in the TESOL Technology Standards.Moreover, few, if any, studies have specified appropriate SNS L2 use as a learning objective. This paper shows how training L2 learners to use FB appropriately and then providing opportunities to use the site for the class can help learners reach the three goals set by the Technology Standards Task Force. The article first examines previous studies on SNS usage among L2 learners before describing the author’s action research study on the use of FB in a CALL-based English course in a Japanese university.

Author: Caleb Prichard