Via a systematic literature review, this thesis investigates the possible benefits of employing social media as a learning tool in English as a second language classroom. The thesis is focused on the motivation for learning, potential grammar and vocabulary gains as results of using social media at the upper-secondary level. This systematic literature review is relevant since the current Swedish upper-secondary school’s curriculum promotes technology implementation and at the same time social media has become an everyday feature of many students’ lives. In order to measure the possible benefits of social media, this thesis uses a modified version of Koole’s (2009, p. 27) The Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model, which originally was used to determine the optimal way for learning on a mobile platform. This thesis adapted that model and altered it to be applicable for social media platforms instead of mobile devices. The literature review found relevant peer-reviewed studies for this topic through a scholarly education database. The age of the participants in the chosen studies vary from 15-19 years old, and all the chosen studies focus on English as a second language in relation to an education system. The reviewed studies show that social media usage is mainly beneficial for motivation to enhance English vocabulary and grammar proficiency. However, social media usage does not show any significant benefits for grammar proficiency and vocabulary gains when students engage with social media. Although motivation to partake on various social media platforms in ESL does show that students tend to have a desire to expand their ESL knowledge. This review study is in agreement with the reviewed studies regarding the potential benefits of social media for ESL. The reviewed studies on their own were inconclusive as to why social media usage was beneficial. By comparing all the studies result, this literature review thesis promotes the idea that it is the social factor from engaging with social media that is the main reason that motivates students to acquire further ESL knowledge in a school setting or extramurally. Thus, the thesis suggests that an integration of social media in the Swedish upper-secondary school should be taken into consideration due to its proven motivational benefits
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:du-30078 |
Date | January 2019 |
Creators | Holmberg, Johannes |
Publisher | Högskolan Dalarna, Engelska |
Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
Format | application/pdf |
Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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