Effect Of The Language Of Social Media On The Secondary School Learners Of English Language
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Effect Of The Language Of Social Media On The Secondary School Learners Of English Language
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of social media language on secondary school English learners. The study’s entire population consists of 200 pupils from chosen Bayelsa state schools.
The researcher employed questionnaires to collect data. Descriptive A survey research design was used for this investigation. The study included 133 respondents who were SSS 3 students, SSS 2 students, SSS 1 students, and JSS 3 students. The acquired data were displayed in tables and analysed with simple percentages and frequencies.
Chapter one
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
People live in a global society, and they are constantly embracing new technology, information, lifestyles, and languages. Nowadays, digital social media is extremely popular among younger generations.
Social media encompasses all technology that facilitates social interaction, collaboration, and deliberation among stakeholders, including electronic blogs, audio/video tools (youtube), internet chat rooms, cellular and computer texting, and social networking sites (Bryer and Zavattaro, 2011).
According to Arroyo (2012): “Once social media was introduced, it enabled a new way for people, particularly the younger generation, to connect with one another, based on common interests, goals and even values” .
Social media has grown in popularity over time and is now universally acknowledged. According to research, internet use, particularly the use of social networking sites, has increased significantly since 2000, with some estimates indicating that nearly 78% of American adults use the internet on a regular basis; 46% of American adults 18 and older use social networking sites; and 65% of teens aged 12 to 17 use online social networks (Rainie et al, 2011).
According to more recent estimates, Facebook has over 750 million users globally; LinkedIn has over 100 million members; Twitter has over 177 million tweets per day; and YouTube receives over 3 billion views every day. Rainie, Purcell, and Smith (2011) revealed that persons aged 18 to 29 utilise social networking sites the most.
In recent years, information and communication technologies, particularly social media, have had an impact on education. It is owing to their numerous forms, which allow individuals to communicate in a variety of ways, as previously indicated.
These social media platforms have significantly increased social interaction and information sharing among students and teachers alike. Social media programs enable users to communicate, connect, and express themselves on a worldwide scale (Thorne, 2010).
As a result, the duties provided by social media today may be linguistically rewarding for users, whether students or instructors, because these media interactions are bound to occur inside or beyond language communities.
Facebook, for example, has been regarded as one of the most popular social platforms of all time. It has created new opportunities for foreign language teachers and students alike, allowing them to communicate an unlimited amount of text messages, photographs, and videos. Such alternatives can provide users, particularly language learners, with the opportunity to practise with fresh texts and learn new terminology through interaction, especially if it is sustained over time.
Educators can profit from Facebook by using it as a platform to post various types of content to be worked on, modified, contributed to, and shared with their students in order to get the desired results.
As a result, the teaching experience can be more accessible and focused on students because more space is provided for learners to collaborate and an atmosphere of conviviality and creativity is fostered among them (Selwyn, 2012).
However, digital social media has an impact on the language learning of young learners. Young people are now mostly connected to others via digital social media, therefore they are unwittingly or purposefully following the trend of language learning. Englander et al. (2010) found that students spend more time using social media for non-educational objectives, which affects their academic achievements.
In another study, Nalwa and Anand (2003) found that students prefer to use the internet for their own purposes, which has an impact on their academic performance. Karpinski (2009) extended on this study by stating that Facebook users had poorer grade rankings than students who never engage in social interactions. He also indicated that social media has a negative impact on kids’ academic achievement, which outweighs the benefits of using social media platforms.
People all over the world have become addicted to the internet, and as a result, more students are using social media than ever before. Aforo (2014) conducted research to determine the influence of social media on academic reading. The survey discovered that students at Ghanaian universities frequently use their leisure time on social media, which does not bode well for academic success.
Students’ use of social media has increased significantly, affecting their study time, grammar, and spelling when socialising on social media, as well as diverting their attention away from their studies (Ndaku, 2013). Students devote more study time to social media than to academic pursuits, which has had an impact on their performance.
Al-Jarrah et al. (2019) conducted a quantitative study in a secondary school, and the data demonstrated that social media plays an essential role in the writing performance growth of English learners at school level.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
The researcher discovered that most students are not cautious about their grammar use on social media because the language used is informal. They bring these grammatical faults into their academics, which affects them.
Chatting has become a part of their everyday routine. These kids give their professors a difficult time while marking their scripts since the teacher does not comprehend their expressions or the messages clearly. Even if the teacher understands it, the student will still be punished because such terms are not permitted in English.
The researcher’s primary goal is to investigate the harmful effects of social media language on secondary school students’ English language development. This research is required in order to raise awareness among students who are unaware of their use of grammar in essay writing and formal communication.
1.2 Aim and Objectives Of The Study
The purpose of this study is to look into the impact of social media language on secondary school English language learners. Specific aims are to:
Investigate the degree of social media usage among secondary school students in Nigeria.
Investigate how digital social media influences the writing and speaking of secondary school English language learners.
Examine the impact of social media language on secondary school students’ academic performance in English language tests.
Determine how to improve the performance of secondary school students in English language examinations.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What is the level of social media use among secondary school pupils in Nigeria?
How can digital social media influence the writing and speaking skills of secondary school English language learners?
How can social media language affect secondary school pupils’ academic achievement in English language exams?
How can secondary school pupils improve their performance in English language exams?
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY.
The study is on the effects of social media language on secondary school pupils in a sample of secondary schools in Ago-iwoye, Ogun state.
1.5 Limitations of the Study
The time available for this study is limited because the researcher will be combining research with academic duties. Due to time constraints, only a few secondary schools will be visited during the research.
To engage on such a study and gain a thorough understanding, a large sum of money will be required. Because Ago-iwoye is a rural location in Ogun state, the study will be limited to a few secondary schools, with the goal of determining the extent to which social media language affects secondary school pupils.
1.6 Definition of Terms
Social media is an interactive kind of media in which people may engage with and publish to one another, typically over the Internet.
Influence is the ability to alter, control, or manipulate something or someone; the ability to modify the course of fluctuating events such as behaviour, thoughts, or decisions.
Communication is the process of sharing data or information between entities.
Technology refers to the organisation of knowledge for practical use.
Language is a body of words and a set of methods of combining them (known as grammar), understood by a society and used as a form of communication.
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