The impact of social media on motivation towards learning English as a global language

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of social media on motivation towards learning English, the manner in which the impacts were imparted, and the most effective platform for English learning. The top five used social media platforms available in Thailand as of January 2021 – Facebook, YouTube, Line, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram – were considered. The study adopted a mixed-methods research design with a questionnaire and semi-structured interview as instruments. By random sampling, 270 undergraduates of the Department of English, Rangsit University were recruited via an online survey, and 12 of them participated in an online semi-structured interview. The quantitative data were statistically analyzed by means of frequency and percentage using SPSS, while the qualitative data underwent content analysis according to Lichtman’s three Cs of data analysis. Findings revealed that social media both initiated and facilitated motivation, boosted learners’ confidence and competence, and promoted relatedness and autonomous learning. These impacts were feasible through social media’s actual affordances of connectivity, interaction, and collaboration. There was a significant efficiency of YouTube over other platforms with regards to students’ motivation and learning of English. This study, therefore, recommends that social media be integrated with proper guidelines into the English teaching and learning process