Pedagogical Effects of Social Media on Iraqi Kurd EFL learners

Abstract

English language learners use social media platforms for improving their language skills through exchanging ideas, sharing their thoughts, and getting exposed to authentic language. The use of social media by learners might yield positive or adverse effects. This study, therefore, explores the pedagogical consequences of some social media platforms on Iraqi Kurd EFL learners. It Highlights the significant impacts of social media on learning English, vocabulary, and spelling. It explicitly attempts to discover how social media affects English language learning, word choices, and spelling for Kurd EFL learners. A questionnaire is used to randomly collect the study data from 96 Kurdish students studying English at various academic institutions. The data was organized and analyzed by SPSS. It was found that Kurd EFL learners use social media platforms extensively for numerous purposes, improving their English language skills being one of them. The results suggest that social media assists learners in learning and practising new vocabulary; However, it has a negative impact on the students spelling and academic writing skills. Kurd EFL learners use abbreviated forms and unnecessarily shortened forms under the influence of social media.

Kurdish EFL learners’ perceptions about the Use of Smartphone Applications for Language Learning

“…Several study results asserted the positive role of social media platforms in improving Kurdish EFL learners' English language skills mainly in an informal way. A study by Nuri et al (2021) examined the impact of social media platforms on Kurdish EFL learners' English language development. The results of this study indicated that social media platforms generally help learners to learn English in an informal not academic way.…”