Usefulness of WhatsApp in the Process of English Language Learning among Undergraduate Students: A Perception Study

Abstract

Technology has invaded the field of education and has become a major source of gaining and spreading knowledge. Among the various technological advancements currently facilitating teaching and learning in several educational disciplines, mobile technology is noteworthy. These days, almost all students keep a mobile phone and use its applications for different purposes. With the integration of technology in education, mobile devices are also being incorporated in numerous educational disciplines including language learning. This research was carried out to study students’ perception of the impact of WhatsApp in learning English language. A questionnaire of 27 items was administered to find out the perception of 157 students about the impact of WhatsApp in English language learning. Students’ access to internet was also explored to study the influence of the availability of internet on students’ perception. The findings showed that students have a positive perception of the influence of WhatsApp in English language learning. They believe that using WhatsApp for language learning gives them confidence, improves their English language knowledge and enhances their four language skills. They also gave a positive response about the ubiquitous use of WhatsApp and their preference of using WhatsApp as compared to other teaching and learning pedagogies.

English Language Learners’ Perceptions towards the Use of E-learning Tools in Pakistan

“…This indicates the popular use of this tool among young learners too. Hanif and Sajid (2019) conducted their study using the survey in the context of Pakistan to investigate students' perceptions on the use of WhatsApp to improve their English language learning skills. Their participants perceived WhatsApp application as the most useful learning tool in their English language learning indicating their positive attitude.…”

Using WhatsApp in tourism ESP classes

“…To begin with, the high school students in Aktas and Can (2019) affirmed they felt more confident to read and listen in English and less scared to speak in the foreign language after using WhatsApp to socialize with others and discuss several things for 8 weeks. Likewise, the university students in Hanif and Sajid (2019) also stated that their level of confidence to use English had increased and the activities done on WhatsApp have "helped them to overcome their fear of using English" (Hanif & Sajid, 2019, p. 35). Other points of view that the high school participants in Hanif and Sajid (2019) expressed are that WhatsApp voice chatting: a) has helped them improve all skills, but especially regarding vocabulary and listening, b) made them think in English, and c) improved their vocabulary retention.…”

“…Likewise, the university students in Hanif and Sajid (2019) also stated that their level of confidence to use English had increased and the activities done on WhatsApp have "helped them to overcome their fear of using English" (Hanif & Sajid, 2019, p. 35). Other points of view that the high school participants in Hanif and Sajid (2019) expressed are that WhatsApp voice chatting: a) has helped them improve all skills, but especially regarding vocabulary and listening, b) made them think in English, and c) improved their vocabulary retention. In similar lines, the subjects in Sahan et al's study (2016) also believe WhatsApp can be used to improve both productive and receptive skills.…”

“…Finally, a group of studies looked at students´ attitudes towards using this methodology again and/or their preference towards traditional or more modern approaches. More specifically, the students in Hanif and Sajid (2019) affirmed they would prefer that their teacher used WhatsApp from now onwards rather than going back to traditional textbook-based methodologies and the high school students in Cetinkaya and Soner (2018) stated that they would like to use this type of methodology again since it represented an unconscious way of learning.…”