Ksenofontova A.A.
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS LANGUAGE ACQUISITION *
Аннотация:
this study examines social medias dual role in second language acquisition (SLA) among university students, synthesizing empirical survey data from 67 learners with foundational theories from Krashen, Vygotsky, and Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH). Findings reveal YouTube and TikTok serve as primary conduits for authentic input, significantly enhancing listening, vocabulary, and cultural competence. However, pervasive informality – evidenced by slang impedes formal writing proficiency. The research advocates for pedagogically structured integration of social media to harness its immersive benefits while mitigating linguistic drawbacks.
Ключевые слова:
social media platform, English acquisition, university students
The use of social media in daily life has changed language acquisition and learning. With students accessing online platforms for socialization and knowledge acquisition, the potential of social media to facilitate second language acquisition (SLA) has been attracting a lot of attention in applied linguistics. This study investigates the use of social media in English language learning among university students in relation to the congruence between theoretical models and practical application.Theoretical underpinning of the study integrates three prominent second language acquisition models to explicate the dual function of social media both as facilitator and diffuser in language learning. Krashens Input Hypothesis [3] asserts the primacy of comprehensible input through authentic exposure – a condition inherently met by social medias interactive environments. Complementing this, Vygotskys Sociocultural Theory [1] underscores peer-driven knowledge co-construction, evident in the collaborative interactions thriving on various media platforms. Simultaneously, the Marzuki’s paper [2] provides a developmental lens, explaining younger learners phonological advantages during immersive engagement versus older learners strategic grammar mastery. Together, these frameworks inform our investigation into how social media facilitates organic acquisition while potentially undermining formal writing precision through informal language transfer.Social media has been the focus of increasingly academic research. Several studies have found a number of benefits, including expanded vocabulary, improved listening skills, and increased exposure to culture [4, 1]. Social media provide language learners with real-world language exposure with various accents, colloquial expressions, and cultures that they cannot access easily in classroom settings. However, challenges such as the usage of informal language (e.g., textese) have been cited as potential barriers to formal writing [1].Some informative studies have also investigated the two-sided role of social media in SLA. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic sped up the dependency on online platforms, emphasizing the significance of internet interactions for language practice [4]. However, although social media creates informative learning spaces, it can inadvertently compromise formal language skills if not properly addressed.This study administered 67 university students who are enrolled in English language classes. 43,5% of the respondents were first year, 36,2% were second year, and 20,3% were third year students. The survey was crafted to gather the social media usage patterns of the students and its perception in learning the English language.A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative survey data and qualitative responses. Demographic information questions, usage of the platform, usage behaviors, and skill development perceived were included in the survey. Open-ended questions allowed participants to leave feedback about social media usage for language learning.Survey results reflect that YouTube was the front website, and 81% of respondents made use of it to learn language, primarily for long stuff like tutorials and documentaries. 60% of the respondents had averaged 1-3 hours of YouTube use per day, whereas 15% made use of it more than 4 hours a day.Instagram*(*запрещено в РФ) (48%) and TikTok (42%) were popular for their short, engaging videos, which were oftentimes utilized for pronunciation and slang practice. 55% of the sample utilized TikTok for less than one hour a day, predominantly for slang interaction and short videos.Telegram (28%) was utilized for language practice and social interaction with peers only, as students formed study groups in order to practice English in real-time.Social media exposure significantly enhances fundamental language skills through interactive, natural exposure. Students reported drastic increases in listening (90%), attributing gains to consistent exposure to native speakers with mixed accents and speech patterns on sites like YouTube and TikTok. Vocabulary acquisition also surged for 75% of students, who acquired idiomatic expressions and jargon organically through memes, vlogs, and informal discussion. Additionally, nearly half (45%) emphasized the central role of cultural information conveyed in informal content – from virality to creators existence – in placing linguistic shading and achieving pragmatic competence.Social media enables language acquisition through multi-faceted cognitive and interactive processes. Implicit learning emerges as a main avenue, with 90% of those surveyed acquiring vocabulary and informal expressions – passively through repeated exposure to authentic content. Students self-reported linguistic artifacts – from colloquial expressions like rizz, ghosting, and no cap, figurative language like when pigs fly and out of the blue, to precision vocabulary like exquisite and serendipity – reveal social medias power to drive context-based language acquisition. Above all, these examples demonstrate how online spaces facilitate implicit lexical encoding by means of prolonged exposure to culture-specific content. Contemporary slang dominates learner repertoires (e.g., Netflix and chill, drip) reflecting the viral nature of platform-mediated language evolution. Along with informal lexis, learners also inherit idiomatics and figurative language (break a sweat, far-fetched) connoting nuanced social meanings, as well as sophisticated equivalents (indolent for lazy, excruciating for painful) that appear in study or commentary texts. Worthy of note as well is the borrowing of socio-pragmatic labels like refrigerator rights (intimate friendship) or closet music (secret interests), which reflect learners growing cultural proficiency.This phenomenon serves to underscore a core theoretical overlap: Krashens comprehensible input manifests in learners acquiring lexis via natural, interest-driven engagement rather than intentional study. Social media excels at advancing pragmatic ability and lexis coverage yet provides little syntactic correctness or memorability. This dichotomy demands that pedagogical interventions engage with viral material while cognitively filling grammatical gaps through form-focused practice.Central to this is peer-led engagement on channels like Telegram, facilitating immediate linguistic negotiation, fluency, and learner confidence through co-conversation. Similarly, pronunciation enhancement is accelerated through mimicking native speakers in TikTok clips, where constant exposure to influencers enables learners to internalize phonological behaviors, increasing oral fluency directly.The implications of this research strongly underpin and complement extant SLA theories, demonstrating how social media favors conceptual tenets, a novel application of the same. Krashens Input Hypothesis is brought to life in platforms such as YouTube, where authentic, context-rich material – vlogs, documentaries, interviews – offers comprehendible input necessary for spontaneous vocabulary learning. Similarly, Vygotskys Sociocultural Theory is realized in Telegram discussion groups, where peer-to-peer interaction facilitates co-construction of meaning, transforming passive learners into active participants via live linguistic negotiation. Simultaneously, the Critical Period Hypothesis is given tacit support: learners, who participated in the survey are adults and yet, the majority of them stated that media immersive, accent-rich environments help with achieving notable gains in pronunciation and fluency, whereas only 5% indicated improvement in grammar. Combined, these processes shed light upon social media not just as an exposure vehicle, but as rich environment that enhances, multiplies, and extends SLA paradigms.While there are numerous advantages to the use of social media for learning a language, there are disadvantages as well. The prevalence of informal language has the potential to undermine formal writing skills, something highlighted by various interviewees. This is reflective of the need for instructors to address the balance between informal and academic usage.Finally, social networks provide an interactive and easy-going setting for language learning, offering exposure to real materials, cultural data, and peer-to-peer communication. However, the unofficial nature of most of the content poses challenges to learners who attempt to learn appropriate language usage.
Номер журнала Вестник науки №6 (87) том 1
Ссылка для цитирования:
Ksenofontova A.A. THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS LANGUAGE ACQUISITION // Вестник науки №6 (87) том 1. С. 685 - 689. 2025 г. ISSN 2712-8849 // Электронный ресурс: https://www.вестник-науки.рф/article/23661 (дата обращения: 08.07.2025 г.)
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