I Have a Voice. Do I Want to Use It Online? Encouraging Students to Participate in the Cyber Dialogue

Abstract

Social media offer a variety of environments that are ideal for learning beyond the classroom walls. These opportunities that social media open for communication in authentic situations are particularly important for second-language learners, who need to become competent communicators in a language other than their native ones. In addition, because of the increasing familiarity of most students with digital media, it is reasonable to assume that the integration of social media in the foreign language curriculum can only bring positive results in terms of languageàinteraction with native speakers and, as a result, the acquisition of multicultural competency. But this is not always the case. Students may, for instance, enjoy watching YouTube videos and writing on their friendsââ¬â¢ Facebook walls but when it comes to participate in a dialogue on the cyberspace, different factors can prevent them from taking full advantage of their ability as authors and creators of information, more so if they have to do it in a foreign language. This session will 1) present several case studies of social media integration in the Spanish GMU curriculum including the use of blogs, wikis and social photo-sharing in courses such as Spanish Writing and Stylistics, Spain as Portrayed in Social Media, and Spanish Civilization and Culture; 2) analyze to what extent students got involved in the projects and the circumstances that promoted or hindered the use of social media as a learning tool; and 3) discuss what lessons were learned in terms of further implementation of social media in the foreign language program. Conclusions about studentsââ¬â¢ use of social media and their expectations towards social media as learning tools can be applied to a broad variety of subjects and learners.