Investigating the use of a smartphone social networking application on language learning

Abstract

This study explored college students’ use of a popular smartphone social networking application, WeChat, in a tandem language learning project. The research questions included (1) How do Chinese-English dyads utilize the WeChat app for weekly language learning?, and (2) What are the perceptions of the Chinese-English dyads on the use of the WeChat app for language learning? In this exploratory study, the participants’ conversations were recorded and excerpts were used to illustrate how the dyads utilized WeChat. In addition, an online survey was distributed to participants after the tandem language learning program ended, which asked questions about how the dyads used WeChat for language learning. The survey results suggested that the participants’ experiences with WeChat were mostly positive with only a few drawbacks. Suggestions for improvements in future WeChat tandem language learning and for future smartphone studies were discussed.