English for Business: Student Responses to Language Learning through Social Networking Tools

Abstract

This action research based case study addresses the situation of a first year class of Business English students at Universidad de Alcalá and their attitudes towards using Web 2.0 tools and social media for language learning. During the semester, the students were asked to collaborate in the creation and use of some tools such as blogs, video repositories (YouTube), networking programs (LinkedIn), and communication tools (SlideShare). The data were obtained through an online questionnaire designed after a focus group had been held. The results, which are quantitative, suggest that the use of Web 2.0 tools and social networks for language learning facilitated collaboration within the groups when completing tasks, proved to be motivating, and made a clear distinction from traditional university language courses, often centered on the teacher and the syllabus contents. In addition, the students viewed the tools as being important for their future as professionals in the business world. While the sample in this study is limited and, hence, the results are not universally applicable, there is evidence that this method of learning may work well in a variety of international contexts.

Primer iz prakse opisan u radu, zasnovan na akcionom istraživanju, tiče se studenata poslovnog engleskog jezika prve godine Univerziteta u Alkali i njihovih stavova prema korišćenju Web 2.0 alata i društvenih medija u učenju jezika. Tokom nastave studenti su zamoljeni da učestvuju u kreiranju i korišćenju nekoliko alata, kao što su blogovi, video repozitorijumi (YouTube), programi za umrežavanje (LinkedIn) i komunikacioni alati (SlideShare). Podaci su prikupljeni putem onlajn upitnika osmišljenog nakon sastanka fokus grupe. Rezultati, koji su kvantitativni, ukazuju da korišćenje Web 2.0 alata i društvenih mreža olakšava saradnju unutar grupa pri obavljanju zadataka, da deluje motivišuće, kao i da predstavljaju razliku u odnosu na tradicionalne kurseve jezika na univerzitetu, često usredsređene na nastavnika i nastavni program. Pored toga, studenti smatraju da će im alati biti od koristi u budućnosti u svetu poslovanja. Iako je uzorak u ovom istraživanju ograničen, pa stoga ni rezultati nisu opšteprimenljivi, postoje naznake da bi ovaj metod učenja mogao dobro funkcionisati u različitim međunarodnim okruženjima.