Pages: 116-121
Published: 28.02.2017
Abstract: Social Networks are Web-based services that allow people to construct a public, or somewhat public, profile. Social networking can sometimes result in negative outcomes, some with long-term consequences. There are millions of people on the internet who are looking to meet other people and to gather and share information and experiences on a variety of topics. The growing popularity of social networking sites (SNS) among the Internet users demands an introspection of personal and social behavior of human beings. The present study was set out to investigate the effect of social hubs on improving EFL learners' speaking skill. The participants of the study were 42 female students between the age of 17 and 25. They were randomly assigned to two groups of experimental and control. Each group consisted of 21 participants. An Oxford Placement Test (OPT) and the pre-test were administered to both groups at the beginning of the study. The treatment lasted 4 weeks and it was held in a private institute in Rasht, Iran. The experimental group was allowed and encouraged to use social channels in addition to the traditional class activities. Further, a course of communication on social networks was administered to the experimental group while the control group attended the traditional regular classes and they were not allowed to use computers for communication. In the end, the post-test was administered to both groups. The findings displayed that social networking had a positive impact on speaking ability of Iranian EFL students.
Key words: Speaking ability, Social channels, Social Networking Service, EFL Learners.
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