Learning English With Texting on Social Media: The Case of Taiwanese ESL Students in the U.S

Hong-Chi Shiau (Shih-Hsin University, Taiwan) and Catherine Hua Xiang (London School of Economics and Political Science, UK)
Copyright: © 2018 |Pages: 260
EISBN13: 9781522550570|DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-2724-4.ch010
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Abstract

Social media has induced substantial growth of various cultural contacts, resulting in a great variation of uses in English. In light of the popularity of new social media, contacts of people from different cultures have been changed from predominant face-to-face encounters to instantaneous communication. This case study examines how Taiwanese students relate their ESL learning experiences to the use of social media and how their uses help transform these ESL students' gender/ethnic identities during study abroad. Adopting an ethnographic research approach, the results suggest some barriers and challenges those ESL students face during the time abroad, both linguistically but also in terms of intercultural friendship. Pedagogical implications and recommendations are made on how to more effectively using social media in developing linguistic and intercultural competence in the context of study abroad.
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