1. Using WhatsApp to facilitate
language learning in preparation
for and during the year abroad
E- symposium 2015
22nd January, 2013 - 23rd January, 2015
University of Southampton
Isabel Cobo Palacios, Billy Brick and Tiziana Cervi-Wilson
Coventry University
2. Growth of Internet messaging
The project
Tasks
Participation
Responses
Positive and negative aspects
Feedback
Future Directions
Overview
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4. Students don’t feel confident with the language
before spending their 3rd Year abroad
Motivation for the project
5. ‘Even sending us an email asking
how we were getting on would’ve
made a huge difference’
The Guardian, (2014)
Universities don't offer enough
support
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6. Immediacy
Grouping feature
Accessibility
Multiple formats: videos, images, sound
Cross-network and device coverage
“The greatest and most important part of
our daily learning is made through informal
learning” (Rogers, 2004)
Advantages of the use of
WhatsApp Brick and Cervi-Wilson
(2014)
9. October November December January February March April
Formal/Informal/Non formal
Learning. Rogers (2004)
May June July August September
10. To enhance learners’ efficacy
To improve learners’ linguistic output
To develop learners’ cultural awareness
Byram (1997)
To support learners on their year abroad
and to build a community
Objectives
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11. Audio or video introducing themselves
Role-play (Landlord and Tenant)
Short tasks
Open questions
Sending links or articles to ask them for their
opinion
WhatsApp Tasks
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31. 03/02/201531
Feedback
“Personally, I think this
is a big concept and it is
very interactive. I am a
bit disappointed by
myself because I did
not take part as much
as I wanted”
“The best part for
me was sharing our
experiences abroad
and learning with
Isa the Spanish
culture”
32. Feedback
What did you enjoy
most?
Speaking and writing in
Spanish since I work
teaching English and I
found hard to practice
my Spanish here as
much.
Why did you join this
project?
Because I want to
practice my Spanish and
keep in touch with my
classmates.
33. Continue with this group until the end
of the academic year
Show learners improvement through
language samples and a decrease in
their errors
Lessons learnt
Future Directions
03/02/201533
34. Ashenden, A (2014). ’Year-abroad students say universities don't offer enough support’. The Guardian [online]
15 December available from <http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/15/universities-failing-
provide-welfare-support-year-abroad-students> [20 January 2015]
Brick, B. & Cervi-Wilson, T. (2014) WhatsApp: Language Learning on-the-go. LLAS Annual E-Learning
Symposium. Held 23-24 January 2014
Byram, M. (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Clevedon. Multilingual
Matters.
Gander, K (2015) ’ WhatsApp for PC: messaging web client now available on internet browsers’. The
Independent [online] 21 January available from < http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-
tech/news/whatsapp-now-available-on-web-browsers-9993675.html?cmpid=facebook-post > [21 January
2015]
Gasmi, A (2014) ’ Mobile assisted language learning: potential and limitations of using 'whatsapp' messenger to
enhance students writing skills ’ . INTED2014 Proceedings, p. 7243. [online] 12 March available from
<http://library.iated.org/view/GASMI2014MOB > [21 January 2015]
Rogers, A. (2004) Non-Formal Education: flexible schooling or participatory education? Hong Kong University
Press .
Wlodkowski, R. J (2008) Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn: A Comprehensive Guide for Teaching All Adults.
California: John Wiley & Sons.
References
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