Social+Networking

**ELL-Strategies Social Networking**
Learning another language can be an extremely hard task to master. It takes practice and dedication to become a fluent speaker of a foreign tongue. Some students in suburban Midwestern city created an online social network that allowed them to work on improving their English. The site provided activities that improved the student’s writing, speaking and reading skills in English. These activities consist of relay writing, blogging about current events, podcasting and answering survey questions just to name a few.

Social Networking offer students who are new to a language an excellent way to practice the new language with the natives. Most Social Networking site provide activities and experience that will aid students in learning any language from the native population. The feedback from supporters provide the students with a measuring aid so they can gauge their progress.Educators who have students that are learning the English language can use social networking application to motivate their students to learn English in a fun environment. The activities I mention earlier are just some examples of the tasks that can be used. Web 2.0 applications are very helpful aids for students who are trying to learn the English language. Reading, speaking and writing skills are major part of social networking and the students will be learning in a fun environment that will make learning the English language exciting.

Social networks are the perfect tool to utilize to work towards the following TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) national standards:

English for personal expression and enjoyment. competence.
 * Goal 1,** To use English to communicate in social settings:
 * Standard 1** Students will use English to participate in social interactions.
 * Standard 2** Students will interact in, through, and with spoken and written
 * Standard 3**: Students will use learning strategies to extend their communicative

and genre according to audience, purpose, and setting. audience, purpose, and setting. their sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence.
 * Goal 3,** To use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways:
 * Standard 1** Students will use the appropriate language variety, register,
 * Standard 2** Students will use nonverbal communication appropriate to
 * Standard 3** Students will use appropriate learning strategies to extend

online sources and when engaging in electronic communication.
 * Technology Standard 3** Language learners exercise appropriate caution when using

Whether they are active on Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo, Blogger, YouTube or basic email, ELL students have opportunities to not only practice the reading and writing of English, but improve upon conversational skills, too. Due to the interactive nature of social media, they practice both starting and maintaining interpersonal exchanges. They can be taught the formal rules of written language, but also the nuances of “text speak” or slang, like “lol” or TYPING IN ALL CAPITALS. The video capabilities of these forums provide opportunities for modeling the oral language, but non-verbal communication skills, as well. Another advantage to using these forums is that it gives the ELL learner a chance to really think through, revise, and edit their thoughts before posting without the pressure of a live classroom discussion.

Potential downfalls to relying on this media might include an inability to afford or no home access to computers/laptops/IPAD/headphones/microphones. Another issue I face on my own school is having sites like YouTube block by the district administrators. Finally, dealing with reluctant parents who were uncomfortable with their child having such access to the online community is also a challenge or perhaps not understanding the technology at all.

Reference: Yi, Y. (2008). Relay Writing in an Adolescent Online Community.

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[|http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/32678_Langer_de_Ramirez_Empowering_English_Language_Learners_With_Tools_From_the_Web_Ch1.][|pdf]