Nowadays, virtual space is a typical environment in learning context. To use it in learning process, Telegram is the most famous online E-learning tool among Iranian students, and it has established an online platform for English learners. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate students’ perspectives toward telegram as an E-learning tool in EGP context in UMSU.
To this end, an online questionnaire was designed and conducted in a Telegram to investigate students’ perspectives toward Telegram in using four different components of English including reading, writing, listening, and speaking in EGP context. The participants of this study were 300 (150 male and 150 female) students, equally 100 students (50 males and 50 females) from three faculties of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy.
The findings revealed that Telegram can bring technological and pedagogical advantages for EFL learners, and majority of students in UMSU prefer to use it for reading and writing components.
According to learners’ statements, it has also a significantly positive effect on the development of vocabulary learning in EFL context as a online E-learning tool. The findings of present study are considered to be useful in language pedagogy and methodology.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
2.1. Participants
2.2. Instruments
2.3. Procedure
3. Results
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
The primary objective of this study is to investigate medical students' perspectives and preferences regarding the use of the Telegram application as an E-learning tool within the context of English for General Purposes (EGP) at the Urmia University of Medical Sciences (UMSU).
- The role of social networking in language pedagogy.
- Student preferences for specific English language components (reading, writing, listening, speaking) on Telegram.
- The impact of on-screen versus paper-based learning.
- The efficacy of Telegram in improving vocabulary and grammar.
- Gender-based differences in language skill preferences within social media environments.
Excerpt from the Book
1. INTRODUCTION
The invention of electronic sources has established a new channel in communication among the people all around the world. According to Richardson and Hessey [1], social networks as the most significant and challengeable tools have paved the way in integrating of technology with communication in recent decades, and have created suitable facilities in individuals association. For instance, Facebook as one of the most popular social networks plays an impressive role in people interaction [2]. Furthermore, social networks are so helpful in sharing information among teachers, learners and their classmates [3], and enhancing cooperation among them [4].
Nowadays, technology-assisted tools such as social network channels play an important role in information exchange, specifically in pedagogy and instructional contexts. As Lin and Yuan [5] state, one crucial feature of social networks that acts a powerful role in communication is its effect on language learning. In addition, Harrison and Thomas [6] confirms that social networking has created an effective connection between language learning and communication, significantly in online foreign language learning [7].
Srinivas [8] also states that social networking as a communication tool between instructors and learners is effective in exchanging information and learning of English, and is a supportive tool in language learning [9], mainly because of everyone’s time each individual student spent on social network sites [10]. Furthermore, These tools are also an effective approach in helping learners to establish self-monitoring capacity in their own language use [11] and improve their engagement and learning capability specially as they feel embarrassed, and pave the way in uttering their own ideas in a more comfortable way [12].
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the rise of social media in education and establishes the research gap regarding the use of Telegram for English language learning among Iranian medical students.
2. Methodology: This section details the study design, including the selection of 300 participants from three different medical faculties and the use of a Likert-scale questionnaire to gather data on student preferences.
3. Results: This chapter presents the statistical findings, highlighting that reading is the most preferred skill for male participants, while writing is the most preferred for female participants.
4. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, confirming that Telegram serves as an effective, learner-centered tool for enhancing lexical knowledge and language performance in an EFL context.
Keywords
Perspectives, Telegram, E-learning, EGP, Language components, Social networking, EFL learners, Vocabulary learning, Medical students, On-screen learning, Language pedagogy, Educational technology, Communication, Student preferences, UMSU.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper primarily explores how medical students at Urmia University of Medical Sciences perceive and utilize the Telegram app as a tool for learning English as a foreign language.
What are the central thematic areas discussed?
The study centers on the intersection of social networking, language pedagogy, learner autonomy, and the specific use of online platforms to develop reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
What is the primary research question?
The study aims to determine which English language components students prioritize on Telegram and to evaluate the effectiveness of the platform in improving their language skills from their own perspective.
Which scientific methodology was employed?
The author conducted a quantitative study using an online, self-reported questionnaire administered through a Telegram channel to 300 medical students, analyzing the results using SPSS software.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The body chapters cover the theoretical background of social media in language learning, the specific methodology of the survey, the resulting preferences of the participants, and a concluding evaluation of these findings.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The study is characterized by terms such as Telegram, E-learning, EGP, language components, and pedagogical perspectives.
How does gender influence the findings of this study?
The findings indicate a distinct difference: male participants reported reading as their most utilized skill, whereas female participants prioritized writing and reported higher productive skill development.
Does the study support on-screen learning?
Yes, the majority of both male (90.66%) and female (82%) participants expressed a preference for on-screen learning over traditional paper-based learning methods.
Is Telegram considered effective for grammar improvement?
According to the participant feedback in this study, the majority of students (over 96%) indicated that Telegram channels were more effective in improving their vocabulary than their grammar.
- Quote paper
- Ismail Baniadam (Author), 2018, Telegram as an E-Learning Tool in English for General Purposes (EGP) Context in Urmia University of Medical Sciences (UMSU), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/439035
