Social Media Use and Language Skills of First-Year College Students

An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of the College of Teachers Education
University of Mindanao
Davao City

______________________

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements in Language Education Research 1
(ELT 412 – 9786)

______________________

Ytac, Mathew Edison P.

Rojas, Edwell Vincent D.
Rosales, Roberto Jr. R.

May 2021
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER Page
I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..
Background of the study…………………………………………………….
Research Objectives………………………………………………………...
Hypothesis……………………………………………………………………
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE……………………………………
Theoretical Framework……………………………………………………..
Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………..
Significance of the Study……………………………………………………
Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………..

II. METHODS………………………………………………………………..
Research Design……………………………………………………………
Research Locale……………………………………………………………
Population and Sample……………………………………………………
Research Instrument………………………………………………………
Data Collection……………………………………………………………..
Statistical Tools…………………………………………………………….
Ethical Consideration……………………………………………………...
Bibliography………………………………………………………………...
 Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Developing the basic macro skill is necessary to achieve effective communication

and language mastery. However, the level of the basic macro skills of students in the

first year does not reach the baseline competency required for them in college

education. In a study conducted by Pascual L. (2017) found out that college students

tend to use code-switching more frequently in terms of speaking using the English

language. The overall description of Pascual’s Oral Proficiency Test is low. A study is

conducted by Cabardo J. (2016) to determine the level of reading comprehension of first

year students. The results shows that most students belong to the frustration level of

reading, in which male students tend to be less proficient in reading than females. In the

listening skill, the study of Hadijah, S. et. al, (2016) shows that students’ listening

performance are low. Students have difficulty in listening due to various factors, such as

limited vocabulary and native speakers’ accent and pronunciations.

Wang et al. (2011) conducted research and found out the poor reading is

linked to social media. They also learned that two-thirds of students use social media

either in class or in reading. Multitasking causes distraction and has a negative effect on

students' reading skills. Quality of writing is also severely impaired due to technology.

According to Berman, M. (2020), students use poor grammar and become too

dependent on computerized spelling and grammar checkers. Listening is also affected

by the sudden shift in technology. According to Hong, S. (2015), the attention span of

people dwindled from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013. In terms of speaking,

studies show that about 11 percent prefer to stay at home and browse social media

platforms than going out and do actual face-to-face conversation with people.

According to Estacio et. al (2018), the study of macro skills is underexplored

here in the Philippines. Some macro skills, like speaking and writing, pose a problem in

teaching implementation. There are only a few studies that discussed about the macro

skills, such as the study conducted by Alaga and Palencia in 2015. Their study shows

that Filipinos have reached advanced levels in macro skills. However, the study does

not put emphasis on social media usage. The researchers in this study are aiming to

identify the possible relationship between social media usage and the level of students’

macro skills. This research will fill the gap between social media and the students’

abilities in reading speaking, listening, and writing. Social media has a huge impact on

student learning. According to Mubarak (2016), social media provides learning flexibility

and provide students with easy communication to their peers and teachers.

In the study conducted by Alaga and Palencia in 2015, it is shown that the majority of

Filipino students have reached advanced levels in macro skills. However, the study did

not explicitly show how students use social media as a part of their daily life. Most

studies aThis study is conducted to show the possible relationship between social

media use and the macro skills of students.

 Students are the main beneficiaries of this study. This study will help them

minimize the possible negative effects of social media on their language skill.

Depending on the outcome, the students can also benefit from social media use if the

research yields a positive outcome for language skills and social media use. Teachers

can also use social media to enhance language skills if the research depending on the

outcome of this study. They can create a lesson plan that effectively utilizes technology

to better enhance classroom discussion. Lastly, this research can also contribute to

world studies about social media and language skills. Only a few research studies are

conducted in the Philippine setting, and this will help future researchers in their future

studies.

Research Objectives

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to discover the effects of social media

usage to the language competency for high school students at Villamor National High

School. It seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the extent of social media use among the respondents?

2. What is the level of language skills among the respondents?

3. Is there a significant relationship between extent of social media use and

language competency among the respondents?

Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between the level of social media use and language

skill of the college students when tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Review of Related Literature

 Macro skills are necessary to achieve effective communication and language

mastery. With the trend of technology and widespread use of the internet, there is now a

new macro skill which is viewing. Traditional methods in acquiring and enhancing

language skills have been changed to modern-technology teaching style. According to

Hobson (2013), newer technologies have addressed multiple issues in teaching macro

skills, including the resources and materials needed for instruction. A survey of 2,462

Advanced Placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers finds that

digital technology like cellphone and social networking sites helped in enhancing the

basic skill of reading, writing, listening, and speaking of students.

However, macro skills are also affected by the advancement of modern

technology and online platforms. Wang et al. (2011) conducted a research and found

out the poor reading is linked to social media. They also learned that two-thirds of

students use social media either in class or reading. Multitasking causes distraction and

has a negative effect on students' reading skills. Quality of writing is severely impaired

due to technology. According to Berman, M. (2020), students use poor grammar and

become too dependent on computerized spelling and grammar checkers. Listening is

also affected by the sudden shift in technology.

According to Hong, S. (2015), the attention span of people dwindled down from

12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013. People who are engaged in a conversation

without the presence of phones tend to be more empathetic than people who uses

phone while talking. On the positive side, technology have aided in enhancing the

speaking ability of students. A study conducted by …. Found out that speech

recognition technology teaches the students to pronounce morphemes correctly.

Bimodal speech presentation helps the students to speak the words correctly by

listening to their own voices. In this pandemic, the use of technology and social media

acts as a replacement to face-to-face classroom. Technology is both useful and harmful

at the same time. In this pandemic, it is important to know how these technology

produce media, which can affect students in many ways than one.

Social Media plays a huge part in our life. Technology has continued to expand

and improve, eventually becoming a central part of our day-to-day activities. Eventually,

technology and social media made their way into education. McGraw-Hill hosted a

panel discussion in 2010 to talk over the longtime effects of social media into higher

education. Many points were discussed, and many major points were addressed.

McGraw-Hill (2010) points out that social media helped the learners become more

engaged in learning, amplifying the ability to learn while communicating with their peers.

Handheld devices are also crucial because of its portability and its capability to

compress numerous texts and literature into files. Social Media may pose a risk on

education, but Bray (2013) assured that social media developers shut down harmful

content and grants limited access to educational materials.

As time goes by, people began to depend on technology in doing normal

activities like work and business ventures. Social media has become a route for faster

communication between people of different places. Lenhart, M. et. al (2010) cited that
many school universities and colleges have began to see the importance of social

media in education. Information and college services are easily delivered to students

with social media. However, McLane C. (2012) note down the negative effects of social

media towards education. Social media can be a distraction. McLane cited that social

media can act as a disturbance on using important matters like studies, when

responding to message and commenting on photos is prioritize.

However, social media can also impede the learning pace of the students.

According to Ismail S. et al. (2018), some sites offer poor quality of online materials, and

some materials do not teach for specific level of students. Because of the lack of

effective interactions and emotional exchange among people, social interaction and

social cohesion can fail. People can also be misled when sentiment and feeling are

difficult to express using symbols and letters. These behaviors could negatively affect

the strategies in teaching language skill to students.

Social Media Use as a Means of Communication

As elaborated in the study of Davies and Pearse (2000) they stressed the

importance of communication as, “Real success in English teaching and learning is

when the learners can communicate in English inside and outside the classroom.” In the

world of globalization where the demand for using English effectively is necessary for

every country. Teaching and learning the English language is thus essential for
communicative purposes to meet the increasing demand for English skills on a state,

global, and international level. (Hossain, 2015)

Look Upgrade (2018) observed that Filipinos are good at communication skills

because Filipinos can immediately learn some different languages faster than any other

foreigner. One of the most important aspects of transferring or receiving information to

an individual is contacted. It is the interaction between two or more people in a

conversation in reaching out what they want to tell. In addition, according to Mart (2012)

without a language and vocabulary communication will break down. He also suggested

that one of the most useful ways to improve your communications skills is through

extensive reading. Extensive reading will improve your ability to articulate yourself while

expanding your vocabulary. One of the most important and basic aspects of

conversation is vocabulary (Levelt, 1993)

When we learn a language, there are four skills that we need to complete first to

achieve effective communication. When learning our native language, we usually learn

to listen first, then speak, read, and finally write. These are called the four language

skills:

Reading and Listening are referred to as receptive skills because they enable us

to receive language, comprehend and decode the meaning. They are essential because

they enable students to comprehend material, textbooks, works, and documents. On the

other hand, since we use words to produce meaning through expression or written
word, speaking and writing are referred to as productive skills (Hossain, 2015). Since

they enable students to perform communicative aspects such as oral presentations,

written studies, and others. As a result, these abilities must be carefully cultivated and

learned. These two skills can be used as a ‘barometer’ o check how much the learners

have learned (Hossain, 2015).

Jaramillo and Medina (2011) also defined productive skills (speaking and writing)

as an important form of expression used to persuade or convince other people as well

as to share ideas and feelings. As explored in the study of (Inan-Karagul & Yuksel

(2014), One of the primary learning goals of many TESOL teacher-education programs

around the world is knowledge of the philosophy and experience of teaching receptive

skills (listening and reading) and productive skills (speaking and writing) skills in English

Reading (Communication)

(Hossain, 2015) defined “Reading” as the act of getting the meaning from a set of

written symbols. When we read, our eyes obtain written signals (letters, punctuation

marks, and spaces), which we then translate into terms, sentences, and paragraphs

that communicate with us. "Reading" is the process of looking at a series of written

symbols and getting meaning from them. When we read, we use our eyes to receive

written symbols (letters, punctuation marks, and spaces) and we use our brain to

convert them into words, sentences, and paragraphs that communicate something to

us. Nunan (2003, p.68) also defines reading as a process of combining information from
a text and their background knowledge to build meaning and the goal of reading is

comprehension. But the complex process of reading also requires the skills of speaking,

so that we can pronounce the words that we read. According to Mart (2012) students

who read a lot have a better chance of speaking well. Students improve their fluency

and clarity of speech invoicing because of reading. In this sense reading is a productive

ability in this context since we are both collecting and sharing information as we learn

(even if only to ourselves.

Reading can be silent (in our head) or aloud (so that other people can hear).

Reading is a receptive skill - through which we receive information. But the complex

process of reading also requires the skill of speaking, so that we can pronounce the

words that we read. In this sense, reading is also a productive skill in that we are both

receiving information and transmitting it (even if only to ourselves) (Hossain, 2015). We

learn a lot from reading, and it is the most important language skill (Sadiku, 2015).

“Where there is little reading there will be little language learning. ... the student who

wants to learn English will have to read himself into a knowledge of it unless he can

move into an English environment” (Bright and McGregor, 1970, p.52). Bright and

McGregor (1970) also point out that it is impossible to learn a language without reading.

Reading is an excellent method of understanding. A decent reader can comprehend

written text's sentences and structures. Bojovic (2010) specified that reading is a

complex, purposeful, interactive, comprehending, and flexible activity that takes

considerable time and resources to be developed.

Krashen as cited in Hill and Holden, 1990, p.92) encourages students to love

reading because it is a great factor in foreign language improvement, a student who

reads a lot is good at reading, good at writing, and will have good vocabulary and

grammar knowledge. They may be able to see the structure of a sentence, and this ill

enables them to build their sentences and utterances. Hedge (1985, p.77) also states

that learners improve their abilities through extensive reading, it will increase both

comprehension and vocabulary which are very essential to advance speaking skills.

Listening (Communication)

According to Darancik (2018), listening is more difficult than reading because

when you read a text you can have the chance to read the text again; however, the

person who does not understand what you are saying has no chance of hearing it

again. Hossain (2015) defines “Listening is receiving language through our ears. It

involves identifying speech and processing them into words and sentences. When we

listen, our ears pick up individual sounds (letters, stress, rhythm, and pauses), which

our brain then translates into signals that we understand. The goal of listening

comprehension instruction is not to teach a skill that can be described as the ability to

listen, but rather to teach an efficient stage that can interpret the speaker's transmission

precisely and correctly. And if the speaker's entire discourse is not heard when

articulated at the usual pace, it is expected to understand what it says (Darancik, 2018).

According to Suelto (n.d.) Watching English-language films and listening to English-

language spoken media will also help you improve your English-speaking skills.
 In the classroom, listening skills play a vital role in the teaching-learning process.

A student learns better when he can listen better. Also, as a teacher, he is required to

have good listening skills if you want to be a better speaker and an effective teacher.

The way we listen defines our character/attitude and to achieve this skill our listening

skills should be enhanced in our life to be a great speaker. (Sadiku, 2015)

Speaking (Communication)

As defined by Hossain (2015) “speaking” is the delivery of language and a

productive skill through oral form/mode. When we speak, we create sounds using many

parts of our body including our lungs, vocal tract, vocal cords, tongue, teeth, and lips.

Like other skills, speaking is more complicated than it seems at first because it involves

more than just pronouncing words. According to Chastain (1998), speaking is more than

just making the right sounds, choosing the right words, or getting the constructions

correct.

Speaking is a productive skill that involves many components, such as

grammar, strategy, sociolinguistics, and discourse. The act of speaking is more

common than the act of writing. The primary purpose of spoken language is to socialize

people. Unlike poetry, spoken language is created and interpreted in real-time, which

means that the speaker and listener have a finite amount of time to prepare and

generate what they wish to communicate, as well as comprehend what they hear.

Speech is most often used in face-to-face conversations; it is temporary, spontaneous,

and variable. Body language, such as gestures and facial expressions, complements

spoken language (often called non-verbal communication). (Hossain, 2015).

Nunan (2003, p.48) stressed out speaking as being capable of speech,

expressing, or exchanging thoughts through using language. “Speaking is a productive

aural/oral skill, and it consists of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey

meaning”. According to Ur (1996, p.120), “of all the four skills (listening, speaking,

reading, and writing), speaking seems intuitively the most important.

In the act of communicating, the student gains the capacity to communicate his

own emotions, opinions, or information to others, as well as the chance to hear about

others' feelings, thoughts, and ideas, allowing him to truly understand, analyze, and

perceive what is going on in the world. (Darancik, 2018)

Writing (Communication)

The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Writings Systems, Florian Coulmas defines a

writing system as: “a set of visible or tactile signs used to represent units of language

systematically, to record messages which can be retrieved by everyone who knows the

language in question and the rules by which its units are encoded in the writing system.”

Writing is a productive skill in the written mode. It, too, is more complicated to some and

often seems to be the hardest of the skills, even for native speakers of a language since

it involves not just graphic representation of a speech, but the development and

presentation of thoughts in a written form and structured way. (Hossain, 2015)

 As observed by Sadiku (2015) Writing is a gem to pick. When it comes to

presenting oneself, a person who has strong writing skills is always victorious. The

ability to write is the ‘hard copy of your intellectual level or the level of your expression.

In this modern and changing competitive world, our command over a language

and even more the level of our English competency determines our life. (Sadiku, 2015)

Harner (1991; p.52 suggests that we should develop competency on these four

language skills because any of the skills cannot be performed without another. It's

impossible to talk (speaking) in a conversation if the other one isn't paying attention

(listening), and it's difficult to compose (writing) without reading.

Social Media Use as a Means of Gathering Data

Gilakjani (2017), said that technology has changed the way people collect

knowledge, conduct research, and interact with others around the world. Distance

barriers have been removed by technology, allowing higher education to easily educate

everyone. In order to enhance teaching and learning, technology incorporation is

becoming more common in classrooms.

 In addition, learners' visual and auditory senses are also satisfied by technology

(Solanki & Shyamlee1, 2012). Graddol (1997) , according to him, technology is at the

heart of the globalization process and has an influence on education and culture.

Pourhosein Gilakjani and Lai-Mei (2012) also conclude the unique opportunities

provided by technology have resulted in new resources, methods, and techniques in the

teaching and learning of language skills.

Moreover, the advent and widespread use of the internet paved the way for the

development of social media, a field that has completely transformed the world of

communication. As technology advances, many educators and innovators participate in

the quest for new ways to bridge the information and expertise gaps that exist across

regions, time, and space (Tandale and Raman, 2016).

As social media becomes more viable in today's technological environment, the

innovations that accompany it improve learning, increase demand for learning, and

encourage versatile, time-based delivery, among other things. In today's interactive

collaboration period, the demand for innovation and invention, imagination,

collaboration, and competition are critical for success (Suswati et al., 2019). Educators,

learners, and societies are still looking for new information and expertise to enhance

their abilities.

Furthermore, social networking provides a constructive forum for learners and

stimulates their curiosity, resulting in successful language acquisition (Chartrand, 2012).

When learners are comfortable, they are more accessible to new ideas and feedback,

and social networking platforms can provide a language-rich learning environment by

using "comprehensible input” (Krashen,1980).

 The use of mobile communication technologies has become an essential part of

our everyday lives with the introduction of mobile phones and modern smart devices.

Vie (2007) added when people communicate for a variety of social reasons, social

media provides a platform for socialization, and in the process of interaction, they are

exposed to authentic vocabulary.

According to George (2018) , the advent of technology and online resources has

opened up a plethora of opportunities to learn English outside of the classroom. Social

networking sites are the most important of the most recent web inventions. Social

networking has become an indispensable part of people's lives, with polls indicating that

the amount of people using it grows exponentially every year. In a 2013 Pearson study

on higher education faculty's use of social media, 59 percent of those polled believed

that the collaborative aspect of online and mobile technology provides a better learning

environment.

Correspondingly, students in the English Education department, according to

Handayani et al. (2021), must have a strong command of the English language. For

English majors, learning the language is imperative. The majority of Language

Education Department students learn English with the use of technologies such as the

internet.

Moreover, Darancik (2018) stresses the importance of the four basic language

skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing in language instruction. These four

basic language skills must be learned and reinforced in line with the level and needs of
the learners for good and efficient education and training in foreign language courses. In

view of this Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), according to Sherine et al.

(2020), this not only gives access to authentic learning experiences and promotes

second language (L2) learning anytime and anywhere, but also allows for informal

learning outside of the school. Social networking, with its instant messaging, multi-

modal connectivity, and knowledge sharing capabilities, provides opportunities for peer

engagement and cooperative learning to improve L2 skills. In China, research on

common instant messaging apps such as WeChat have shown that developing L2

speaking skills has a positive impact.

Reading (Data Gathering)

Comparatively, Momani M, (2020) wants also to talk about how new

technological apps, including such telegram messenger networks, can support learners

improve their reading skills. E-learning, m-learning, and technological aids may be able

to help close the gap. The research is being carried out on EFL students at Ajloun

University College. To summarize, the study found that the Telegram social media

application is successful in developing students' reading skills. A research is currently

underway at a Saudi university to determine if social media has a positive or detrimental

impact on students' reading abilities. The research also aims to see whether there are

any major variations in students' reading competence as a result about using social

media to Northern Border University (NBU) students, taking into account gender, social

media, reading abilities, and geographic distribution.

 According to the analysis of the data collected by Al-mukhallafi, (2020), the

majority of the respondents strongly believed in the instructional benefits and value

through using social media as an ELT instrument in their classrooms, particularly in

improving reading skills. The results also suggest that social media websites and

applications (such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Skype) can help people learn

English as a second language.

Moreover, when examining reading skills, Sahin (2010) states that reading skills have a

beneficial impact on other skills, such as listening, speaking, and writing. On the other

hand, Günay (2007) divides reading objectives into two categories: knowledge and

enjoyment. Reading for informational purposes denotes reading with a particular goal in

mind; the person reads for his or her career or to excel in his or her area.

Listening (Data Gathering)

Kutlu & Aslanoǧlu,(2009) also said that, listening comprehension is the process

of one person perceiving another through their sense organs (specifically their ears),

giving an intended meaning, and grasping it. It is a necessary and essential component

of human engagement in social situations. The social media can be used to help ESL

students improve their listening and reading skills by allowing them to communicate with
each other outside of the conventional classroom setting. According to Chartrand

(2012), social media provide a valuable forum for learners and enhance their curiosity,

resulting in successful learning the language.

Listening is an extremely important skill to develop as stated by Hamouda (2013)

in a second language classroom since it is needed for the growth of the spoken

language skills. This is due to the fact that listening is regarded as a dynamic and active

mechanism in which listeners must continuously discriminate different elements of

grammatical and lexical structures, and also sounds, stress, and intonation (Vandergrift,

1999).

Furthermore, when it comes to strategizing about how to improve listening skills,

Al Harbi, W., (2020) contrasted other traditional audio recording devices with social

media, especially YouTube and Snapchat, and concluded that social media, particularly

YouTube and Snapchat, can be a creative education tool for improving EFL learners'

listening skills. In addition of Ghee et al. (2019), a study conducted in Malaysia is

looking into whether college students studying Mandarin as a foreign language finding

WhatsApp to be a beneficial tool for enhancing and/or improving their listening skills.

The results showed that students assume WhatsApp can be used to help them improve

their Mandarin listening skills.

Speaking (Data Gathering)

 Certainly, we reside in an ever-changing globalized society in which speaking

skills have become essential in all work environments. Raju et al. (2020) said that

speaking skills are one of the nurturing skills in today's ever-changing world. In order to

communicate effectively in this global environment, Rao, P. S. (2019) concludes also

that speaking is the most essential skill among the four language skills. Since English is

commonly spoken around the world, learners must master its speaking skills in order to

succeed in their chosen fields. In order to learn L2 speaking skills, we must interact with

others. It is also challenging for learners to gain courage in speaking the target

language comfortably and proficiently without adequate interaction in the target

language (Sherine et al., 2020).

Moreover, most linguists according to Becker-Mrotzek (2008), stress the

importance of intertwining speaking and listening skills. Listening is more challenging

than reading since you can reread the text; however, someone who doesn't

comprehend what you're saying has no chance of hearing it again. DeVito (1995)

described listening as "the effective process of communication interpretation,

comprehension, understanding, assessment, and reaction." A good listener devotes

seventy percent (70%) of his attention to listening and only thirty percent (30%) to

speaking (Myers and Myers, 1988; Beaverson, 1999).

Writing (Data Gathering)

İşeri (1998) also points out the aims of reading as awareness, enlightenment and

pleasure. Moreover, Balcı (2000, p. 528) emphasize the value of writing, the final ability,

is summarized as follows: Writing is an effective communicative method for forming

one's identity by helping to improve other language skills. Being a successful producer
is a characteristic of this ability. This is an ability that must be learned and developed in

a group setting rather than on one's own. Furthermore, writing skills can be used also  to

monitor the learning process, assess learners' levels, organize lessons or phrases, see

language errors, learn punctuation marks, acquire other skills, and develop a student's

language skills by assisting them in converting their skills into results (Çakır, 2010, pp.

167-168)

Correspondingly, writing ability is perhaps the most difficult aspect of classroom

teaching. When it comes to teaching, teachers can have a variety of perspectives on

their students' written work. The complexity of writing steps in guided paragraph writing

is often to blame for weak writing skills among both first and second language learners.

Majid and Stapa (2017), expounded a study that used Facebook as a scaffolding tool,

secondary students in rural areas preferred the use of social media because it helped

them learn better and develop their writing process and results. Participants' written

essays were also subjected to content review, which revealed a development in the

target group.

In Malaysia, English has always been taught as a second language in primary

and secondary schools. Learners ought to be able to communicate in English for a

variety of purposes, including career requirements, scientific and technological

advancements, and so on. and for them, the ability to write is one of the most difficult

skills to learn. Yunus et al.( 2019) based on the findings of their research, the majority of

respondents have access to social media and believe that it is useful for ESL teachers

to integrate ICT into their teaching repertoire via social media. Integrating social
networking sites into the classroom, it is believed that it breaks down barriers to

education and transforms it into a supportive learning environment.

Social Media Use as a Form of Entertainment

Reading (Entertainment)

As stated by Kaplan and Haenlein (2010, p.61) Social Media is "a group of

Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundation of

Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content". Social

Media enables users to create manage, and share contents, post comments, or even

engage in the discussion with different people in every part of the world. To be able to

access these social networking sites and social media, cellphones are a very vital tool

(Hussain, Lon, & Yaseen, 2017).

Different studies noted the positive effects of social media on reading habits.

Social networking sites are used to gain knowledge, promote social-political, and

environmental awareness, and share information which is almost the same when using

social media. The influence of friends was the primary reason for the use of social

media (Khan, 2012). Through an experimental study of Junco et al., (2011) they found

that Twitter increases the student’s engagement that may cause for higher grade point

average (GPA). Students were highly engaged with this kind of social media as this
offers users to share their thoughts and ideas and another user may be able to read it

and be entertained, informed, or persuade.

Based on the study of Junco et al., (2011); Madge et al., (2009); Olutola et al.,

(2016) reported that proper use of social media can improve reading habits and

academic performance students. (Sherly, 2011) also stated that “Reading habit is

behavior that makes an individual read a book for knowledge or entertainment or just to

pass the time”. On the other hand, Shabir et al., (2014) and Lubis et al., (2012) argued

that there was no significant relationship between the use of social media and academic

performance.

However, social media have negative effects on the reading habits of the

students. Rafiq et al., (2019) specified that the student’s ability to read and write is

highly valued as this is very essential for social, cultural, and economic advancement

but studies reported the negative effects of social media use on reading habits and

academic performance of the students. These students are stuck with their cellphones

instead of studying because of too much addiction to social media (Bhatt & Arshad,

2016). It is also observed by Wang, Chen, & Liang (2011) that student gives a vast

amount of time spent checking on their social media to make friends which can be

detrimental to their performance and reading habits. Additionally, too much use of

gadgets like mobile phones in accessing their social media cause distraction in the

classrooms Sharma et al, (2016) and adversely affect students’ concentration to

lectures and study. Similarly, the misuse of personal information and breach of privacy
may result in drawbacks of social media. Chandler and Singh (2017) and Shabir et al.

(2014)

Social media on the reading habits of the students have both positive and

negative impacts on the students. The positive aspect is it increases the socialization

that facilitates the students in their study, and they may be able to find information in

social media while they are navigating that may be beneficial in their study. However,

the negative aspect is that students are easily distracted using social media at the time

of their study. (Rafiq et all., 2019) added that reading is the fundamental skill that is

necessary not only for the success of our academic purpose but for all walks of life.

Listening (Entertainment)

Listening is the key to effective communication. Listening is the ability to

accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Without the

ability to listen effectively the messages will be misunderstood. Listening in every

language requires focus and attention. Listening is a skill that other student needs to

work for, people who have difficulty in concentrating are poor listeners. Listening in a

second language requires greater focus. To be able to be a fluent English speaker,

learners need to develop strong listening skills (Hossain, 2015).

Listening is not only about understanding what people are saying but it also helps

us to speak clearly to other people. In listening, it helps us learn how to pronounce

words properly, how to use intonations, and where to place stress in words and
sentences. But, as observed by the Mentimeter that social media has a subtle yet

persuasive effect on how e listen as a general skill today, “Social media originated from

the power to connect people and give everyone a voice but in fact, It had just made us

talk more and listen less.”

Social media has the huge power to connect us people, but it can also evolve or

result in miscommunication because everyone now has the chance to speak more, yet

we listen even less. As explain by Song (2015) found out that people who had

conversations in the absence of mobile devices showed higher levels of emphatic

concern compared to conversations with the presence of the mobile device.

In another recent study, it was observed that sixty-two of the students are now

more focused on their gadgets and browsing on their social media, or either they send

text messages, talk on the phone, or use a computer or tablet while they are with their

classmates. In short, it is a distraction to the point that we are losing the art of listening

and our ability to empathize and to interact with other people around us. Technology

and social media affect how we interact with each other on an interpersonal level,

especially when it comes to the listening portion of communication (Song (2015), if there

is one communication skill we should aim to master, then listening is it.

 Speaking (Entertainment)

Educators and second/foreign language professionals according to Albiladi et al.

(2018)

have paid close attention to the use of technology in English teaching and learning.

Movies, songs, films, and other forms of entertainment-related learning opportunities

are examples of media use. In IAIN Kediri, Indonesia, a study explained how visual

projects were used to improve the speaking skill of EFL university students. The

researcher discovered that students in the speaking class had technological and

personal issues. According to the findings of Hasanah (2019), barriers to speaking

English can be overcome by using musical videos as a task, which involves exercising

aspects of the language in song lyrics and making videos, which are then shared on

YouTube in order to enjoy their work and innovation, as well as to display it as a good

instrument of learning media and entertainment.

Entertainment-education programming, according to a substantial number of

studies of Brodie et al. (2001), can be an efficient means of delivering prosocial and

health information. In some cases, entertainment-education can also be more

successful than directly persuasive messages, according to some. TV and radio, as the

prevailing audio/visual mass media, have distinct linguistic features that set them apart

from other forms. One feature of television news, for example, that makes it

methodologically valuable for use in EFL and ESL classrooms is vocabulary retention

(Blatchford 148; Brinton and Gaskill 413). This repetition of words in TV and radio news
is referred to as duplication of input, and it usually aids students' understanding of their

foreign language (Chaudron 46; Chiang and Dunkel 362).

Furthermore, the TV and radio news speech genre based on the studies of

Bahrani & Sim (2011), they said that, whatever the topic ,it has proven to be an

important audio-visual input in enabling EFL learners develop their ability to Speak

English. The objectives of their research are to see how exposure to news from the

mainstream media (TV and radio) affects EFL learners' speaking abilities.

Writing (Entertainment)

In addition, Dockter, Haug & Lewis (2010), said that digital storytelling, for

example is a representation of an emerging technology that has already been identified

to be interactive for both teachers and students. Other research of Warren, Dondlinger,

& Barab (2008), towards the use of digital teaching methods in the classrooms has

found an improvement in "self - initiated student writing" as well as "improved

standardized achievement test scores on writing tasks”. Robin (2008) in his study he

found that teachers have discovered that multimedia-rich visual stories can be effective

learning resources for a variety of subjects. When students have the ability to develop

their own multimedia tales, the effects can be even better.

The use of technology in the production of digital stories has been shown to increase

encouragement for "struggling authors" to produce and finish written items. According to

one report of Sylvester & Greenidge (2009-10, p. 294), struggling authors may be
inspired by emerging technologies “because they are more knowledgeable in modern

literacies and use them to scaffold conventional literacy.”

Theoretical Framework

The study is anchored to the Bandura's (1986) Social Learning Theory, as mentioned in

the article of Deaton (2015). The Social Learning Theory describes the natural ability of

human to observe and imitate the behavior of other people. This occurs in every day

life, where people interact and learn with each other. This is evident in children, as they

mimic the speech and the behavior of their close family, relatives, and friends. As the

world began to advance towards the new technological era, behaviors change but the

ability to copy them is still noticeable (Deaton, 2015). The frequent application of social

media use in daily life results to children having the ability to use social media without

extensive instructions.

Social media use have changed the way we live our lives. From communication to

psychological behaviors, it is important to take note of the possibility of social media

having an impact to these attitudes, whether positively or negatively (Deaton, 2015).

The modern days of social media have shaped our education, and in education we

learn the basic macro skills. Educators have utilized social media as a means to teach,

and students tend to copy the ideas of their older peers.

Conceptual Framework
The study is based on the Journal of Gupta & Bashir (2018), where the Social Media

use is divided into three categories: Communication, Data Gathering, and

Entertainment. According to them, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter lets the

users to connect with each other and share knowledge through online means. The

usage of social media enhances the education system of the world as it improves the

collaboration of students as well as making assessments easier for teachers. However,

social media is also thought to have negative consequences in learning as it distracts

the students through entertainment and the frequent communications that were made

easier.

According to a journal written by Sadiku, C. (2015), the macro skills helped in improving

the English learning skills of students. Reading is the most notable macro skill because

we learn and improve our cognitive ability as we understand the meaning behind the

texts and add knowledge to our minds. However, the reading habits of people is

questionable as only a few percentage of people have a reading habit. Writing is a form

of expression that is converted to words jotted down on a piece of paper. Listening is an

important part of communication process. As we learn to listen well, we can clearly

understand the message the speaker is trying to convey. Lastly, speaking is a form of

expression where people can listen what's on your mind. It is crucial that we build a

strong vocabulary and proper pronunciation to avoid miscommunication.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

 Language Skill

Social Media Use  Speaking

 Communication  Listening

 Data Gathering  Reading

 Entertainment  Writing

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

Significance of the Study

This study will promote the advancement of education of college students in this

campus as well as in other schools worldwide. The study is significant to the following:

Administration. This study will provide important data to the administration,

such as the level of social media use among college students and its possible effects

towards the language skill of the students. In this era of technology, we assess the

efficiency of social media towards language skill, especially in this Covid 19 pandemic

where education turns online.

Teachers. This study will be a great help to teachers in lesson planning. This

study will suggest some advice on how they can improve their approach in teaching

through social media that creates an good atmosphere of learning in a classroom

environment.
 Future researchers. This research will be a useful reference for the researchers

who would plan to make any related study relating to language skill and social media

usage, precisely the standard underlying the College of Teacher Education in the

Secondary Education program.

Definition of terms

For clarity and understanding of the terms used in this study, the following terms

are defined operationally:

Social Media Use. In this study, the term refers to the use of social media for

various purposes.

Language Skill. In this study, the term refers to the four macro skills: listening,

speaking, reading, and writing.

 Chapter 2

METHOD

This chapter briefly discusses the various methods and techniques used by

researchers to conduct their study. It presents the research design, research locale,

population and sample, research instrument, data collection, and statistical tools. This

chapter also include the ethical consideration.

Research Design

This study utilizes the descriptive-correlational design. According to Creswell

(2012) a descriptive-correlational design defines and evaluates the degree of natural

interaction that exists between two or more variables, restricting researchers from

manipulating the relationship in their natural form.

 The study applied the descriptive-correlational research design in describing the

significant relationship between the social media use and language skill among college

students. Preventive measures of data manipulation and data modification will be

applied. Additionally, this design is utilized in line with the aims of the study which is to

describe the natural relationship occurring between the said variables.

Research Locale

The study was conducted in any random

universities in Davao City. The places have been

utilized for the efficiency of gathering the necessary

data required in accomplishing the study. Furthermore,

the study is implemented inside the premises of

University of Mindanao as per recommendation of the

university.

Population and Sample

The population of the study are the freshman studies at any university enrolled in

the first semester of school year 2020-2021. As recommended by the university, the

researchers conducted a stratified sampling. There are 300 participants of at random

number of students in each major ensuring every student from the 8 majors is properly

represented in the sample. In addition, given the current circumstances the researchers

are in, which is in the middle of the CoViD 19 pandemic, the mentioned population is the

most appropriate for the study.

Research Instrument

The study modifies Gupta et. al's (2015) 19-point item Social Networking Usage

Questionnaire, adapted from the Facebook Intensity Scale by Elllison, et. al (2007), to

determine the usage of social media of college students. On the other hand, the study

also uses the Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire by Setiyadi, B (2015) to

determine the different strategies utilized by students in learning the macro skills.

Gupta et. al's (2015) 19-item Social Networking Usage questionnaire is divided

into three subcategories, namely: Entertainment, Communication, and Data Gathering.

Each subcategory is composed of a number of statements that describe their degree of

competence in reference to each indicator. In addition, the questionnaire includes

statistical information about the respondents and is structured on a Likert-5 scale with

answers ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.

Range of Means Descriptive Level Interpretation

4.20 - 5.00 Very High This means that the self-directed

learning readiness of the
respondents is always manifested
3.40 - 4.19 High This means that the self-directed
learning readiness of the
respondents is oftentimes manifested
 2.60 - 3.39 Moderate This means that the self-directed
learning readiness of the
respondents is sometimes
manifested
1.80 - 2.59 Low This means that the self-directed
learning readiness of the
respondents is seldom manifested
1.00 - 1.79 Very Low This means that the self-directed
learning readiness of the
respondents is never manifested

On the other hand, the macro skills are measured by the Language Learning Strategy

Questionnaire by Setiyadi, B (2015). Each macro skills have 20 items that also uses the

Likert 5-scale to determine the level of competence and learning strategy.

Data Collection

The following steps were performed during the data collection process:

Seeking permission to conduct the study. The researchers requested an

approval from the Dean of the College of Teacher Education to commence the study

and validate the questionnaires.

Administration and distribution of the questionnaires. The study will be

conducted after gaining the permission. Survey questionnaires will be sent and

answered via Google Forms as the research study turns to online media. Social media

websites such as Facebook, Gmail, and Twitter will be utilized to find and connect with

potential student respondents.

Retrieval of the questionnaires and Data Analysis. The data collected will be

analyzed and interpreted with the help of the statician. Every answer will be kept in a
secured folder to prevent data leaks. The answered questionnaires will also be

duplicated and separated in a different file to serve as back up in case of missing

answers.

Statistical Tool

The following methodological methods will be used in the analysis of data

obtained in accordance with the study's objectives:

Mean. This tool was used to determine the level of social media use and macro skill

learning strategies of college students.

Pearson r. This tool was used to determine the significant relationship between the

level of social media use and macro skill learning stragies of college students.

Ethical Consideration

As a mandatory requirement of the College of Teaching Education, all Third year

CTE students are required to participate in writing thesis or research paper. Following

the University of Mindanao Ethics Review (UMERC), the researchers cited and

acknowledge properly the authors of the previous studies that helped in creating the

present study and secured the dignity and well-being of the students were protected at

all times. Moreover, the study upholds the following ethics: informed consent of

respondents, their voluntary participation, the privacy and confidentiality, justice and

beneficence, and respondent’s right to review.

 First, all respondents who participated received an informed consent prior the

conduct of the data collection. This informed consent comprises sufficient information

reassuring the implications of participation and a fully informed, considered, and freely

given decision of respondents to whether participate or not, neglecting the exercise of

any pressure or coercion.

Second, all respondents voluntarily participated in the conduct of the study. All

respondents exercised their own free will to participate in the study and adhered to their

personal decisions. More so, the respondents’ right to withdraw from the study any time

they wish to be was also practiced highlighting the voluntariness of their participation.

Third, all data collected were handled with utmost privacy and confidentiality.

This is in adherence to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 which emphasizes the protection of

individual personal information and strongly upholds the right to privacy by regulating

the processing of information. Hence, the anonymity of every respondent was treated

with great importance.

Fourth, the justice and beneficence of the respondence were considered with

utmost respect and just. The use of discriminatory or unacceptable language were

avoided and discouraged during the modification of the downloaded questionnaire.

More so, no form of any offensive or misleading acts were practiced during the conduct

of the collection emphasizing a just and humane collection of data.

Lastly, the respondents’ right to review is also treated with utmost respect and

consideration. All respondents can review their responses anytime they want to and
change some information if they wish to. This is to fully uphold the respondents’ rights to

his or her own data.