Exploring How the Use of the Social Networking Site Busuu Facilitates the Development of English as an International Language

Abstract

This study was motivated by the emerging trend of English as an International Language (EIL) interactions in the 21st century and examines how the use of the social networking site (SNS) Busuu facilitates the development of EIL. The study utilized qualitative research, namely on-line, cross-cultural communications implemented within a college-level English course, and took place over the course of one semester. The study's findings reveal that previous EIL modules conceptualized for post-colonial face-to-face interactions appear to be insufficient when applied to the development process of EIL in cyberspace. Despite this general inapplicability, the dominant status of English native speakers (NSs) can still be observed in the on-line environment. Regarding the quality of the Busuu SNS as an EIL learning tool, both advantages and disadvantages were revealed. Furthermore, the strategies used by participants to increase their language intelligibilities are quite similar to those reported in studies of face-to-face EIL communications, with the exceptions of simplifying written texts and browsing on-line dictionaries or translators.