Could using social media influencers in the foreign language classroom improve communication skills of non-native learners?

Abstract

In the current technological landscape, which has evolved exponentially throughout recent years, social media platforms have grown to not only be spaces within which we communicate with one another and spend our free time on, but have also become tools to acquire knowledge. New technologies, such as mobile devices and smartphones, have created wider accessibility opportunities for these platforms. This accessibility and connectivity only make it easier for teens to find content with which they can attain knowledge, inspiration and creativity along with adopting changes in their own morality, faith and understanding of the world around them. This knowledge is produced by several entities, but the one entity that has proven to be most popular with teenagers, has been influencers. Therefore, this dissertation investigates whether social media influencers have the potential to become an invaluable tool in a foreign language classroom through an analysis of two surveys which examine the practices and opinions of foreign language teachers and students of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, respectively.