USAGE OF MASS OPEN ONLINE COURSES AND SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR FORMATION OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF STUDENTS OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Facebook is, in most countries, a very popular Social Network Service (SNS). As a platform for a link to the world, Facebook can also be used effectively for language learning in English as a foreign language environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Facebook can help students to improve their English by integrating Facebook activities into English lessons, and examine whether it could facilitate student interaction and self-motivation for learning English. This study investigates the potential and use of social networking technology to support a community of practice in an undergraduate-level classroom setting. Facebook is used as a tool with which to provide supplementary language learning materials to develop learners' English writing skills. We adopted the technology acceptance model to examine students' initial expectations and perceptions of, and attitudes toward the use of Facebook as a learning platform for sharing of knowledge and class experiences. Findings indicate that Facebook provides an easy-to-use interface for learners to leverage the social networking skills that are part and parcel of their everyday world and to generate shared knowledge among each other within a small group environment. Given the fact that college-age students are already proficient with Facebook and other social media, language teachers should take advantage of that situation by incorporating Facebook into classrooms. It is also suggested that language teachers consider their expected learning objectives and outcomes while utilizing Facebook for its educational purposes and meaningfulness.