Facebook in Vietnam: Can it encourage classroom community, language learning, and academic success?
1. Christina Massey
English Language Fellow
Facebook: EL Fellow Christina
Hoang Thi Nhat Tam
Lecturer, Faculty of Eng.
Linguistics and Literature
University of Social Sciences and Humanities - HCMC
2. Facebook in Vietnam:
Can It Encourage
Classroom Community,
Language Learning,
and Academic Success?
9. 3 Facebook Groups for a
Writing class
1.Language Study 3A – Friday
2.Assignment – Language Study 3A
3.Writing project – Language Study 3A
Note: albums
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12. 3 Facebook Groups for a
Writing class
1.Language Study 3A – Friday
2.Assignment – Language Study 3A
3.Writing project – Language Study 3A
Note: albums
24. 2 Assignment – Language Study 3A
What do we do there?
1.1 TWO compulsory weekly writing assignments
-Writing assignment in the textbook
-Writing reflection on their learning process & identity.
Peer- editing
1.2 optional challenges
- Answering the critical thinking questions after a reading text.
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31. 3 Writing project – Language Study 3A
What do we do here?
Display learning products at the end of the course
37. Encourage Classroom Community
Students became “noticeably more interactive not only online but also in
face-to-face activities in the classroom.” [study at a Japanese university]
The teacher increased the frequency of communicating with students and
found that being FB friends built trust and rapport. [Tam’s experience at a
Vietnamese university]
Students initiated online communication, without teacher direction. For
example, posting photos from class and creating class polls.
[Christina’s experience at a Vietnamese university]
38. Encourage Language Learning
“...their interactions on Facebook outside the discussion activity were
increasingly appearing in English.” [study at a Japanese university]
One student said “I think it’s useful and I can improve my English too. It can also
help me to speak or write with good vocabulary and grammar. I can find the words
that I want to use in communication.” [study at a Malaysian university]
A place for intensive language practice and production. For example, class
discussions build fluency while compulsory assignments focus on accuracy.
[Tam’s experience at a Vietnamese university]
39. Encourage Academic Success
The teacher can understand students’ needs, problems, strengths, weaknesses,
and can adjust teaching and learning appropriately and in a timely manner.
[Tam’s experience at a Vietnamese university]
Promotes 21st Century Skills such as learner autonomy, dealing positively
with praise/criticism, and using digital technologies to access and create
information. [our experiences]
Exposure to peers’ language products provides insights to what succeeds/fails
and encourages critical self-reflection. [Tam’s experience at a Vietnamese
university]
41. Sources
Omar, H., Embi, M., & Yunus, M. (2012). ESL Learners’ Interaction in an Online Discussion via Facebook. Asian Social Science
ASS, 8(11), 67-74.
Promnitz-Hayashi, L. (2011). A learning success story using Facebook. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 2(4), 309-316.
http://www.p21.org/about-us/p21-framework
1. Have you used online platforms or social networks with your students?
2. What is your impression of using Facebook to enhance teaching & learning in the EFL context? Benefits? Drawbacks?
Blackboard: https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/blackboard-mobile-learn/id376413870?mt=8
Moodle: http://vle.wolvcoll.ac.uk/moodle/
Ning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ning_(website)#/media/File:Ning-logo.png
Wordpress: https://wordpress.org/about/logos/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/logo
Google Sites: https://sites.google.com/?pli=1
FB: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Facebook_logo_(square).png
1. It is easy to access FB anytime by phone or computer.
2. FB is popular among Vietnamese students, so a) they use it frequently and b) they already are familiar with how to navigate the site
Image: http://thesardonictruth.com/cuba-and-vietnam-a-comparison-and-a-road-map/
Stat: Tuoi Tre News. Facebook now has 30 million monthly active users in Vietnam. (2015, June 17). Retrieved October 10, 2015.
This semester, I have one writing class and to enhance the teaching and learning during the course. (Language Study 3A - the name of the course), I have used 3 FBGs including 1, 2, and 3
Let’s have a look at how our FBGs have worked.
we have used different albums as a map for the “residents” in our community easily navigate during the course. As u can see from the screen, the albums have different names such as Beneficial Sources for your writing, Discussion Opened, Reflection, etc.
Let’s have a close look at what we have done with each of the 3 fbgs here.
These are the activities conducted on the first FBG. (List them out) Why don’t we “zoom in” each activty?
This place is used for our communication and also language practice. This is one of the announcement posted.
reminders - here is one of the reminders for the students during a week. I always remember to include an appealing quote so that it is more interesting to read my notes.
The students have complained about the heavy assignments they are supposed to do. In class, I do not have enough time to explain to them, so this place is perflectly helpful for my communicating with them about the class activity. I have utilized emotion icons to show them that I am always there helpful, caring and willing to help them.
Moreover, if I notice that my students do not show their absolute agreement with me. I have used this place to negotiate with them about how we all can contribute to adjust the class activities, teaching approach, assessments in order to meet our students’ needs and expectations.
sometimes it is not a reminder or announcement, but it IS a song for them to relax.
This one is special! My students also use this place to take a proactive role to design an activity for our class. This male students suggested an activity for building up their vocab. He called it “word-trading activity”
It’s also used for reflection. I usually write reflections on activities conducted in our class for 2 purposes. First, thanks to my note, they can have a reflection on what they can gain from the class or what they expect more. Second, many students who are sometimes absent from class can easily catch up with what they missed. One of our teaching mottos in class is “NO STUDENTS LEFT BEHIND”
How about this one? my students are encouraged to post any topics grasp their interests and tag their friends to discuss. This guy - he was appealed by ghost topics on Halloween Day. As u can see, there are 17 comments, and a lot of replies for each comment. Totally, there are nearly 98 comments.
This female students posted a question on whether we should do what we really love or just do what our parents think right. As u can see, many students joined her discussion.
This students love talking about Life on other planets. Undoubtedly, this activity can help the ss to improve their writing fluency.
Here comes the second FBG called Assignments! The name tells u all about the place. There are two main parts including two com. w. w. as. and optional challenges. Every two week, they are supposed to write a wr as. in the textbook, and a reflec. w. as. on their learning process & indentiy. This act. aims at faciliating their practicing writing accuracy. Speaking of Challenges, there are many worthwhile critical thinking skills questions in the textbook -which we dont have enough time to do in class, so I post all of them here as optional challenges. If they accepted the challenges, they get bonuses. The purpose of this act. is helping them to develop their writing fluency.
again, we use albums as map during the course
here is one of the compulsory awriting assignment
this is one of my student’s writing products. This part is forleaving commes
the challenges. 14 coments
especailly, this is a wonderful place for student working togetherCollaborative learning. As u can see, these students help their partner to better her essay.
Maybe too many words on the following slides…. May need to remove some and only share orally.
There have been mixed reviews of the use of FB in the classroom, but our own experiences as well as those at universities in Malaysia and Japan suggest positive outcomes.
Promnitz-Hayashi, L. (2011). A learning success story using Facebook. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 2(4), 309-316.
Whether use personal FB or a work FB, can still encourage community.
Omar, H., Embi, M., & Yunus, M. (2012). ESL Learners’ Interaction in an Online Discussion via Facebook. Asian Social Science ASS, 8(11), 67-74.
Promnitz-Hayashi, L. (2011). A learning success story using Facebook. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 2(4), 309-316.
