“Social Media for Language Learning”

Although the use of social media in higher education continues to be a hotly contested issue, the fact remains that it presents an exciting avenue of communication. In this session I will explore how it impacts all levels of foreign language learning and what value there is in including it as part of your language instruction in order to:

• foster a collaborative, convivial atmosphere
• broaden student exposure to the target language
• increase active student engagement inside and outside the class-time
• engender dynamic, effective use of the target language
• promote greater/deeper cultural awareness.

Beyond this, I will also demonstrate how to set up your language Facebook page, enroll students, and administer the page. Also, I will discuss some practical considerations such as student rules of usage and conduct while on Facebook, etc.

(Antonietta D’Amelio, Senior Lecturer, Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, Baruch College)