| dc.description.abstract | This thesis presents the result of a small-scale study on Norwegian students 11-13, their teachers, and their English language understanding through social media, with a specific focus on the app TikTok. The main aim of this thesis was to examine whether students and teachers believe that students can acquire language by interacting with content on TikTok. The data for this study was collected using a mixed methods approach through both a quantitative online survey and qualitative interviews. There were a total of 38 participants in the online survey, and three teachers who were interviewed.
Previous research suggests English is considered the language of the internet (Brevik, 2019), as well as the world's lingua franca (Jenkins, 2015), and it is therefore a language young people in Norway frequently encounter. It is no secret that today’s children spend large amounts of time on different social media platforms, such as TikTok, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, scrolling, creating and interacting with others all over the globe. The language acquired from extramural activities is the language that is easiest to use (Krashen, 2003), because of the existing schemata (Clark, 2018). Hence, the language students interact with, and acquire from social media platforms is used more often than the language learned in educational settings. This thesis found that most students acquire vocabulary and develop their understanding of the English language by interacting with content from TikTok (Krashen, 2003). It is less influential in building the students’ confidence when using the language, creating their own output (Swain, 1995).
These research findings presented in this thesis contribute to furthering our shared understanding of the learning possibilities social media platforms can create for young students. This thesis acknowledges extramural English as an important factor for students' acquisition of English language knowledge, alongside other studies (e.g. Estensen, 2021, Thorsen, 2009). To the researchers’ best knowledge, the present study is, thus far, the only study concerning English language learning through TikTok conducted in Norway. The data collected from the study further contributes to a wider understanding of how one can acquire language through social media platforms, as little research has been carried out on TikTok as a source for learning opportunities. | |
