Vol. 2 (2) Dec. 2020

Article ID. JHSSR-1075-2020[2]

A Review of the Literature on Integration of WhatsApp into English Language Classroom

Nafiseh Zarei and Kadija Fathi

Abstract:

Education system has tremendously developed from the traditional way of teaching and learning to a modern and efficient way of transmitting knowledge to the students. Today, educators and students depend on the technological tools in teaching and learning process. Social media applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram and many more have been introduced as platforms to keep ourselves updated with the latest information and also to make new friends from all over the world. However, in education line, the implementation of WhatsApp in English language classroom can be beneficial not only for leaners, but also teachers or instructors. For instance, the use of WhatsApp in education enhances social interaction, students’ motivation, sense of belonging, and it supports learning anytime and anywhere. Even though there are lots of benefits of utilizing WhatsApp in English language classroom, there are certain aspects that have to be taken into consideration in terms of the difficulties and challenges of using this application. There are some concerns with regard to privacy and security, losing attention, and use of slang language. Considering both positive and negative sides of using WhatsApp does not change the fact that this application has been rapidly becoming popular not only for communication purposes but also, as a teaching-learning tool in education. This study reviews the literature regarding the use of WhatsApp in English language classroom.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2020.v2.n2.id1075.p23