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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL Number 5. July 2019. Pp. 289-298
This study aimed to explore the impact of WhatsApp on enhancing Saudi EFL students’ language skills and areas. It also investigated EFL students’ attitudes, motivation, and anxiety towards learning English via WhatsApp. The sample comprised 55 male and female students studying English at the College of Arts, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from the sample. The results revealed that WhatsApp has a positive impact on learning English as a foreign language with a score of 3.9 as an overall mean. Students’ attitudes towards using WhatsApp for learning English scored 3.4, while the impact of WhatsApp on motivating EFL students to study English scored 3.6 in total. It was also found that WhatsApp reduced students’ anxiety with a score of 3.8 as the overall mean. Based on these results, the researchers suggest that WhatsApp should be activated at all stages of English language learning and teaching.
Ali, J.K.M., & Bin-Hady, W. R. A. (2019). A Study of EFL Students’ Attitudes, Motivation and Anxiety towards WhatsApp as a Language Learning Tool. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL (5). 289-298
Jamal Kaid Mohammed Ali is currently an Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at
University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. He received PhD degree in Applied Linguistics in 2012 from
Aligarh Muslim University, India. His research interests include Texting, Psycholinguistics,
Sociolinguistics, and Discourse Analysis. He is an e-learning and Quality Matters Reviewer. He
got certificates from Quality Matters (QM) on Applying the Quality Matter Rubric, Peer
Reviewer Course and Master Reviewer Certification. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3079-5580