Learning for Fun: Strategies for Social Networking-Based Language Learning

Technology-mediated sociocultural practice requires the dynamic interplay of learner-users’ roles, learning contexts and technology tools. The behavioral intentions of users interact with the perceived features of these tools in enabling up-to-date personal experiences of leisure learning and social networking available online. The aim of this article is to explore the current perceptions among Malaysian university students about their daily learning strategies of English as a Second Language (ESL) via social networking. It initially makes use of the online surveys (quantitative self-reported questionnaire) that have been administered to final year Malaysian university students, ESL learners’ population of approximately 500 students. The result shows that there is obvious potential within these new media resources to empower Malaysian ESL learners with authentic learning potentials such as to communicate, practice and rehearse through the multiple identities and learning strategies they adopt in the virtual environment.