Using Social Media in the ELL Classroom

WhatsApp, Facebook, Zalo-social media is a part of modern life. In this workshop, ELL teachers will learn to utilize the convenience of social media to build community, connection, and opportunity for authentic language usage. Specifically, teachers will be given a toolbox of English language challenges created for the social media application, WhatsApp; however the assignments can be adapted to most social media platforms to engage students in written, oral, and visual communication outside of the traditional classroom. The addition of social media assignments to an ELL classroom toolbox will give teachers the advantage of engaging students on the go. ELLs are not only students, but often they are also busy professionals and parents with limited time for study. Through the use of social media, ELL teachers can encourage students to communicate with each other in English outside of class time. Students will be challenged to share how they are using English in their daily lives, thereby building community with students and teachers facilitating a strong learning community that will create a more productive classroom environment.