Social Media in Foreign Language Acquisition: An Analysis of the Role of Instagram in the Context of German as a Foreign Language

Öz

Social media is widely used around the world and has a direct impact on all areas of life, especially education. With its features, it offers time- and location-independent learning as well as personalized experiences. In foreign language learning, social media is frequently used. Instagram has become a popular platform for learners and educators, as it offers visual and interactive features such as Stories, Reels, and quizzes, which make it suitable for educational purposes. This forms the starting point for the present study on the effectiveness of Instagram in learning German. For this purpose, a mixed-methods design was chosen in which quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately, but the results were interpreted together. The quantitative part of the study, conducted with a 15-item Likert scale, included 283 participants, while the qualitative part involved 6 participants. Findings show that participants see Instagram as an effective tool for learning German. It was particularly found that Instagram is effective in vocabulary acquisition for learners at the beginner level.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• German as a foreign language
• social media
• digital learning
• Instagram
• autonomous learning

Soziale Medien im Fremdsprachenerwerb: Eine Analyse der Rolle von Instagram im DaF-Kontext

Öz

Die globale Verbreitung der sozialen Medien hat weitreichende Auswirkungen auf alle Lebensbereiche, insbesondere der Bildungsbereich ist erheblichen Veränderungen unterworfen. Sie ermöglichen zeit- und ortsunabhängiges Lernen. Insbesondere beim Fremdsprachenerwerb werden soziale Medien häufig genutzt. Instagram hat sich dabei zu einer beliebten Plattform für Lernende und Lehrende entwickelt, da es visuelle und interaktive Funktionen wie Stories, Reels und Quizze enthält, die es für Bildungszwecke nutzbar machen. Dies bildet den Ausgangspunkt für die vorliegende Untersuchung zur Effektivität von Instagram beim Deutschlernen. Hierfür wurde ein Mixed-Methods-Design gewählt, bei dem quantitative und qualitative Daten getrennt analysiert, die Ergebnisse jedoch gemeinsam interpretiert wurden. An der quantitativen Untersuchung, die mit einer 15-Item-Likert-Skala durchgeführt wurde, nahmen 283 Personen teil, während an der qualitativen Untersuchung 6 Personen beteiligt waren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Teilnehmenden Instagram als ein effektives Werkzeug zum Erlernen der deutschen Sprache ansehen. Es wurde insbesondere festgestellt, dass Instagram beim Wortschatzerwerb für Lernende auf Anfängerniveau wirksam ist.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Deutsch als Fremdsprache
• soziale Medien
• digitales Lernen
• Instagram
• autonomes Lernen

Kaynakça

1. Al-Ali, Sebah (2014): Embracing the Selfie Craze: Possible Use of instagram as a Language mLearning Tool. Issues and Trends in Educational Technology. Vol. 2 (2), 1-16.
2. Ali, Wahab (2020): Online and Remote Learning in Higher Education Institutes: A Necessity in light of COVID-19 Pandemic. Higher Education Studies. Vol. 10 (3), 16-25.
3. Alm, Antonie (2015): Facebook for informal language learning: Perspectives from tertiary language students. The EUROCALL Review. Vol. 23 (2), 3-18.
4. Aloraini, Nouf / Cardoso, Walcir (2020): Social media in language learning: A mixed-methods investigation of students’ perceptions. Computer Assisted Language Learning. Vol. 35 (8), 1707-1730. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1830804
5. Andayani, Widya u. a. (2024): Exploring Students’ Perseption on Self-Tought in Learning German Through Instagram Reels. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Education, Indonesia. Vol. 3, 254-265.
6. Beißwenger, Michael / Knopp, Matthias (2019): Soziale Medien in Schule und Hochschule. Zur Einführung. Beißwenger, Michael, Knopp, Matthias (Hrsg.): Soziale Medien in Schule und Hochschule: Linguistische, sprach-und mediendidaktische Perspektiven, Berlin: Peter Lang, 9-21.
7. Bozavlı, Ebubekir (2017): Yabancı Dilde Öğrenenlerin Sosyal Medya Aracılığıyla Sözel Dil Becerilerinin Geliştirilmesine Yönelik Algıları. İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi. Vol. 6 (1), 627-640.
8. Erarslan, Ali (2019): Instagram as an Education Platform for EFL Learners. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology. Vol. 18 (3), 54-69.

9. Faßmann, Manuel / Moss, Christoph (2016). Instagram als Marketing-Kanal: Die Positionierung ausgewählter Social-Media-Plattformen, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
10. Flower, Linda / Hayes, John R. (1981): A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing. College Composition and Communication. Vol. 32 (4), 365-387.
11. Gabriel, Roland / Röhrs, Heinz-Peter (2017). Social Media: Potenziale, Trends, Chancen und Risiken, Berlin: Springer Gabler.
12. Gamble, Craig / Wilkins, Michael (2014): Student Attitudes and Perceptions of Using Facebook for Language Learning. Dimension. 49-72.
13. Gay, L. R. u. a. (2006). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications, 8. Auflage, Upper Saddle River: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
14. Goudeau, Sebastian u.a. (2021): Why lockdown and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to increase the social class achievement gap. Nature Human Behaviour. Vol. 5, 1273-1281.
15. Gönülal, Talip (2019): The Use of Instagram as a Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Tool. Contemporary Educational Technology. Vol. 10 (3), 309-323. https://doi.org/10.30935/cet.590108
16. Grum, Urška / Legutke, Michael K. (2016): Sampling. Caspari, Daniela u. a. (Hrsg.): Forschungsmethoden in der Fremdsprachendidaktik: Ein Handbuch, Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 78-89.
17. Gürcan, Halil İ. (2015): Contribution of Social Media to the Students’ Academic Development. International Journal of Information and Education Technology. Vol. 5 (12), 965-968. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJIET.2015.V5.647
18. Handayani, Fitri (2016): Instagram As a Teaching Tool? Really? Proceedings of the Forth International Seminar on English Language and Teaching, 320-327.
19. Hattem, David (2012): The Practice of Microblogging. Journal of Second Language Teaching and Research. Vol. 1 (2), 38-70.
20. Hazaymeh, Wafa A. / Khasawneh, Mohamad A. S. (2024): Examining the use of social media in teaching and learning foreign languages and the impact on students’ speaking abilities. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities. Vol. 5 (2), 69-82.
21. Kaviani, Maryam (2022): The Impact of Instagram on Learning English Vocabulary among Iranian Preintermediate EFL Learners. Journal of Research in Techno-based Language Education. Vol. 2 (1), 15- 24. doi: 10.22034/jrtle.2022.147055
22. Kimmerle, Joachim, u. a. (2015): Learning and Collective Knowledge Construction With Social Media: A Process-Oriented Perspective. Educational Psychologist. Vol. 50 (2), 120-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2015.1036273
23. Kobayashi, Yoko (2002): The Role of Gender in Foreign Language Learning Attitudes: Japanese female students’ attitudes towards English learning. Gender and Education. Vol. 14 (2), 181-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540250220133021
24. Kuckartz, Udo (2014): Mixed Methods: Methodologie, Forschungsdesigns und Analyseverfahren, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
25. Lauber-Pohle, Sabine (2018): Soziale Netzwerkbildung und OnlineLernen, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
26. Lee, Yeong-Ju (2022): Language learning affordances of Instagram and TikTok. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. Vol. 17 (2), 408-423. https://reseah-management.mq.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/229760135/195351121_AV.pdf (Letzter Zugriff: 21.07.2025), 1-28.
27. Leier, Vera (2018): Using instagram in a tertiary German language course: Students’ perceptions and approaches. The New Zealand Language Teacher. Vol. 44, 77-90.
28. Lomicka, Lara / Lord, Gillian (2020): Social networking and language learning. Farr, Fiona, Murray, Liam (Hrsg.): The Routledge handbook of language learning and technology, London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 255-268.
29. Louis, Tatjana (2023): GDR goes Instagram. Zum Einsatz sozialer Netzwerke im Sprachunterricht. Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht. Vol. 28 (2), 313-334. https://doi.org/10.48694/zif.3637
30. Manelli, Francesco (2023): Die Förderung kommunikativ-pragmatischer Kompetenz im DaF-Unterricht durch soziale Netzwerke. Unveröffentlichte Masterarbeit. Berlin: Freie Universität.
31. Mansor, Noraien / Abd Rahim, Normaliza (2017): Instagram in ESL Classroom. Man in India. Vol. 97 (20), 107-114.
32. Mitchell, Kathleen (2012): A Social Tool: Why and How ESOL Students Use Facebook. CALICO Journal. Vol. 29 (3), 471-493.
33. Muftah, Muneera (2024): Impact of social media on learning English language during the COVID-19 pandemic. PSU Research Review: An International Journal. Vol. 8 (1), 211-226. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRR-10-2021-0060
34. Nasution, Awal K. P. (2022): Social Media Used In Language Learning: Benefits And Challenges. Journal of Linguistics, Literature, and Language Teaching (JLLLT). Vol. 1 (2), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.37249/jlllt.v1i2.396
35. Purnama, Agnes D. (2017): Incorporating Memes and Instagram to Enhance Student’s Participation. Language and Language Teaching Journal, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.2017.200101
36. Riemer, Claudia (2016): Befragung. Caspari, Daniela u.a. (Hrsg.): Forschungsmethoden in der Fremdsprachendidaktik: Ein Handbuch, Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 155-173.
37. Saleh, N. u. a. (2022): Instagram in Learning Spoken German. INTERFERENCE: Journal of Language and Literature. Vol. 3 (2), 177-183.
38. Schmidt, Jan-Hinrik / Taddicken, Monika (Hrsg.) (2017): Handbuch soziale Medien, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
39. Subekti, Adaninggar S. / Damaryanan, Rama (2023): Impacts of using Instagram to practice speaking in english: perspectives of indonesian non-english major learners. International Journal of Current Approaches in Language, Education and Social Sciences. Vol. 5 (2), 38-54.
40. Taşkıran, Ayşe u. a. (2018): Fostering foreign language learning with Twitter: Reflections from English learners. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education. Vol. 19 (1), 100-116.
41. Vurdien, Ruby (2011): Enhancing writing skills through blogging in an advanced English as a Foreign Language class in Spain. Computer Assisted Language Learning. Vol. 26 (2), 126-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2011.639784
42. Wang, Shenggao / Vásquez, Camilla (2014): The Effect of Target Language Use in Social Media on Intermediate-level Chinese Language Learners’ Writing Performance. CALICO Journal. Vol. 31 (1), 78-102.
43. Würffel, Nicola (2020): Soziale Medien im Deutsch-als-Fremdsprache-Unterricht: Potenziale und Herausforderungen. Marx, Konstanze u.a. (Hrsg): Deutsch in Sozialen Medien, De Gruyter, 217-232.