Learning modern languages using social networks

Abstract

The use of social networks is spreading more and more, so that many authors use the term Social Learning for this new form of learning. In order to evaluate the potential of social media in learning modern languages, and, moreover, to compare it with that of conventional eLearning platforms, we carried out a research on the subject “Methodology for teaching practice online foreign language “, in which we used the social network Google+ in the experimental group and the UNED platform (.LRN) in the control group. The final results confirmed a very favourable opinion of the users in terms of usability and about potential of social media in online learning. However, we were unable to demonstrate any advantages of social networks compared to conventional LMS, although collaborative work that could be performed with the social network Google+ would have been practically impossible to carry out in the institutional platform.