Languages and Social Networks
An Email Conversation
Giulia, 23 is a student from Italy and these are her views on languages and social networks as a non-native English speaker.
Which social networks do you use?
Facebook and Twitter
Which languages, other than your mother tongue, do you use for social networks?
English
How often do you use them?
I check them everyday
What do you use them for?
Social networks are the most trendy way for people to contact each other, so most of the time I am forced to use facebook to contact classmates. I also use facebook in general to be updated about my friends' movements, organize parties or hang-outs. Both Twitter and Facebook are useful to hear about events, promotions, new trends and for advertising. For example I sometimes work with Sony Music. and Facebook is the best way to have people participate and being interested in initiatives and it’s also the best way for advertising.
How do you feel social networks compare to more traditional forms of language learning like reading books or watching films?
I think social networks have made people's language skills worse. Social networks require simple and direct language, I am disappointed that people of my age, (I am 23) are losing their language skills because of this. Being able to speak a language fluently, is in my opinion, crucial for someone of my age as I am "getting ready" to find a good job. Relationships are also based on good language usage. There's nothing better than a book to improve someone's language and knowledge!
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networks in terms of language learning and in general in your opinion?
Social networks are a curse and a blessing. The advantage of social networks for me are that I can speak for myself, even as an Italian with poor English knowledge (I don’t agree Giulia!). Social networks forced me (meant in a good way) to learn and speak English more often, I am not fluent in my second language yet but I have improved thanks to the fact I can follow my interests and am forced to use English to communicate with a larger range of people
The big disadvantage I see in social networks is the loss of a rich and fluent language usage. There's also the big problem of privacy: I think especially for young people a social network is a way to prove and show their own role in the world, it's a way to "show other people you are someone". They can publish any kind of information (i.e. pictures) about themselves, most of the time not aware of the risks they can come across with.
Tim Marshall