1. Mahammed Bouabdallah Lecturer in Arabic University of Westminster
Twitter in Teaching Arabic for Specific Purposes: Students' Perspectives
Mahammed Bouabdallah
Lecturer in Arabic
University of Westminster

2. The purpose of this presentation
This research provides a snapshot of students’ perceptions and attitudes towards the integration of the microblogging tool (Twitter).
To take something practical with you and try it with your students/learners.
Share my experience/ your feedback

3. Technology and Human
The German philosopher Martin Heidegger in his 1949 text, Die Frage nach der Technik (The Question Concerning Technology).

4. From CALL (computer assisted language learning) to Blended Learning
“It suffices here to emphasize that new technologies now seem to develop and to be disseminated so quickly that their attraction and influence in one form or another is unavoidable. If one neglects or ignores them, developments will continue and one may never be able to catch up, irrespective of one’s speciality or discipline” (Arne Zettersten, 1986).

5. “Do Not Use Mobiles!!!”
Social media usage has evolved rapidly, with teachers and lecturers first prohibiting the practice, and then begrudging accepting it as an unavoidable competitor for students’ attention.
Some universities and colleges have gone so far to censor online networking in the classroom, using blocking software to prohibit students from using social media in the classroom (Thomas, 2012).

6. Technology & Pedagogy
When thinking about microblogging in teaching languages, we have to keep in mind that primary focus should not be the technology, but rather pedagogy. Thus, we should start by trying to focus on the learning experiences we want to create, and then trying to enable that with technology. (Paul Kim, 2009).

7. Necessary questions: What learning goals do I have for my students?
What language, culture, and instructional resources do I have available?
How can these resources be used and combined most effectively to serve the established goals?
How will I assess how effective students’ use of these resources is in their attainment of the established learning goals?

8. From the first years of the introduction of Twitter, researchers discovered that Twitter can have classroom benefits.

9. Why Twitter? Will twitter improve the learning experience?
Will be good for some/all students?
I have a VLE! Why I need an extra platform?
What researchers said about it?
It would be difficult for any educator now to argue against the fact that the vast majority of students use SNT of some fashion.
Twitter is helpful for students in pursuing immediate feedback. Dunlap & Lowenthal (2009)
Twitter is helpful as an aid for peer tutoring and social interaction that revolved around academic issues. List & Brynat (2009).
Lack of resources in Arabic for specific purposes? Think about these fields: Arabic for media, Arabic for business, Arabic for medical purposes, Arabic for Islamic studies…
To bridge the gap between form and informal learning.

10. Social Media in the Arab World
The Arab Social Media Report (March 2017).

11. Twitter and authentic materials
The Arab Social Media Report (March 2017).

12. How I started Twitter in my Arabic classes?
A trip to the British Museum

13. Our Twitter Account Arabicwestminster @arabicwestmin Protected account
At the end of the year, students will be blocked
We don’t delete the tweets.

14. The activities Comment on a statement/piece of news
Your opinion about a given topic

15. The activities Writing a list of vocabulary of a given topic
Comment on a picture
Writing a list of vocabulary of a given topic

16. The activities
Comment/correct the auto translation

17. Twitter polls (discussion)
The activities
Twitter polls (discussion)

18. Students’ Perceptions

19. What do you think of the way how Twitter has been used in class?

20. Did Twitter helped you to learn more in class? How?
Yes, weekly questions/responses which would traditionally have been written on paper and unseen by the rest of the class are now available online. This really improves student engagement as they can instantly compare and contrast their work with colleagues. This improves grammar, boosts vocabulary and encourages creativity (especially in the small word count). “Student’s answer”

21. In your opinion, what are the advantages of using Twitter in Arabic class?
Useful for digital native students such as myself, making use of technology was advantageous in learning Arabic especially because most of the media is read through apps such as Twitter. Also I did not know about the auto translation, this was helpful in gaining an overall idea of the tweet. “Student’s answer”

22. In your opinion, what are the disadvantages of using Twitter in Arabic class?
Can be distract
Could take long time to write something
Very limited in what to say
Typing in Arabic takes me a long
I don’t know how to use the application
I have enough SN platforms, and I don’t want new one.

23. Correction of tweets
Before tweeting
After tweeting

24. Self correction/ Peer correction
write
Check
Tweet

25. Which activity helped you more?

26. Is it worth doing it?
Bridge the gap between formal and informal learning
It can be used as “writing” portfolio
Blended learning community
Practice the language through guided activities
Allow more shy students to learn

27. Students’ suggestions
A tool of communication
Tweets needs to be corrected
Using the feature “Moments” in Twitter
Have at least one class using Twitter only (to create an entire session around the use of social media, with Twitter being the primary focus).

28. خلاصة الخلاصة  One thing to remember? Pedagogy before Technology
خلاصة الخلاصة 
One thing to remember? Pedagogy before Technology
One thing to do? Go ahead وغرّد بالعربية