A Review Study on the Impact of Social Media on Motivation for

Second Language Acquisition

Xiaohong Shi

, Zezheng Xu

and Jie Zhang

Foreign Language Department, Hui Hua College of Hebei Normal University, Hebei, China

School of Literature, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China

Foreign Languages College, Hubei University of Technology, Hubei, China

Keywords: Motivation for Second Language Acquisition, Social Media, Review Study.

Abstract: The topic of the present study is the effect of social media on second language acquisition (SLA) motivation.

The study summarises the results from prior studies that examined different social media sites and their impact

on SLA motivation. Gardner's and Dornyei's models are among the various incentive theories highlighted in

the paper. Additionally, it examines how social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube are divided into

two categories: communication-based and display/comment-based. According to research using surveys,

interviews, and quasi-experiments, social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, and WeChat can greatly

increase language learners' motivation and engagement. To increase understanding, future studies should

investigate platforms that have not received enough attention and use a wider range of research approaches.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the new era of rapid improvement of the Internet,

social media, as one of the mainstream

communication media, plays a significant role in

daily life. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is a

challenging process that is influenced by a variety of

different factors. Among them, motivation is one of

the most important factors affecting the ability of

second language learning, and the stronger the

motivation, the more effort second language learners

put in. Insufficient motivation can prevent second

language learners from completing their learning

tasks promptly and harm their learning progress. This

paper takes 21 highly relevant articles and

monographs on Google Scholar and CNKI from 2014

to 2024, in which "motivation for SLA," "social

media," "Internet," and "motivation for SLA" in

Chinese, English, and Japanese are the keywords, and

use the specific social media platform as the research

object, and contents related to second language

motivation as the search criteria to review. The

purpose of this paper is to review the previous

literature, summarize the effects of different social

media platforms on motivation in SLA, and provide

an overview of the research methods used by past

scholars to study SLA, as well as the related theories

of motivation in second language learning. It points

out some aspects that the current research is still

missing to a certain extent and directions in which

scholars can continue to conduct experiments in the

future.

2 THE RELEVANT THEORIES

2.1 A Review of Theoretical

Developments in Motivation for

Second Language Learning

First of all, what is motivation in SLA? Many

scholars have already elaborated on it: according to

Gardner, motivation consists of four components:

Learning goals, learning efforts, desire to achieve

learning goals and learning attitudes. Williams and

Burden define motivation as "a state of cognitive and

affective arousal" from the perspective of cognitivism

and social constructivism. Williams, M. & Burden,

R.P (2000) Dornyei viewed motivation as "the

initiation of action in response to some need, and the

continuation of that action until a goal is reached."

Dornyei, on the other hand, regards motivation as a

process in which "action is initiated in response to

some need and is sustained until the goal is reached."

Almost all the scholars mentioned the idea that

"motivation is an inside-out force that inspires people

Shi, X., Xu, Z. and Zhang, J.

A Review Study on the Impact of Social Media on Motivation for Second Language Acquisition.

DOI: 10.5220/0014002900004912

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development (IESD 2025), pages 537-541

ISBN: 978-989-758-779-5

537

to act to achieve a goal Dornyei, 1998). Therefore,

foreign language learning motivation can be

considered as a two-part process consisting of the

goal of learning a language and the continuous effort

to achieve that goal.

2.2 Social Media

2.2.1 Definition of Social Media

Secondly, what is social media? As primates, it is

almost human nature to share. The driving force

behind the development of language in human beings

is to exchange social information, which in turn

expands the size of the group (Tom Standage, 2019).

Moreover, with the development of society, the

exchange of human intelligence began to be not only

limited to oral transmission the creation of the

Internet accelerated the exchange of information so

that people's access to knowledge expanded.

Lankshear & Knobel (2006) and Warshauer &

Grimes (2007) both pointed out in their articles that

the continuous innovation of Internet 2.0 technology,

part of the areas began to expand along broadband

and mobile accessibility and began to support new

ways of social interaction. Reinhardt (2018) mentions

in his paper that since the mid-2000s, social media,

which technologies based on Internet 2.0 platforms

and widely recognized, including blogs, Wikis, social

networks such as Facebook, and social networking.

Wikis, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter,

and various other related platforms, services, and

media technologies. Nations (2015) states that social

media is a communication tool, and it enables people

to communicate with each other through sharing and

acquiring information. Above all, social media can be

known as a platform and tool that netizens can use

to share information like opinions, insights,

experiences, and perspectives with others.

2.2.2 Classification of Social Media

Regarding the classification of social media, Onathon

Reinhardt (2019), in his article, states that in the

existing social media, the overall social media can be

divided into two categories:

(1) Social media that focuses on displaying and

commenting - the blog category: the current research

on this type of media, the authors find

YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Wikipedia, Twitter

and WhatsApp.

(2) Social media that focus on communication -

the communication category: the current studies on

this category the authors found are about Facebook

and WeChat.

(3) The relationship between social media and

second language motivation.

3 LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 Summary of Research Methods

Used in Social Media and Second

Language Motivation Research

Meirbekov et al. (2024) used the survey method -

questionnaire research tool in all their studies, which

is quantitative research. These scholars used

Instagram and TikTok to teach the English language,

which can increase students' motivation and interest

in learning. The survey showed that 418 participants

from higher education believed that these social

platforms could be used as an effective learning tool

outside the classroom.

Lai et al. (2022) used a survey method, interview

survey, which is qualitative research. These scholars

interviewed 31 secondary school students of ethnic

minorities who settled in Hong Kong to study the

interactions as well as the dominant civilization

through their daily usage of social media and their

commitment to learning the language of the dominant

civilization. The ideologies that have been shown of

social media, settling circumstances, and the drivers

of ethnic minorities' multilingual interactions with

prevailing civilization on shared platforms have been

responded to by the interview. Additionally, Ebadi et

al. (2024) enrolled 102 users from Iran who learned

English through Instagram and considered it a casual

environment by stratified sampling according to age.

The group consisted of 81 men and 21 women, with

different proficiency levels in English, with the ages

ranging between 16 and 62. A multi-method

technique attaching quantitative/qualitative design

was used for implementing the study. The

quantitative phase involved using a correlational

design to measure English language learners'

involvement in language learning on Instagram

through two questionnaires. i.e., whether or not they

had a positive attitude towards contacting their

English teachers on Instagram, including taking

quizzes on what they had learned and receiving

feedback from their teachers to indicate their L2

motivation. In addition, semi-structured interviews

were implemented during the qualitative phase. The

results showed that English language learners '

engagement on Instagram and their motivation for L2

IESD 2025 - International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development

538

were both optimistic and crucial. Furthermore, the

only factor that could predict learners' L2 motivation

was cognitive engagement. The pedagogical

significance of these findings for L2 learners and

English teachers will be examined in the context of

the literature.

Meirbekov et al. (2024) Kenichiro Ishizu. (2022),

Zhang, Shan. (2021), Yeh, E., & Swinehart, N.

(2022), Ma, J.B. & Ouyang, H.H. (2021), and Zeng,

Gang, Wang, Y.H.& Tan, X.H. (2020) used the

experimental method- quasi-experiment as a research

tool, which is quantitative research. Among them is

Kenichiro Ishizu. (2022) In Toyama Prefecture,

Japan, 128 junior high school students were involved

in this research and watched an unsubtitled YouTube

video that lasted about 5 minutes. A comprehension

exercise, pre- and post-viewing operations, and a

questionnaire were included after the lesson. The

results were evaluated using factor analysis, single

linear regression, and mediation analysis. The

findings indicated that teachers' proactive guidance to

watch and effectively use YouTube videos in EFL

classrooms would boost students' motivation to learn

a second language, while watching YouTube videos

without guidance or support would not directly

increase their motivation. The findings also suggest

that YouTube videos can be used effectively with

middle school kids who aim to increase motivation,

but due to the limitation of not analyzing the groups

separately for providing equivalent access to chances

of learning for every participant, the actual cause and

effect of this study was not revealed.

Ariantini et al. (2021) used the documentary

research method - meta-analysis and bibliographic

method, which is quantitative research. The results of

the study showed that Instagram was widely used to

upload short videos and record messages, and this

feature motivated students to speak in English. In

addition, the interactive nature of Twitter promotes

students' vocabulary development.

3.2 The Impact of Different Types of

Social Media on the Motivation of

SLA

3.2.1 The Effect of Display and Comment-

Based social Media - Blogs Such as

TikTok YouTube on Motivation for

Second Language Learning

The following studies provide considerable evidence

for display-based blogging social media: Kadek

Puspa Ariantini and other scholars (2021) in their

study pointed out that YouTube has been widely used

as a learning medium, and along with it, Instagram

and Twitter have also been widely used for SLA in

terms of writing, speaking, and vocabulary to enhance

students' motivation for second language learning.

Chun Lai, Mingyue Gu, Fang Gao & JoJo Wan Shan

Yung's (2020) study pointed out that the use of

WhatsApp and Instagram has enabled ethnic

minorities to gain validation and expectations of

linguistic, cultural, and social capital, as well as

representations and constructions of desirable

identities, and is a driving force for multilingual

interactions with mainstream cultures on social

media. The drive for multilingual interactions with

the dominant culture on social media has helped them

to gain more intimacy in the foreign language

environment as a way to enhance their motivation for

second language learning. The analysis of Kenichiro

Ishizu's (2022) study showed that YouTube videos

can be productively used with middle school students

to increase their motivation to study. Alastair Henry

pointed out that the novelty of blogs constitutes an

important motivational prerequisite. In addition to

these motivational influences, students enjoyed the

activity because it involved a blend of homework and

leisure practices. Motivational impact on motivation

for second language learning. Ellen Yeh and Nicholas

Swinehart (2022) pointed out that most of the

students in the sample of the study they conducted

expressed a preference for communicating in English

on social media, and using social media can increase

their motivation to learn English. Hung-Chun Wang

and Cheryl Wei-yu Chen (2019) point out that

Studying English through YouTube offers greater

flexibility, engagement, and interactivity compared to

traditional classroom learning. By appreciating the

cultural aspects shown in the videos, students can

gain a deeper understanding of other cultures to

enhance their second language motivation.

Nevertheless, the study simultaneously indicates that

this informal approach to learning is perceived as less

effective for students aiming to enhance their English

proficiency or prepare for English examinations.

Akylbek Meirbekov, Saltanat Nyshanova (2024), and

seven other authors surveyed first-year university

students using Instagram and TikTok, and the results

of the research yielded that the use of both played a

role in the enhancement of motivation for second

language learning in terms of grade improvement as

well as the use of language skills. Overall, most of the

current research points out the positive effect of

display-based social media on the motivation of SLA.

A Review Study on the Impact of Social Media on Motivation for Second Language Acquisition

539

3.2.2 The Effect of Communication-Based

Social Media - Communication Such

as Facebook, WeChat, etc., on L2

learning motivation

Ma JB Ouyang HH (2021) pointed out in their article

that WeChat language chatting can enhance and

improve the intrinsic learner factor and increase the

way and content of interaction, which positively

affects some aspects, such as second language

motivation, vocabulary learning deliberateness, and

so on. Zeng Gang, Wang Y.H., and Tan X.H. (2020)

used WeChat as a representative of mobile language

learning environment and concluded that interaction

in mobile environment breaks down time and space

constraints, learners can communicate and learn with

other learners at any time and place as well as students

have more autonomy in learning, which stimulates

students' interest and participation in learning spoken

English; and using WeChat as a representative of

mobile language learning environment has a positive

effect on the motivation of student for SLA. Ebadi et

al. (2024) found that learners' intrinsic motivation to

learn English was stronger than extrinsic motivation

in a Facebook group learning a foreign language.

Furthermore, the study revealed that cognitive and

behavioral engagement among learners surpassed

their level of affective engagement. Lai et al. (2022)

found a result--as a social media, Facebook can

enhance students' participation and interaction in

foreign language learning. In this way, it has a

positive impact on second language learning

motivation. Ebadi et al.'s (2024) study found that

Facebook groups for learning a foreign language have

more autonomy, competence, and relevance, which

positively affects the motivation of SLA and makes

learning more effective.

All of the above studies used communication-

based social media platforms, which are mainly used

for communication, as the object of study to

investigate the positive effect of social media on the

motivation of SLA.

4 CONCLUSION

To summarize, social media is considered to be able

to enhance learners' engagement and increase their

motivation to learn, and students can effectively

improve their learning outcomes when using social

media for learning. Social media can also provide

students with a large number of external learning

resources, which are often highly interesting and

interactive, so that learners can experience the fun of

learning and self-adjustment of learning strategies,

and the timely feedback and support brought by such

an environment can also increase the motivation of

learners, thus improving the motivation of SLA.

However, social media can also hinder motivation.

The large amount of information in social media can

make learners feel complicated and pressured, and

some low-quality content can expose them to wrong

information, which affects their learning

effectiveness. Secondly, social media is filled with a

large amount of non-learning-related content, which

can easily affect their concentration and engagement,

and the low learning effect can also reduce their

motivation to learn, thus lowering the motivation for

second language learning.

Social media has played an important role in

people's lives, and it also plays a dual role in

motivation for second language learning, both

motivating and potentially challenging learners.

Therefore, when designing lessons and utilizing

social media for learning, teachers and learners need

to be vigilant in actively exploring its potential while

overcoming the corresponding barriers. Currently,

there are fewer studies on communication-oriented

social media platforms like WeChat, and Future

researchers could focus on social media platforms

such as QQ and Tantan, which are primarily

communication-oriented, to investigate their effect on

second language learning motivation. About research

methodology, the study on the impact of social media

on the motivation of SLA adopts the qualitative

research of interviews and the quantitative research

method of questionnaires, which is of course a

representative of the more efficient research method,

and in the future, this paper can carry out interviews

and questionnaires from more dimensions as well as

dig out more research methods.

AUTHORS CONTRIBUTION

All the authors contributed equally and their names

were listed in alphabetical order.

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