This document summarizes a project that used the messaging app WhatsApp to facilitate language learning for students preparing for and during a year abroad. Ten university students studying Spanish and French participated in the WhatsApp group, which was led by instructors. Students completed informal language tasks and shared experiences over the six-month period. Analysis found 1,222 messages were exchanged. Feedback indicated that students enjoyed practicing the target language and staying connected to classmates during their time abroad. The project aims to continue supporting students until the end of the academic year to help improve their language skills.

1. Using WhatsApp to facilitate
language learning in preparation
for and during the year abroad
E- symposium 2015
22nd January, 2013 - 23rd January, 2015
University of Southampton
Isabel Cobo Palacios, Billy Brick and Tiziana Cervi-Wilson
Coventry University

2.  Growth of Internet messaging
 The project
 Tasks
 Participation
 Responses
 Positive and negative aspects
 Feedback
 Future Directions
Overview
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3. 03/02/20153

4.  Students don’t feel confident with the language
before spending their 3rd Year abroad
Motivation for the project

5. ‘Even sending us an email asking
how we were getting on would’ve
made a huge difference’
The Guardian, (2014)
Universities don't offer enough
support
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6.  Immediacy
 Grouping feature
 Accessibility
 Multiple formats: videos, images, sound
 Cross-network and device coverage
 “The greatest and most important part of
our daily learning is made through informal
learning” (Rogers, 2004)
Advantages of the use of
WhatsApp Brick and Cervi-Wilson
(2014)

7.  Expertise
Wlodkowski’s
Motivational Framework for Culturally
Responsive Teaching
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 Empathy
 Enthusiasm  Clarity
 Cultural Responsiveness
Wlodkowski (2008)

8. WhatsApp Project
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 10 University students
 Year abroad
experience
 Third year
 Spanish and French undergraduates

9. October November December January February March April
Formal/Informal/Non formal
Learning. Rogers (2004)
May June July August September

10. To enhance learners’ efficacy
To improve learners’ linguistic output
To develop learners’ cultural awareness
Byram (1997)
To support learners on their year abroad
and to build a community
Objectives
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11. Audio or video introducing themselves
Role-play (Landlord and Tenant)
Short tasks
Open questions
Sending links or articles to ask them for their
opinion
WhatsApp Tasks
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12. New
experiences
and trips
Pre-departure
preparation
Personal
problems
encountered
Hobbies
Accommodation
Cultural
issues
 Tasks suggested by the tutor
Breaking the Ice

13. Quantitative Analysis
Monthly participation
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Student A Student B Student C Student D Student E Student F Student G Student H Student I Student J
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
Start Conv.
Six months
(May-November)
1222 messages sent

14. Let’s get started
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15. Introductions
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16. Audio recordings
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17. Abbreviations
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18. Opening a Bank Account
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19. Cultural Differences
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20. Role-play (Tenant & Landlord)
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21. Weather
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22. Football
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Feeling ill

23. Spanish
Cinema
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Writing
emails

24. Apologies
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25. Expanding Vocabulary
¿Cómo se dice?
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26. Images
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27. 03/02/201527

28. 03/02/201528

29.  Common Errors
 Feedback by Email
Language Sample analysis
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30. Yes
Keep the Group Alive
Motivation
Time Consuming?
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31. 03/02/201531
Feedback
“Personally, I think this
is a big concept and it is
very interactive. I am a
bit disappointed by
myself because I did
not take part as much
as I wanted”
“The best part for
me was sharing our
experiences abroad
and learning with
Isa the Spanish
culture”

32. Feedback
What did you enjoy
most?
Speaking and writing in
Spanish since I work
teaching English and I
found hard to practice
my Spanish here as
much.
Why did you join this
project?
Because I want to
practice my Spanish and
keep in touch with my
classmates.

33.  Continue with this group until the end
of the academic year
 Show learners improvement through
language samples and a decrease in
their errors
 Lessons learnt
Future Directions
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34. Ashenden, A (2014). ’Year-abroad students say universities don't offer enough support’. The Guardian [online]
15 December available from <http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/15/universities-failing-
provide-welfare-support-year-abroad-students> [20 January 2015]
Brick, B. & Cervi-Wilson, T. (2014) WhatsApp: Language Learning on-the-go. LLAS Annual E-Learning
Symposium. Held 23-24 January 2014
Byram, M. (1997) Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence. Clevedon. Multilingual
Matters.
Gander, K (2015) ’ WhatsApp for PC: messaging web client now available on internet browsers’. The
Independent [online] 21 January available from < http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-
tech/news/whatsapp-now-available-on-web-browsers-9993675.html?cmpid=facebook-post > [21 January
2015]
Gasmi, A (2014) ’ Mobile assisted language learning: potential and limitations of using 'whatsapp' messenger to
enhance students writing skills ’ . INTED2014 Proceedings, p. 7243. [online] 12 March available from
<http://library.iated.org/view/GASMI2014MOB > [21 January 2015]
Rogers, A. (2004) Non-Formal Education: flexible schooling or participatory education? Hong Kong University
Press .
Wlodkowski, R. J (2008) Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn: A Comprehensive Guide for Teaching All Adults.
California: John Wiley & Sons.
References
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