Understanding what motivates and deters language learners: An experiment with Facebook Groups

In recent years a plethora of online tools have been developed, with many recognized for the affordances they offer to language learners. Research in this area is extensive, but most studies report on tools that students are required to use. The main aim of this study was to determine what motivated and deterred English language students from voluntarily using an online tool that was recommended for self-study. To gain insight into this, the group setting in Facebook was used to offer English engagement opportunities to 54 students who were enrolled in two English writing courses at a women's university in Tokyo. The "closed group" setting was chosen to protect students' privacy. Participation was not compulsory and no grade-based incentives were offered. Two questionnaires were administered, one for those who decided to join their class's Facebook group and the other for those who did not. The results of the questionnaires, which were completed by 51 students, were presented at Paperless 2014, and as many points as space permits are outlined in this article.