The Use of Instagram in the Teaching of EFL Writing: Effect on Writing Ability and Students’ Perceptions

Abstract

This study examined the effect of the use of Instagram on EFL students’ writing ability. It involved 34 EFL students of an Indonesian university. The students were taught to write opinion essays with Instagram as the instructional medium. The treatment was given in six meetings, excluding the writing pre-test and post-test. The students were asked to make an opinion essay in the pre-test and post-test. They were also asked to respond to a questionnaire designed to verify their perceptions on three aspects: their competence in writing, interest in the use of Instagram in the teaching and writing, and learning process. The results of the data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test the post-test scores. Based on the findings of this study, some recommendations are given for teachers and future researchers regarding the use of Instagram on the teaching of EFL writing.