Which is which? The Face or the Book: Tunisian EFL learners’ Use of Facebook in L2 Paragraph Writing

Noticing its exponential growth, many educators sought to tap in the potential of harnessing Facebook for educational purposes (Roblyer et al. 2010; Selwyn 2009; Simpson, 2012). Evidence from the literature suggests that, if used judiciously, Facebook can turn into a facilitative platform for language learning beyond the restrictions of traditional provisions (Kabilan, Ahmad, & Abidin, 2010; Yunus & Salehi, 2012). VanDoorn and Eklund (2013) suggest that the Facebook environment, in fact, bears significant resemblance in structure to that of a concrete classroom “-with walls to write on, and party invitations to distribute- and it is perhaps this…that has driven researchers to investigate the potential of Facebook-based social networking to enhance learning” (p.1). Hilscher (2012) further stipulates that the “social nature of Facebook lends itself to the possibility of being used as a virtual learning community” (p.24). Its communicative and interactive functionalities are similarly felt to “mirror much of what we know to be good models of learning, in that they are collaborative and encourage an active participatory role for users” (Maloney, 2017, p. 26). Mills (2011), in a similar vein, concurs that Facebook provides new avenues for students to explore cultural differences and build positive rapport.