Role of Social Media Application in Promoting Motivation and Listening Skill of Iraqi EFL Learners: A Skype-Based Study

This study seeks to investigate the possible role of the social media applications in promoting and developing both the motivation and listening skill of Iraqi EFL learners at an academic environment. As a case study, seventy-majoring English sophomores at Mustansiriya University in Iraq were randomly divided between two groups, experimental and control groups. The pretest and posttest were conducted to the participants of the study based on a curriculum assigned to them to be taught throughout their academic year. A 25-statement designed questionnaire and an 8-statement designed test were distributed among the respondents of the study on the suitable methods of developing and improving motivation and listening skill respectively. Using the Likert Scale, SPSS and LISERAL programs, the statistical data of the two previously mentioned variables were collected. The final findings of the study revealed that male and female participants were highly motivated after receiving their instruction via Skype device. As a result, a significant difference was noted in the listening skill achievement of the testing group participants who subjected to Skype device as a means of teaching. Grounded on these findings, educators can seriously take social media applications in their account in the process of learning language and in developing more language skills.