Spanish Beliefs of learners of Spanish as an additional language about the impact of WhatsApp on learning

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to document the beliefs of a group of students of Spanish as an additional language about the impact of an instant messaging platform on their learning process. To this end, interviews, focus groups, and a questionnaire were taken as a starting point. The data, analyzed using grounded theory, revealed that participants identified multiple opportunities for learning in the platform, even when the teacher did not intervene in their digital interactions. Specifically, participants highlighted that this platform facilitated lexical learning (especially colloquial expressions) and also allowed them to develop more self-confidence in expressing themselves in Spanish. This research invites us to reflect on the pedagogical implications of instant messaging platforms, which function as artifacts that favor collaborative and informal learning.