Social Media as Language Learning Communities: Impact on EFL Acquisition among Kurdish Learners

Abstract

This study explored the impact of social media on the development of English as Foreign Language (EFL) skills among Kurdish university students. With the rising importance of English in the Kurdistan Region, students increasingly turned to innovative platforms beyond traditional classrooms to enhance their language proficiency. Social media served as a dynamic environment for practicing vocabulary, speaking, and listening skills, while promoting interaction with English speakers globally. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the study surveyed 200 students from four universities in Duhok, Kurdistan, utilizing both quantitative Likert-scale questionnaires and qualitative interviews. Findings revealed that social media significantly enhanced student engagement and contributed to improvements in vocabulary acquisition, speaking fluency, and listening comprehension. However, challenges in writing proficiency persisted, indicating a need for targeted pedagogical interventions. The study also underscored the importance of the English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) perspective, which emphasized effective communication over native-speaker norms, empowering learners to navigate diverse linguistic contexts with confidence. Ultimately, the integration of social media with traditional instructional strategies offered a more engaging and balanced EFL learning experience, supporting skill-specific development and fostering holistic language acquisition.