Investigating Vocabulary Improvement Through Interaction with Social Media: A Catalyst for Language Advancement

Abstract

Social media serves as a primary information source, and students’ awareness of current issues shared on these platforms plays a crucial role in language development, especially in vocabulary acquisition. This study investigates the indirect increase of students’ English vocabulary through their engagement with current events on social media. Students acquire new vocabulary, phrases, and idiomatic expressions in genuine contexts through engagement with news, debates, and discussions on various online platforms. This research investigates the relationship between students’ awareness of current issues and their incidental vocabulary learning by analysing survey data and vocabulary questions acquired from news. At that time, Israel’s occupation of Palestine was the most significant global issue that the researcher focused on.  Social media has extensively debated this subject, capturing the interest and concern of the world. The findings indicate that certain words or phrases often arise during major global events, hence indirectly facilitating students’ vocabulary development. Students who actively follow and engage with current problems on social media tend to improve their vocabulary because they are constantly exposed to diverse language use and real-time discussions. This study emphasizes the value of incorporating social media topics into language learning methodologies, urging students to use these platforms as a tool for both broad understanding of global issues and language development.