Assessment of the possibilities of writing skills development in English as a foreign language through the application of emoji as conceptual elements

Abstract

This paper evaluates the application possibilities of the emoji available in the WhatsApp chat app to the development of writing skills in English as a Foreign Language among University students. The quasi-experimental design of the research was developed with a sample of students (N=22) that made up the census population of a subject pertaining the specialization in Foreign Language/CLIL of the Degree in Primary Education at the University of Cadiz, Spain. The explanatory nature of the study favoured a mixed approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative types of data, collected from three research tools: an initial questionnaire on student preferences related to emoji choice and use; an academically directed activity involving the creation of a narrative text from a series of closed topics which necessarily incorporated emoji; and a final interview to ascertain students' opinions about the possible application of emoji in the foreign language classroom. The results show potential benefits in the use of emoji as representatives of the conceptual field for the development of writing skills in a foreign language. The study concludes with a series of recommendations based on the theoretical principles and the results with the aim of implementing the use of emoji in the processes of language teaching-learning.