Using Twitter in EFL education

Abstract

For those who have been less tuned-in to Internet developments, Twitter (http://twitter.com) is the much-hyped phenomenon that is becoming increasingly widespread on blogs and websites all over cyberspace. It is represented by a little blue bird, which beckons viewers to °ßfollow°® site owners by clicking on it. Twitter users need not have a regular blog or website to use it, though; it can be used as a stand-alone communication system. This paper will give an overview of the main advantages of using Twitter for EFL, give some guidelines for teachers and students for getting started, and offer a list of activities for which Twitter can be used. Less pedagogical uses will also be outlined, as well as the broader, positive implications of using this microblogging application.