USE OF WHATSAPP FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AMONG B.ED. TRAINEES

Abstract [English]

Whatsapp has attracted over 1.2.billion people worldwide. It uses the Internet to make voice calls, one to one video calls; send text messages, images, GIF, videos, documents, user location, audio files, phone contacts and voice notes to other users using standard cellular mobile numbers. Its use in the administrative side is also on the increase. Recently IAS officers and CEOs have created Whatsapp groups to pass on messages. It is in vogue now. It has many conveniences of sending JPEG, PDF files, photos, videos and audio. There are many apps which are competing with Whatsapp but Whatsapp has emerged as number one among them. The study here is to know the use of Whatsapp for language learning. Overall perception is that the use of English language in the Whatsapp and other social media is on the increase. Immediately it has struck all of us one question that is does it increase the language proficiency of students and others? If so, what would be the effect on the learning of foreign language? It is doing a yeoman service to the students to develop competency in foreign language. English is the most common and widely used language. It is a library and laboratory language too. Development of English language proficiency among B.Ed. trainees is very crucial as it leads to better transaction in the classroom. The marketing of their professional degree is also possible with sound knowledge in English. So, it is the natural quest of the researcher here is to study the use of Whatsapp for Development of English Language Proficiency among B.Ed. trainees. The study was conducted among 200 B.Ed. trainees in Madurai district. It is proved from the above table that the B.Ed. students are using whatsapp more for development of English Language proficiency than expected.