Digital Storytelling on Social Media for Language Learning: Students’ Experiences and Perceptions

Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching 16 (2025) 1, 69-90 (PDF)

DOI https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16747327

Minjie Xing

Amily Guenier

Abstract

This study investigates the efficacy of digital storytelling, inspired by social media celebrity practices, as a pedagogical approach for language acquisition and intercultural engagement. Language learners developed and disseminated digital stories on social media platforms, resulting in a reach of over 60,000 viewers and facilitating substantial intercultural exchange. Through classroom observations and in-depth interviews, the study identified that the strategic incorporation of linguistic features such as wordplay, accents, dialects, idioms, and double meanings across diverse contexts significantly enhanced student motivation. Furthermore, multimodality emerged as a potent instrument for both language practice and fostering intercultural communication. Students characterised this learning experience as highly autonomous and enriching, attributing these benefits to the practical insights gained into everyday language use and the cultivation of heightened cultural awareness. These findings underline the considerable potential of social media-based digital storytelling as an effective and enjoyable methodology for language learning and intercultural communication, yielding meaningful and impactful outcomes.

Keywords

Social media, digital storytelling, language learning, intercultural communication

摘要 (中文)：

随着社交媒体在全球范围内的普及，语言学习者开始借鉴社交媒体达人常用的数字叙事方式，尝试通过短视频创作进行语言实践与跨文化交流。本研究旨在探讨短视频创作在语言学习过程中的实际成效，并分析其在促进学习者跨文化意识方面的潜力。本研究采用混合方法，结合课堂观察、学生访谈与视频平台数据分析，对一组高校语言学习者的短视频项目进行追踪研究。结果显示，学生所发布的短视频在社交平台上的总浏览量超过六万次，显示出较高的传播性与受众参与度，客观上增强了学习者与不同文化背景观众之间的互动机会。进一步的课堂观察与访谈数据显示，学生在视频创作过程中，主动运用了双关语、口音、方言、习语及语义双关等语言现象，并能够在不同语境下灵活调整语言策略。这种对语言形式的积极探索显著提升了学习者的表达兴趣与自我效能感，体现出多模态表达对语言能力发展的正向促进作用。学生普遍认为，短视频创作过程提供了高度的自主性与真实性语言应用情境，使其能够在实践中深化对目标语日常用法与文化差异的理解。此外，视频创作所激发的反思性表达，也促使学习者进一步建构起对语言与文化关系的更深层次认知。综上所述，本研究显示，社交媒体短视频不仅是一种富有创意的语言学习方式，也是一种能够有效促进跨文化交际能力形成的教育媒介。其多模态特征与开放传播机制为当代语言教育提供了新的路径与可能。