Social media use in second language teaching effectively enhances students’ writing proficiency: A meta-analysis

  • Wanying Xie

    College of Foreign Languages, Shanghai Jian Qiao University, Shanghai 201306, China
  • Yan Huang orcid

    School of Foreign Languages, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
Article ID: 3187
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/fes3187
Keywords: social media, second language writing, language proficiency, meta-analysis, moderation effect

Abstract

This study employed a meta-analytic approach to examine the overall relationship between social media use and second language (L2) writing proficiency, with particular attention to the potential moderating roles of learners’ age and the type of social media platform (symmetric vs. asymmetric). Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, a comprehensive and systematic literature search was conducted across major academic databases. After rigorous screening and eligibility assessment, 32 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized quantitatively. The results revealed a significant and positive overall association between social media use and L2 writing proficiency, suggesting that engagement with social media environments may facilitate the development of writing skills in an additional language. Contrary to expectations, moderator analyses indicated that neither learners’ age nor the type of social media platform significantly influenced the strength of this relationship. These findings demonstrate a relatively robust positive link across diverse learner populations and technological contexts. Overall, this study provides quantitative evidence supporting the pedagogical value of incorporating social media into L2 writing instruction. It also underscores the need for future research to explore additional moderating variables, such as task design, interactional patterns, and individual learner differences, to better understand the mechanisms underlying technology-enhanced L2 writing development.

Published
2025-10-29
How to Cite
Xie, W., & Huang, Y. (2025). Social media use in second language teaching effectively enhances students’ writing proficiency: A meta-analysis. Forum for Education Studies, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.59400/fes3187
Issue
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2025): In Progress
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2025 Yan Huang, Wanying Xie

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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