Perceived self-efficacy in English use on social media of tertiary institutions’ students in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

English language is gradually becoming the world’s lingua franca, and the social media has broken all barriers to human connections and divides. The world has indeed become an e-village with social media as the platform and English language as the medium. This study examined the use of perceived self-efficacy in the conscious effort to keep to correctness in the use of English language by students of tertiary institutions in Kwara State, Nigeria. 1500 participants were drawn from seven tertiary institutions in the State consisting of two Universities, two Polytechnics, two Colleges of Education and one School of Nursing. Questionnaire was used to collate data that was analyzed using standard deviation, Mean, t-test and ANOVA statistical instruments. The study found that students generally deplore self-efficacy in their communication in English language on social media, and significance difference doesn’t occur on the basis of gender, differences in institutions of learning and at the level of different courses students study. The study recommends the inclusion of English use on social media in the course outline of the General Use of English programmes of tertiary institutions and an inclusion of language proficiency evaluation on social media to instill consciousness on students.

Keywords: English language, Self-efficacy, Social media, Use of English, Correctness