An Initial Research On The Application Of Twitter-like Platform Based On Web 2.0 Technology In College Extracurricular English Learning

With the development of the new-generation Internet application Web 2.0, more and more Web 2.0 technologies have been applied to the field of education to improve the teaching environment inside and outside the classroom. The development of emerging technologies provides a more efficient and convenient service for students'learning. How to keep pace with the application of new technology and combine it with English learning to contribute to effective learning has become very important. Twitter as the most mainstream information technology of Web 2.0 is a microblogging site, on which the number of characters published by its users is limited, but its information sharing and dissemination of diversity can make up for the lack of traditional classroom teaching. Due to the restriction of time, space, location and other factors, English teaching in the traditional classroom cannot give learners enough and multiple levels of interactions, which has split English learning and communication inside the class from those outside the class, and resulted in students lacking passion and enthusiasm for English learning. Therefore, in order to improve the situation and ensure the quality of English teaching to a certain extent, the author proposes the program of applying the useful information technology to strengthen English learning and exchange outside school as follows.Considering the reality in China, the author takes Twitter-like as the platform for English learning outside the school, exploring the feasibility of English learning outreach under the Twitter-like platform, students'interaction and interactive effects from the perspective of interactive teaching, with a view to supplying recommendations for the educational activities on Twitter-like platform.This study mainly focuses on the following issues: 1.What is the possibility for college students to carry out extracurricular English interactive activities based on Twitter-like platform? 2. Whether or not the interactive activities based on Twitter-like platform are in line with students'extracurricular interests and needs of communication? 3. Whether or not the interactive learning based on Twitter-like platform enhances students'participation in extracurricular learning?This study takes the non-English major students in their second year from Chongqing Technology and Business University as the research subjects, and adopts questionnaires and experimental study to complete the research. First, pre-questionnaires are used to get to know students'extracurricular network English learning experience and expectation, and their understanding of the microblogging application. Second, four-week interactive activities based on the Sina microblog are carried out. Last, post-questionnaires are handed out, followed by quantitative analysis, structural and content analysis and qualitative analysis. All the data received are processed with Excel 2003 software.Results of the study show that it is feasible for college students to carry out extracurricular English interactive activities based on Twitter-like platform since most students show curious and active attitudes toward it. To some extent, the extracurricular interactive activities can meet students'interest in and need for extracurricular English learning. And the extracurricular English learning and exchange on Twitter-like platform strengthen students'participation in extracurricular English learning activities.Finally, the author makes a conclusion, analyzing the implications and weaknesses of the study as well as putting forward suggestions for future research. Hopefully, this study can offer references for the application of Twitter-like platform in extracurricular English teaching and learning.