The Use of Track-Changes and WhatsApp Group as Media on English Structure Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

Social media is an alternative environment in practicing language and using language. The use of WhatsApp group nowadays is rapidly increasing, it aims for education. This study to investigate the students’ perceptions on the use of track-changes and WhatsApp groups as media for learning English structure subjects. The writers investigated a need to carry out this study as it provides a platform to discover pedagogical implications that would benefit the Y-generation in terms of improving their error-recognition skill from the text given in an Indonesian EFL context. The respondents of this research comprise second-year students completing their bachelor’s degree in Economics studies, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia. The students’ perceptions were measured through a questionnaire. The writer implemented blended learning where the teaching English structure was through face-to-face activity and online learning. Respondents were required to participate in a Whatsapp group where students share their work to recognize and revise errors by using track-changes. The findings showed that ‘track changes and WhatsApp group’ is an effective media to be implemented in English structure learning and to enhance students’ affective domain in English structure skill. The results of this study may be beneficial to EFL educators in incorporating track-changes and WhatsApp groups into their teaching repertoire.