Students’ Perceptions on the Use of Whatsapp in English Speaking Activities: A Case Study at SMP Negeri 04 Teluk Gelam

Abstract

This research was intended to find out the students’ perceptions on the use of WhatsApp in English speaking activities at SMP Negeri 04 Teluk Gelam. This study used a qualitative research with a case study research design. The participants of study were six students of 8th grade taken by using purposeful sampling through maximum variation sampling. Open-ended interview questions were utilized by the researcher to gather data, and the data were then analyzed using a theme analysis technique. The study's findings, which were drawn from interviews with students, indicated that they had opinions on how they used WhatsApp in English speaking activities, which included benefits: (a) promoting students’ self confidence (b) promoting students’ independent learning (c) promoting students’ enthusiasm, and challenges: (a) time consuming (b) lack of attention to the lesson (c) lack of face to face interaction.