The use of Instagram threads voice notes to promote self-directed English-speaking learning among Vietnamese EFL learners

Tien Loc Do

Authors

Tien Loc Do Corresponding author email: dtloc@sgu.edu.vn Saigon University https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2988-5154

Keywords:

Instagram Threads, self-directed learning, voice notes, self-determination theory

Abstract

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined how Instagram Threads Voice Notes supports self-directed English-speaking learning among Vietnamese EFL freshmen. Fifty-nine first-year students completed a 17-item self-directed learning questionnaire before and after a nine-week intervention (eight weekly asynchronous Threads voice-note tasks). Ten purposively selected students were then interviewed. Pre-post comparisons on four subscales (goal setting, strategic planning, self-monitoring, independent practice) showed substantial within-subject effect sizes (paired d ≈ 1.0), reflecting increases in self-reported goal setting, planning, monitoring, and out-of-class practice. Interviews linked these changes to Threads’ asynchronous, re-recordable format and the platform’s familiarity, which supported learner autonomy and perceived competence; relatedness was less consistently experienced due to limited structured peer feedback. Results are associative rather than causal given the one-group pre-post design and reliance on self-report. Pedagogically, instructors might use familiar social-media affordances for low-stakes speaking practice while scaffolding goal prompts and guided self-assessment and supplying safe peer or instructor feedback. Future studies should use controlled designs, objective performance measures, and longer interventions to confirm and extend these findings.

Author Biography

Tien Loc Do, Saigon University

Do Tien Loc is a dedicated English lecturer at Saigon University with over a decade of teaching experience. Specializing in English Teacher Education and Linguistics, he integrates innovative, technology-enhanced methods into his classes. His research focuses on language evolution, learner identity, AI-supported instruction, and motivating university EFL learners through culturally responsive teaching.

References

Barrot, J. S. (2018). Facebook as a learning environment in language teaching and learning: A critical analysis of the literature from 2010 to 2017. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 34(6), 863–875. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12295.

Barrot, J. S. (2020). Scientific mapping of social media in education: A decade of exponential growth. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 58(4), 645–668. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633120972010.

Benson, P. (2011). Teaching and researching autonomy in language learning (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Blake, R. J. (2013). Brave new digital classroom: Technology and foreign language learning (2nd ed.). Georgetown University Press.

Blattner, G., & Fiori, M. (2011). Virtual social network communities: An investigation of language learners’ development of sociopragmatic awareness and multiliteracy skills. CALICO Journal, 29(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.29.1.24-43.

Bugeja, M. J. (2006). Facing the Facebook. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(21), C1. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ756266.

Bygrave, J. (2022). Reflect listening & speaking 5 with the Spark platform (1st ed.). National Geographic Learning.

Chugh, R., & Ruhi, U. (2018). Social media in higher education: A literature review of Facebook. Education and Information Technologies, 23(2), 605–616. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9621-2.

Dang, T. T. (2025). Developing a model for learner autonomy capacity measurement in EFL learning. rEFLections, 32(2), 1099-1119. https://doi.org/10.61508/refl.v32i2.283186.

Dang, T. T., & Robertson, M. (2010). Responses to learning management system: A case study in higher education in Vietnam. Paper presented at the ACEC2010: Digital Diversity Conference, Melbourne, Australia.

Erdmann, C. (2024). The hidden risks of mobile calls and messages: Why end-to-end encryption is just the starting line. CSO Online. https://www.csoonline.com/article/3624850/the-hidden-risks-of-mobile-calls-and-messages-why-end-to-end-encryption-is-just-the-starting-line.html.

Eshach, H. (2007). Bridging in-school and out-of-school learning: Formal, nonformal, and informal education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 16(2), 171–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-006-9027-1.

Forbes Technology Council. (2020). The rising concern around consumer data and privacy. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2020/12/14/the-rising-concern-around-consumer-data-and-privacy.

Godwin-Jones, R. (2018). Using mobile technology to develop language skills and cultural understanding. Language Learning & Technology, 22(3), 3–17.

Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2016). Social media and education: Reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, Media and Technology, 41(1), 6–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2015.1064954.

Hafner, C. A. (2014). Embedding digital literacies in English language teaching: Students’ digital video projects as multimodal ensembles. TESOL Quarterly, 48(4), 655–685. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.138.

Hall, P. (2023). How to avoid using up all of your smartphone data. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-stop-using-all-your-mobile-data.

Hutchinson, A. (2023). Threads rolls out post editing and voice notes. Social Media Today. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/threads-post-editing-voice-notes/696467.

Kabilan, M. K., Ahmad, N., & Abidin, M. J. Z. (2010). Facebook: An online environment for learning of English in institutions of higher education? The Internet and Higher Education, 13(4), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2010.07.003.

Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2020). Mobile-assisted language learning. Language Teaching, 53(2), 157–182. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444819000465.

Lai, C., & Zheng, D. (2018). Self-directed use of mobile devices for language learning beyond the classroom. ReCALL, 30(3), 299–318. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344017000258.

Lee, L. (2016). Autonomous learning through task-based instruction in fully online language courses. Language Learning & Technology, 20(2), 81–97. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/44462.

Little, D. (2007). Self-access, self-directed learning, and strategy use in language learning settings. System, 35(4), 561–571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2007.07.003.

Mills, N. A. (2011). Situated learning through social networking communities: The development of joint enterprise, mutual engagement, and a shared repertoire. CALICO Journal, 28(2), 345–368. https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.28.2.345-368.

Nguyen, T. D. (2024). Exploring the impact of mobile-assisted language learning on the autonomous English learning of EFL sophomores: A case study. Proceedings of the AsiaCALL International Conference, 6, 217–237. https://doi.org/10.54855/paic.24616.

Roy, S. S., & Gandhimathi, S. N. S. (2024). Self-directed learning for optimizing sustainable language learning via mobile-assisted language learning: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1463721. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1463721.

Sykes, J. M., Oskoz, A., & Thorne, S. L. (2008). Web 2.0, synthetic immersive environments, and mobile resources for language education. CALICO Journal, 25(3), 528–546. https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.25.3.528-546.

Thorne, S. L., & Reinhardt, J. (2008). Bridging activities, new media literacies, and advanced foreign language proficiency. CALICO Journal, 25(3), 558–572. https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.25.3.558-572.

Tran, T. B. T., & Vuong, T. K. (2024). Mobile devices and autonomy in English language learning: A deeper look at Van Lang University. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 4(3), 144–160. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.24439.

Wang, S., & Vásquez, C. (2012). Web 2.0 and second language learning: What does the research tell us? CALICO Journal, 29(3), 412–430. https://doi.org/10.11139/cj.29.3.412-430.

Wu, X., & Li, R. (2024). Unraveling effects of AI chatbots on EFL learners’ language skill development: A meta-analysis. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00780-1.

Ziegler, N. (2016). Synchronous computer-mediated communication and interaction: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 38(3), 553–586. https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226311500042X.