Strategies for Mitigating the Impact of WhatsApp Text-Based Interaction on Academic Writing Proficiency in Tanzanian University Students
Keywords:
Strategies; WhatsApp text-based interactions; linguistic features; academic writing proficiency.Abstract
This study examined strategies for mitigating the impact of WhatsApp text-based interactions on academic writing proficiency among Tanzanian university students. Data was gathered through an online questionnaire administered to 378 undergraduate students randomly selected from six colleges and three schools. In addition, the questionnaire was administered to 16 randomly selected instructors who taught Communication Skills and Development Studies courses. A total of 378 students’ WhatsApp group chats and 108 written examination scripts were scrutinized to assess the impact. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while content analysis was used for qualitative data. The findings indicate that the use of WhatsApp text-based interactions has a negative impact on students’ academic writing proficiency. The linguistic features of WhatsApp discourse, such as inappropriate capitalization, abbreviations, acronyms and initials, misspellings, inappropriate use of punctuation and omission and clippings, were found in students' academic writing. The study recommends various strategies for mitigating the impact of WhatsApp-mediated language on academic writing proficiency, including establishing academic writing centers to help students develop formal writing skills. The university should organize sensitization procedures to address the impact. Additionally, there is a need for regular evaluation and feedback through academic writing tests and assignments to improve students' writing performance and for incorporating academic writing practices into digital platforms, such as WhatsApp to provide real-time feedback.
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