AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF JORDANIAN EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR USE OF THE INTERNET

This questionnaire study investigates 210 Jordanian English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ perceptions of their use of the Internet for both general purposes (e.g., e-mail, chat, aimless browsing, games, and music) and EFL learning purposes (e.g., practicing various language skills, vocabulary, and structure through instructional software). The findings revealed that 47% of the sample reported using browsers to view documents, while slightly smaller percentages reported using the Internet for personal purposes, mailing lists and discussion groups, and e-mail. Furthermore, the majority of the respondents reported never or rarely using the Internet for any EFL learning purposes, except for about 58% and 52% who reported using it for developing speaking skills through chat and locating authentic texts, respectively. The findings further revealed a weak correlation between the students’ use of the Internet for general and EFL learning purposes. Class level, but not gender, was found to significantly affect the students’ use of the Internet.