Facebooking in Speech Communication Classes in the Tertiary Level The Case of Mariano Marcos State University

Using the mixed method research design, this research was undertaken to determine the possibility of bringing Facebook in language classes by considering the users’ profile and Facebook activities. Data were collected from 162 students enrolled in a Speech class at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU). Data show that students connect to Facebook through internet cafes, mobile phones, internet connection at home and wi-fi. In terms of length of use, the students have been using Facebook for three to four years now. Lastly, they are spending less than 30 minutes to two hours a day. As regards their Facebook activities, the data show that picture viewing and posting ranked first followed by participating in chats, checking friends’ information and activities, belonging to groups, sending email, posting/sharing links, posting messages to one’s wall and posting messages to other’s wall, respectively. Based on the profile and the Facebook activities of the respondents, the following classroom activities were tried for the teaching of the speech communication: creating groups, uploading, downloading, sharing links, and posting (discussion boards).Reflections of the respondents were gathered after the try-out of the activities. Eighty four percent of the respondents are in favor for the use of Facebook in the classroom. Logistical reasons, on the other hand, cause the others to say no to Facebooking in their classes.

Keywords – Communicative Functions, Quotative Device, Reporting