Voices from the Virtual Space: EFL Learners’ Perspectives on Business English Advertisement Text in Social Media

Aris Nur Huda, Dias Andris Susanto, Wiyaka Wiyaka

Abstract


This study aims to explore the challenges, perceptions, and interpretations of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners toward English business advertisements on social media and to examine their pedagogical implications. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews with EFL learners. The study investigated how learners comprehend linguistic features, respond to multimodal elements, and perceive the relevance of social media advertising to language learning. Findings indicate that learners experience difficulties with limited vocabulary, figurative language, and implicit persuasive messages embedded in digital advertisements. While advanced learners perceive advertisements as authentic resources for vocabulary development and cultural understanding, learners with lower proficiency often find them linguistically complex and contextually irrelevant. The study also highlights that multimodal elements, such as visuals and music, play a positive role in increasing learner engagement and incidental vocabulary acquisition. These results suggest that English business advertisements can serve as effective authentic materials in EFL classrooms when integrated with appropriate instructional strategies. The implications extend to language education, digital literacy development, and the use of commercial content for instructional purposes in the digital era.


Keywords


Business English, EFL Learners, Social Media Advertisement, Digital Literacy, Language Learning.

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alalwan, A. A., Rana, N. P., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Algharabat, R. (2022). Social media in marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telematics and Informatics, 65, 101708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101708

Alawiyah, T. (2022). The use of digital advertisements as authentic materials in EFL classrooms. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 7(1), 12–24.

Angrosino, M. (2016). Naturalistic Observation. Routledge.

Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2015). Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 36(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10641734.2014.912600

Aryanti, R., Putra, H., & Wulandari, F. (2024). Social media as a platform for English learning and business promotion in Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 55–68.

Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brown, J. (2018). Visual Literacy in Language Learning: The Role of Advertising Images in EFL Contexts. Journal of Language and Media Studies, 10(2), 45–59.

Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2019). Digital marketing (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

Cook, G. (2016). The discourse of advertising (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (4th ed.). Pearson.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: Impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798–828.

Dewiyogo, W. D. (2020). Pembelajaran berbasis blended learning. Rajawali Pers.

Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168

Fill, C., & Turnbull, S. (2019). Marketing communications: Discovery, creation and conversations (8th ed.). Pearson Education.

Gilmore, A. (2007). Authentic materials and authenticity in foreign language learning. Language Teaching, 40(2), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444807004144

Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

Huang, Y. M., Liang, T. H., Su, Y. N., & Chen, Y. C. (2016). The effectiveness of multimodal materials on vocabulary learning. Educational Technology & Society, 19(4), 51–63.

Inayati, N. (2015). The influence of sociocultural theory in EFL teaching practices. Journal of English Education, 3(1), 45–55.

Johnson, M. (2019). Vocabulary Acquisition and Comprehension of Authentic Texts by EFL Learners. Applied Linguistics Journal, 14(3), 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apling.2019.04.005

Kaur, A., & Nader, A. (2021). Social media advertising language: Trends and consumer perceptions. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 13(4), 45–56.

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2020). Rethinking the relationship between social media and marketing: Escaping the hype trap. Business Horizons, 63(1), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2019.09.003

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2020). Rulers of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence. Business Horizons, 63(1), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2019.09.003

Kapoor, K., Tamilmani, K., Rana, N. P., Patil, P., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Nerur, S. (2022). Advances in social media research: Past, present and future. Information Systems Frontiers, 24, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10164-2

Kemendikbudristek. (2016). Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Nomor 22 Tahun 2016 tentang Standar Proses Pendidikan Dasar dan Menengah. Jakarta: Kemendikbud.

Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2009). Principles of marketing (13th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2021). Marketing management (16th ed.). Pearson Education.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2022). Marketing management (17th ed.). Pearson Education.

Kusumaningrum, R. (2020). The effectiveness of social media in English learning: A study on Indonesian students. Journal of English Education and Teaching, 4(2), 123–134.

Lee, C., & Chen, W. (2020). Using online advertisements to enhance EFL business English vocabulary. English Language Teaching, 13(7), 1–11.

Lee, H. (2021). Figurative Language in Business Advertising: Challenges for English Learners. TESOL International Journal, 16(4), 89–103.

Leech, G. (2020). English in advertising: A linguistic study of advertising in Great Britain (Reissue ed.). Routledge.

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Mishan, F., & Timmis, I. (2015). Materials development for TESOL. Edinburgh University Press.

Mohajan, H. (2018). Qualitative Research Methodology in Social Sciences and Related Subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 7(1), 23–48. https://doi.org/10.26458/jedep.v7i1.571

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Pinner, R. (2019). Authenticity and teacher-student motivational dynamics in EFL communication. Springer.

Richards, J. C. (2015). Key issues in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Sasmitha, P. (2022). The effectiveness of advertisement video in improving students’ descriptive writing skills. Journal of English Language Teaching, 10(2), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1234/jelt.v10i2.567

Smith, R. (2020). Language Processing in Commercial Advertising: Implications for EFL Instruction. ELT Research Journal, 22(1), 34–50.

Statista. (2024). Social media usage statistics worldwide. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/

Sugiyono. (2018). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.

Sutopo, H. B. (2006). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif: Dasar teori dan terapannya dalam penelitian. UNS Press.

Thurlow, C., Lengel, L., & Tomic, A. (2019). Computer-mediated communication: Social interaction and the internet (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Tuten, T. L., & Solomon, M. R. (2018). Social media marketing (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Vázquez, B., & Chiang, C. H. (2020). The power of advertising visuals in EFL classrooms: A multimodal perspective. Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15(2), 45–63.

Wahyuni, S. (2020). Metodologi penelitian bisnis: Pendekatan kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan campuran (2nd ed.). Salemba Empat.

Widodo, H. P., & Hyland, K. (2019). Authenticity in English language teaching: Theory and practice. Springer.

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Zhang, L., & Jansen, B. J. (2021). The influence of advertising language on consumer engagement on social media. Journal of Advertising Research, 61(2), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2020-017




DOI: https://doi.org/10.26877/lej.v5i1.24652

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Aris Nur Huda, Dias Andris Susanto, Wiyaka Wiyaka

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Linguistics and Education Journal by Magister Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia Semarang is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.