Using online practices on facebook: a study of males and females use of online linguistic and learning resources on a Facebook group, a Bourdieusian theoretical lens.

The immense growth of the internet shapes the way people communicate, by creating new
forms of communication (Madge, et al 2019; Kahai and Lei, 2009). Social networking sites is a
prominent way in which technology impacts individuals’ practices. Facebook is one of the
dominant and important social network sites nowadays (Naseri, 217), not only used for social
purposes, but also for academic ones (Laidfa, 2018; Mokededem, 2021). The digital
affordances of Facebook groups provide a bi/multilingual environment for bi/multilingual
users to practise their linguistic habitus and perform their online social behaviour. This study
is sets out to examine the online linguistic practices, particularly the code-switching practices
of 17 Kabyle students, who are multilingual active Facebook users. The Kabyles are the
Amazigh ethnic group of indigenous people of North Africa. These students are proficient in
at least four languages: Tamazight language with its variety (Kabyle), Arabic language, French,
and English in addition to other digital behaviours and semiotic features such as the use of
emoji, and internet memes. Nevertheless, the majority of studies tackle code-switching on
Facebook, focusing mainly on its types and frequency. More attention is needed to
understand the online practices of code switching in terms of the linguistic habitus and gender
dynamics. The study of gender dynamics is pivotal as it depicts the way individual construct
their online identities, revealing potential benefits in self-representation. The purpose of this
study is to explore how these adult participants use their linguistic resources on their social
interaction and how these practices differ from males to females. Additionally, the study
focuses on participants’ perceptions towards their own linguistic practices, while also giving
due consideration to how these perceptions are related to their linguistic habitus, social
cultural, and sociopsychological perspectives. Furthermore, the study aims at investigating
the different online behaviours employed by each gender while commenting/posting on
Facebook. For this reason, I conducted a qualitative study focusing on specific students’
community on a Facebook group. Using an online ethnography, I explored the research
questions by conducting an- in depth interview and online-observation of 17 participants
involved in sharing course related materials and linguistic resources. With findings arrived at
through thematic analysis and qualitative content analysis. Importantly the findings revealed
that Facebook groups that are used for sharing educational resources among students create
a sense of belonging and relatedness among students. Crucially too, the findings contends
that the use of the linguistic dynamics vary between males and females’ practices in language
use. This heterogeneity lies in the code-choice used by each gender, factors deriving these
choices, audience, topic, and the use of emoji that each gender employs. It argues that
policymakers have a crucial role in fostering an environment that supports diverse linguistic
practices. Key recommendations include the development of teacher training programs to
better integrate code-switching into teaching strategies, the revision of language policies to
reflect the benefits of multilingualism, and the need for further research to evaluate the
impact of code-switching on student outcomes. By adopting such frameworks, educators and
policymakers can enhance the learning experience and promote a more inclusive,
linguistically diverse educational environment.