Integration of Discord in EFL Classroom (First Draft)

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly reshaped the educational landscape, necessitating a rapid transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to virtual learning environments, which underscored the critical need for effective online learning platforms. While established applications like WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, and Learning Management Systems (LMS) were widely adopted, many popular options often came with significant subscription costs for full functionality, posing challenges for smaller educational institutions or students with limited economic resources. In this transformative period, Discord, a platform initially known for facilitating communication within gaming communities, emerged as a promising and viable alternative for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning. Discord is fundamentally a free voice and text chat platform that supports IP telephony, video conferencing, and the creation of both public and private chats for exchanging text and voice messages. While its origins are deeply rooted in the gaming world, where it allowed gamers to communicate while playing, Discord has evolved, acquiring new functionalities that have made it a versatile space for people with shared interests, including educational applications. Research indicates that the majority of students hold a positive perception regarding the use of the Discord application in virtual English learning, signaling its suitability for pedagogical purposes, moving beyond its initial design. 

Discord for Learning

Discord offers a compelling array of advantages that make it an attractive choice for EFL instruction; a significant benefit is its cost-effectiveness as most features are utilized without any charge, and even its premium subscription, Discord Nitro, is relatively less expensive than alternatives like Zoom. Crucially, Discord is more internet-data efficient, primarily using voice chat rather than live video, which significantly reduces data consumption, a vital factor for students with limited internet access. The platform provides both voice and text channels, facilitating diverse forms of student interaction where learners can engage in discussions, express opinions, and ask or answer questions verbally or in writing. It supports dramatic presentations, simulations, and direct practice, as channel features allow students to conduct simulations and practice effectively, even for those with poor connections, as instructions can be read and written in the chat room. Teachers can directly share audio, video, materials, and images, and the chat history and data are well-stored, enabling students to revisit materials or discussions at any time. Students can clearly see and understand pictures, graphics, or diagrams shared, and the platform supports the ability to hear and understand spoken English during live presentations or lectures, and read and understand written materials, presentation slides, and written discussions with ease. For effective classroom management, Discord enables teachers to create multiple voice channels, serving as breakout rooms, where students can engage in smaller group discussions, allowing teachers to seamlessly move between rooms to monitor progress, addressing the challenge of limited student interaction. The dashboard feature allows teachers to establish dedicated text channels for crucial announcements and reminders, effectively preventing essential information from being lost in general chat. Utilized for EFL, Discord has a positive impact on learning outcomes: methods like role-play can provide students with real-life communication scenarios, enhancing their enthusiasm and speaking skills, particularly in voice channels. The application can facilitate the acquisition and application of EFL vocabulary in speaking, and systematic use has been shown to improve vocabulary retention through regular repetition and actualization, with students reporting that daily short tasks helped them unconsciously memorize new words. Students have reported increased motivation and engagement, and Discord can also boost students' self-confidence, especially for those typically reserved in a traditional classroom, as the online environment allows for freer expression. It aids in creating a foreign language environment outside the classroom, which is crucial for EFL learners who may have limited exposure to English. Furthermore, Discord is highly accessible and can be used across various platforms and operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, iOS, and through a web browser, without requiring specific device installation.

Despite its numerous advantages, the integration of Discord into EFL learning is not without its challenges and limitations. For new users or teachers unfamiliar with similar applications (often referred to as "technophobes"), Discord's interface can initially appear complex or confusing, though with proper instruction and consistent use, users generally become more comfortable with the platforms. Discord does not possess native features like session recording or whiteboard/doodling tools, but teachers are often willing to use third-party software as workarounds. Many problems encountered are rooted in external factors rather than the application itself, including lost internet connection due to external circumstances like proximity to train tracks, bad weather, or power outages, running out of internet data, and low-quality audio streaming from device issues, which students commonly solve by using earphones or headsets. Forced application closures due to insufficient device capacity or too many applications running simultaneously are also external factors, requiring students to manage their open applications. Student and teacher factors also contribute to challenges: students may easily become bored if learning activities are not sufficiently interactive or while waiting for their turn in activities like role-play. External distractions, such as social media addiction, can impact student concentration, particularly when they are idle. Teachers might also face difficulties in adapting their traditional teaching practices to the online context, including getting used to in-app features as replacements for physical teaching aids.

In conclusion, Discord demonstrates significant potential as an effective alternative online learning medium for EFL classes, particularly in a post-pandemic educational landscape. Despite its initial design for gaming, students have largely accepted Discord due to its engaging (once familiarized) user interface, comprehensive features, ease of use, and relatively lower internet data consumption compared to conventional video conferencing applications [i, 109, 173]. Its benefits encompass improve speaking skills, enhanced vocabulary acquisition and retention, increased student motivation and engagement, and the creation of an immersive foreign language environment outside the classroom. While some limitations exist, such as the initial complexity of the interface or the absence of built-in recording and doodling features, these can often be mitigated through the use of third-party applications or adaptive teaching strategies. Ultimately, the success hinges on the purposefully designed and tailored educational content provided by the teacher, which is then effectively delivered through a user-friendly application like Discord. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that EFL teachers consider and maximize the use of Discord to reinforce and enhance both in-class tasks and out-of-class learning activities. Future research could explore its impact on different EFL proficiency levels, compare its effectiveness with other platforms in terms of user-friendliness and functionality, and investigate the benefits of joining English practice servers on students' overall EFL proficiency.

References 

Arifianto, M., & Izzudin, I. (2021). Students’ acceptance of discord as an alternative online learning media. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 16(20), 179-195. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v16i20.22917

Jannah, E. I., & Hentasmaka, D. (2021). THE USE OF DISCORD APPLICATION IN VIRTUAL ENGLISH LEARNING: AN INVESTIGATION ON STUDENTS’PERCEPTIONS. Premise: Journal of English Education and Applied Linguistics, 10(2), 183-200.

Odinokaya, M. A., Krylova, E. A., Rubtsova, A. V., & Almazova, N. I. (2021). Using the discord application to facilitate EFL vocabulary acquisition. Education Sciences, 11(9), 470. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090470 

Pramudya, R. S., Sumani, S., & Pinandhita, F. (2024, July). Using Role-Play And Discord Media To Teach Speaking For Esl Students. In ELITICS: Proceedings of Seminar on English Education, Literature, and Linguistics (Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 163-166).

Uong, T. G. T., Nguyen, D. K., & Nguyen, H. N. (2022). Teachers’ feedback on using Discord as an online learning platform. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 2(4), 84-104. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijte.22246