In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students' learning.
Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for
language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there
are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically
designed for education purposes, but that can be useful
in supporting learners. These include instant messaging
apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegat�ing phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital
form of communication to enhance education, including
language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the
purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the
messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings
of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes
for the participants' posts as they relate to the use of the
app as a tool for collaboration, peer-support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey,
semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat
posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers,
and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the
key educational purposes of the programme.