English learning motivation with TAM: Undergraduates' behavioral intention to use Chinese indigenous social media platforms for English learning

As the largest proportion of Chinese netizens, undergraduates' use of social media platforms to learn English has become a focus of Chinese higher education. Based on technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of language learning motivation, through a structural equation modeling approach, this paper explored factors that influenced the behavioral intention of Chinese undergraduates to use two typical Chinese indigenous social medial platforms (i.e. WeChat and Bilibili) to learn English. By analyzing data from 834 Chinese undergraduates who answered an online questionnaire, we found that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and English learning motivation had positive effects on intention to use both platforms to learn English. Perceived enjoyment had a positive influence on the intentional use of WeChat, but not Bilibili. Additionally, perceived usefulness acted as a mediator between perceived ease of use and intentional use, as well as between perceived enjoyment and intentional use; however, it did not mediate the relationship between English learning motivation and intentional use for both platforms. This study is beneficial to English teachers, developers of social media platforms, and other related stakeholders, as it provides insight into Chinese undergraduates' use of indigenous platforms to learn English, while incorporating motivation theory with technology acceptance model.