Digital Media Ecology and Business Communication Skills of Applied English Students

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the intensity of English-language social media use and the digital business communication competence of Business English Communication (BEC) students at the Faculty of Language and Literature, Universitas Negeri Makassar. Framed within the media ecology perspective, this quantitative correlational research employed proportional stratified random sampling. A total of 82 respondents from Semesters 2, 4, and 6 participated. Data were collected via a validated 30-item Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. Results reveal a strong and significant positive correlation (r = 0.582, p < 0.001) between intensity of English-language social media use and digital business communication competence. The coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.339) suggests 33.9% of variance in communication competence is explained by social media use intensity. The regression equation Y = 12.72 + 0.523X indicates each unit increase in social media intensity yields a 0.523-point increase in communication competence. These findings support media ecology theory and carry implications for curriculum development in applied English programs in Eastern Indonesia.