ИСТИНА

Whereas social networking is no longer a particularly new phenomenon in our life, it has recently started to be used in the ways originally not intended for. The networks have become new media, far more powerful in the 21st century than the original set of TV-radio-press, especially among the younger generation. In this light, it makes sense for educators to face this challenge and benefit from social media in educational respect, too. We’d like to showcase how the most popular Russian social network Vkontakte can fit into an English course and share practical ways for a service of this kind to be implemented successfully into classroom practice. As personal experience shows, harnessing a social network for educational needs using a variety of methods appeals to students, enhances their learning, boosts motivation and adds up productivity.