The educational use of YouTube videos in communication fluency development in English: Digital learning and oral skills in secondary education

Abstract

Advancement of technology nowadays shows English has become necessary to be mastered and taught to students. Many media tools can be used in teaching language skills. One such widely used media is considered video website YouTube.com since it is the social medium that is positively appraised most by all learners. With adequate access to the internet, learners could use YouTube videos as the valuable tool to develop multiple foreign language skills. This research explored the types of EFL YouTube videos mostly watched by secondary students to enhance speaking skills in the school for gifted children in Kazakhstan. After analyzing the content of YouTube videos, a mixed-methods study was employed to reveal the most preferable categories of video websites that might be valuable to boost communication proficiency in English. Data collection was via a questionnaire with 288 Secondary Education students’ participation. The results of the questionnaire were analyzed descriptively. The findings of the study indicated that Secondary Education students had a positive attitude towards using YouTube videos to learn English speaking skills. In addition, participants’ responses showed that mostly used categories were found regarding English films, songs and vlogs. Authors also identified that the most preferable types of YouTube videos helped learners to become motivated and confident throughout the experiment.