Exploring the Effect of YouTube on English Major Students' Speaking Proficiency at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade

Abstract

In the current context of rapid technological growth, scholars and educators who specialize in the English language have shown a great deal of interest in YouTube. With the rise of YouTube videos as a resource, educators and learners can now benefit from their usefulness and relevance in facilitating effective language learning, especially when it comes to speaking activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate critically how students' practice speech on the YouTube platform influences their ability to speak more. There were 65 females and 35 males among the 100 English majors in their third and final year at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUIT) who participated in the survey. The age range of the participants was 20 to 22 years old. Using surveys and interviews as well as other data gathering tools, the study used a mixed-methods design. Examining the transcripts of the interviews and questionnaires, it was discovered that the experimental group's students thought it was a good idea to use YouTube videos for speaking exercises. Let's Talk and VOA Speaking English are the two channels that participants enjoy watching the most. Additionally, the research pinpointed a few common subjective and objective challenges people face when watching YouTube videos. Finally, recommendations for teachers and scholars are provided at the end of the book.