The impacts of YouTube on learners’ speaking and listening skills at

Thang Long University

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the study:
In modern times, technology has influenced practically every part of life, and
education is not an exception. In the current status of learning foreign languages
and in the digitalized world we live in, there are numerous tools for practitioners
to rely on to optimize their learning. Of course, foreign language learning comes
with various methods including ones involved with assistance such as a course
or a teacher but here we are focusing on self-paced learning with the help of
only the Internet. There are a significant number of online materials that can be
included in English lessons, such as YouTube. YouTube is regarded as a source
of online content that might be important in the field of teaching and learning.
YouTube not only contains academic videos but also real-life videos, giving
students a wide range of options and making learning more accessible even
when they are not in class. Furthermore, YouTube assists learners in acquiring
knowledge while entertaining themselves. This can help learners enhance their
comprehension and performance in English speaking and listening skills.
Some previous studies have shown that using technology, specifically YouTube
videos in learning English can help learners easily remember lessons and make
the English learning experience to be more entertaining and attractive
(Almurashi,2016), (Putri,2020). However, there are no studies have been
conducted to demonstrate how YouTube videos impacts and benefits
Vietnamese learners’ speaking and listening skills, the two communication
skills that are most frequently used in daily interactions.
1.2. Research Problem:
The two skills of listening and speaking are extremely important in daily
communication, and being fluent in English may be beneficial in both education
and work. However, in Vietnam, these two skills have not received much
attention. According to Dr. Nguyen Hoang Tien (2018), about 49.3% of learners
in Vietnam can use their speaking and listening skills in English fluently, 18.9%
of students cannot meet the requirements and 31.8% of students need more
instruction. This is more than half the number of learners who do not meet the
requirements for English communication skills. This situation arises because the
educational system in Vietnam is currently heavily focused on grammar while
neglecting listening and speaking proficiency. The learning environment is also
a significant factor contributing to the issue. Most of the learners only interact
with native teachers during mandated lessons. Access to native speakers and
opportunities for immersive language experiences are scarce, hindering the
development of listening and speaking skills.
Because learners in Vietnam still lack the training environment and resources to
practice their listening and speaking skills, using YouTube videos as a plentiful
and cost-free resource is incredibly beneficial for learning and practicing these
two skills. Learning English via YouTube videos as supplemental material not
only help students comprehend and remember their courses but also encourage
learners to practise outside of class.
1.3. Research purposes:
The overall goal of this study is to investigate the effects of using YouTube as a
supplementary material for learning and practicing speaking and listening skills
in English. Specifically, the research tries to compare the English speaking and
listening skills of participants who regularly watch English-language videos on
YouTube with those who do not have this habit to determine the impacts of
YouTube videos on these two abilities. Finally, this paper attempts to detemine
the beneficial of using YouTube videos as a tool to learn and practice learners’
speaking and listening skills.
1.4. Research questions:
This research tries to answer some questions; namely, is there any difference
between people who usually watch English-language videos on YouTube and
those who do not? Is it useful and helpful to use YouTube as an additional tool
for developing English speaking and listening skills? What successes can be
achieved by using YouTube to practice these two skills?
This study is designed to examine the impacts of utilizing YouTube on English
communication abilities of Vietnamese learners; therefore, the purpose of this
research is to specifically address people who are studying English and will use
English as a tool in their future profession. A small-scale survey will be carried
out at Thang Long University, one hundred first-year English language learners
will take part in a small-scale survey to evaluate and compare their English
speaking and listening skills. Because this is a small-scale survey for first-year
English language students at Thang Long University, this study does not
accurately reflect the abilities of all English language learners.
1.5. Significance of the study:
Learning a foreign language is highly valued in society, particularly if it is one
of the international languages. There are many ways to acquire this knowledge,
one of which is through internet videos, specifically on YouTube. YouTube is
an excellent resource for individuals who wish to improve their speaking and
listening skills in a language that is not their native tongue. Currently, this
method of self-study is not widely valued in Vietnam's education system for
foreign languages because the focus is heavily on grammar, and there is almost
no emphasis on practice. As a result, students are not motivated to explore self-
study options. Additionally, few people believe in this method because there is
not enough research or concrete evidence to support it. This study will pave the
way for the future of studying the English language.
The study on this new way of studying will help students and learners to save a
great deal of money and time and also provide convenience if ones know how to
exploit it efficiently. In addition, this research can be a reliable source of
material for students or researchers who explore English learning methods.
Furthermore, YouTube learning is efficient not only for students but also for
teachers because it would be a source of information, examples and illustration
videos that contribute a lot to the lessons in class. This research will further help
government realize the huge potential of internet-based self-study then an
increasing number of investments will be made in the future to improve the high
quality videos that YouTube already has.