Investigating Students’ Use of Micro-Learning on TikTok Mobile Application to Improve Their English Pronunciation Case Study: Undergraduate English Language Students at Abdelhafid Boussouf University Center of Mila

Abstract

In today’s world, social media plays an important role and has become a necessary daily activity for most people. The development of social media platforms provides learners with a variety of content that can be used to practice English. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of using the social media application TikTok on learning English pronunciation. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining a quantitative research method in which we used a questionnaire and a qualitative research where we used interviews with four undergraduate English language learners. The questionnaire was administered to two hundred undergraduate EFL learners, at Abdelhafid Boussouf University Center of Mila in order to collect insightful responses relevant to the research goal. The results reveal that the TikTok application is an engaging and motivating tool that improves learners' pronunciation skills through exposure to authentic language and real-life situations. Participants reported that TikTok was more enjoyable and effective in learning English pronunciation than traditional methods such as textbooks and traditional classrooms. Participants also expressed a preference for learning English pronunciation from native speakers and from exposure to diverse accents on TikTok. Based on the results of the present study, it can be confidently stated that a significant number of learners, at Abdelhafid Boussouf University Center of Mila, use the social media platform TikTok to improve their English pronunciation. Thus, it is arguable that TikTok has the potential to be an effective tool for improving English pronunciation and can contribute to the development of innovative and engaging language learning practices for the new generation of learners.