Teachers’ and learners’ Attitudes towards the Use of YOUTUBE Videos to Improve Speaking The Case Study of Third Year University Students

Abstract

In contemporary times, English is widely recognized as the most globally spoken and influential language. Thus, the number of individuals aspiring to learn this language is constantly growing. Among the various language skills, speaking is considered the most crucial for individuals seeking to attain English proficiency. Speaking indeed plays a fundamental role in the process of language learning. To acquire this skill, foreign language learners can revolutionize traditional learning methods by adopting modern technological resources that facilitate the learning process. One of these technological resources is YouTube. The present study attempts to investigate teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of YouTube videos in developing EFL speaking skill. This research is carried out using a mixed descriptive method. To acquire the needed data, two questionnaires are administered to third year oral expression teachers and students of English in the Department of Foreign Languages at Mila University. This work aims to answer three questions: (1) Do teachers and students use YouTube videos as learning materials to develop speaking proficiency? (2) What are the teachers’ and learners’ attitudes towards using YouTube videos to improve EFL learners’ oral proficiency? (3) To what extent is YouTube considered an important tool in developing speaking? The analysis of the answers shows that teachers and learners use YouTube as a pedagogical tool to improve the speaking skill. Furthermore, they assure their positive views toward the usefulness of YouTube videos in developing oral fluency. Their positive attitudes indicate their awareness of the importance of integrating YouTube in EFL classrooms. The study ends up with a number of pedagogical recommendations for teachers and students along with some implications.