The Role of Youtube Videos in Teaching Oral Skills

Abstract

The importance of speaking and listening in the process of EFL teaching and learning is undeniable. However, the teaching of the oral expression module in the Algerian university has been beset with challenges. It is significant to find interesting ways to motivate students and stamp out their anxiety, a central concern that has been voiced by the teachers of the module of oral expression. It is hypothesized in this research that if teachers at the Department of English, Mohammed Seddik Ben Yahia University, used the Youtube videos in the oral class as a teaching material, their students’ motivation would increase, their oral skills would be enhanced, their anxiety would be allayed, and the teachers’ task would be made relatively easier. In order to verify this hypothesis, an empirical study was conducted at the Department of English at Mohamed Seddik ben-Yahia University, in which a questionnaire was administered to 3rd year students and teachers of the module of oral expression. The findings show that YouTube videos are actually used as a teaching aid in oral expression classes, that both learners and teachers have a positive attitude to the use of said material. The answers collected from the questionnaire converge on the fact that the involvement of the Youtube videos enhances two important aspects of oral expression: motivation and participation in class. The hypothesis has thus been confirmed