DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v7i1.4947
YouTube and its impact on the listening skill of the 4-a students at new hope bilingual school during the III Quarter 2022
Adriana Gutiérrez Campos
adriana.gutierrez.campos@uhispano.ac.cr
Facultad de Educación
Universidad Hispanoamericana
Heredia – Costa Rica
Yahui Huang Chang
Universidad Hispanoamericana
Heredia – Costa Rica
ABSTRACT
The present study provides information related to the YouTube platform. It shows how effective or ineffective it is for educational purposes. For this reason, the goal is to demonstrate how useful YouTube can be for ten-year-old students in a learning environment. Besides, the skill of interest in this research is the listening skill. As part of the research process, different techniques are used to recollect the main results of the impact YouTube has on kids at a young age. Also, it contains information related to previous studies done in different countries to compare the results gotten. Lastly, according to the conclusions, it demonstrates how an app that many people have access to, can be used as a learning and educational tool for students at schools.
Keywords: youtube; videos; listening skill; students; english skills.
Correspondencia: adriana.gutierrez.campos@uhispano.ac.cr
Artículo recibido 15 enero 2023 Aceptado para publicación: 05 febrero 2023
Conflictos de Interés: Ninguna que declarar
Todo
el contenido de Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar,
publicados en este sitio están disponibles bajo Licencia Creative Commons 
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Cómo citar: Gutiérrez Campos, A., & Huang Chang, Y. (2023). YouTube and its impact on the listening skill of the 4-a students at new hope bilingual school during the III Quarter 2022. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 7(1), 7102-7113. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v7i1.4947
El impacto de youtube en la habilidad de escucha con los estudiantes del 4-a del complejo educativo nueva esperanza durante el III cuatrimestre 2022
RESUMEN
El presente estudio proporciona información sobre la aplicación reconocida mundialmente como YouTube. El mismo muestra qué tan eficaz o poco eficaz es la plataforma para propósitos educativos. Por esta razón, el objetivo de esta investigación es probar qué tan útil YouTube puede ser para estudiantes de diez años en el ambiente de aprendizaje. Además, la habilidad de interés en esta investigación es la habilidad de escucha. Como parte del proceso de investigación, se utiliza diferentes técnicas para recolectar los resultados principales del impacto que tiene YouTube en niños a una edad temprana. También, contiene información relacionada a estudios previamente realizados en otros países para comparar los resultados obtenidos. Por último, según las conclusiones, demuestra como una aplicación accesible puede ser utilizada como una herramienta educativa y de aprendizaje para los estudiantes en las escuelas.
Palabras clave: youtube; videos; habilidad de escucha; estudiantes; habilidades en inglés.
INTRODUCTION
The use of multimedia platforms, such as YouTube, has been given a great use in the past few years. A study conducted with young learners in Indonesia showed positive results regarding the use of this platform in the educational environment. According to Listiani et al. (2021): “In education, YouTube has been chosen as one of the language learning teaching tools with various types of learning videos and is categorized as a rich source of teaching materials.” (p. 157) It is a platform in which most people have access to nowadays. Using this platform students can learn more about any topic, and it can be used as a tool to develop different skills.
“Watching videos activated students' two different senses, seeing and hearing senses, and introduced them to the real things inside the videos.” (Listiani et al., 2021, p.159) As claimed by the researchers, students could enhance two of their senses with the YouTube app. This permitted students to enroll in the learning process. Also, with the use of this platform, students were willing to learn and discover different resources that could lead them to new knowledge. The use of “YouTube is considered as a fast, easy, and fun learning and teaching resource in language learning for young learners.” (Listiani et al., 2021, p.159) In this way, the use of this technological tool provided positive outcomes to students who were part of the investigation process. Also, it is a way to learn independently, learn independently, entertainingly, and simply.
Another study from the United Arab Emirates, including 91 college students has a goal of using YouTube to study or acquire knowledge about Anatomy. “During the first term, students studied the cardiovascular, respiratory, and hemopoietic systems. During the second term, they studied the gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, and reproductive systems.” (Jaffar, 2012, p.159) So, college students used the app to study more complex content rather than simple ones. After several weeks of study, the college students were asked to complete a survey about their experience using YouTube for their anatomy course. The students announced that they felt engaged with the experience due to a YouTube channel that was useful for them. As specified by Jaffar (2012): “Most of the students (92%, n 5 72) who used the HAE Channel agreed/strongly agreed that its style helped them learn anatomy.” (p.161) The researcher found out that the use of this HAE Channel, provided many videos complementing what the students were studying in class.
Therefore, technology was a fundamental part of this study because they were in constant use of it. According to Schacter (1999) as cited in Jaffar (2012): “technology-integrated teaching positively influences students’ learning outcomes.” (p. 161) So, it can also be inferred that using YouTube had a positive influence on the students’ knowledge on anatomy concepts. As part of this study, the general objective is to evaluate the collected data using the YouTube app and its impact in the listening skill in 4-A students. Besides, the specific objectives of this investigation are: to analyze the background and problem of the use of YouTube as a listening improvement tool, to explore theories related to the development of YouTube and its general functions by using current studies and articles, to determine the use ten-year-old students give to YouTube in their personal life using a questionnaire, to analyze the effect YouTube has on the acquisition of vocabulary in the listening skill and to present the results gotten using data analysis that shows the main results obtained during the investigation process. The hypothesis of this investigation is: YouTube plays an essential role in learning, so it has a positive impact on students when enhancing their listening skills.
YouTube Over the Years
YouTube has had a substantial expansion over the last few years. It has shown a significant use in society for numerous purposes, such as studying, learning something new, communicating, getting answers, and looking for didactic material, among other functions. So, YouTube has played a significant role in society over the years. Nevertheless, it started as an average platform, and people never thought it was going to be as famous as it is now. In accordance with Vytiaz (2018) as cited in YouTube (2005): “On April 23, 2005, the first video on YouTube was published, titled as “Me at the zoo” - an 18-second clip of YouTube’s founder Jawed Karim.” (p. 10) It has been over seventeen years, and this app has many advantages. It started with a simple and short video, and it continues to expand even more every year.
However, YouTube had an critical growth in 2006, “just in the week, from 7.3 million to 12.8 million unique visitors.” (Vytiaz, 2018, p.11) This platform got to have many viewers, visitors and people who started creating the videos. In that same year, YouTube signed a contract with the NBC company in June. Since YouTube started growing rapidly, Google decided to take a prospect. Purchasing YT was a very risky step for Google. Buying a one-year-old startup, was risky not only because it did not generate profit (although it was one of the fastest growing websites in the history of the Internet), but also because of problems with the illegal distribution of copyrighted content. (Vytiaz, 2018, p.12)
Billionaires and other companies thought Google made a huge mistake. They thought that by doing this, Google was putting their tremendous company in danger due to copyrighted videos posted on YouTube. In addition, today YouTube is a platform, which does not allow copyrights. Nowadays, “its parent company, Google, has from the beginning sought to monetize YouTube content, running advertising along with the social networking that has contributed to YouTube’s success.” (Soukup, 2014, p.11)
As years passed, YouTube began opening new features and launched versions available in diverse countries around the world. In 2007, YouTube released in-video ads and the first mobile application on iPhone. (Vytiaz, 2018, p.13) It had a remarkable condition, that people started getting YouTube on their iPhones. As time went on, YouTube Red was developed in 2014. Still, it was like the same app, but the alteration was that it provided some features for people who paid this subscription. One of the features it provided was to watch videos without ads. After that, in 2017 Vytiaz, (2018) mentioned: “YouTube TV, a TV streaming service that allows to watch live TV from major broadcasts and cable networks (service offers over 40 channels).” (p.14) All of these amazing features happened in ten years, and it has had a meaningful entrance in the new technological era.
YouTube in Education
YouTube has an influence in various fields; academic, political, cultural, social, etc. A major platform as this has had a major role in the education field as well. According to Snelson (2009): “In March 2009, YouTube™ EDU, located at http://www.youtube.com/edu, was launched as a central hub for videos from leading college and university partners.” (p. 3) YouTube thought of everything in regards the platform itself to be the best of the best. With this app, teachers could find many resources to apply in their classes. “YouTube has the potential to be an outlet for students and educators to create change, exchange information and collaborate.” (Wilson, 2015, p.10) YouTube helps students learn easier, faster, and in a simpler way. On this platform, educators may find any number of interactive videos as well as creating their own channels to share knowledge with the rest of the world.
In Education, the use of technological tools has had an engaging and motivating stage during the last few years. Besides, YouTube is a fitting tool to learn on your own, it is a very friendly app that provides people the opportunity to find videos of topics of interest. YouTube plays a fundamental role in the teaching and learning process. As reported by Wilson (2015): “When using YouTube, educators need to be aware of the content that students are accessing on their devices inside the classroom.” (p.14) This is a major concern for most parents and teachers because students can look for videos and distract themselves with a video of a different kind. For this reason, teachers must be aware of the management students give to their technological devices and video search.
YouTube and its Uses
YouTube has various uses, depending on the users’ needs, it can be used academically or socially. Besides, this app offers incredible content for all ages. As part of this app, people can find old content or something which has just premiered. “The website was containing thousands of different videos for every taste: spoofs, pranks, videos from parties, concert footage, comic videos.” (Vytiaz, 2018, p.10) People can have a great time enjoying the multimedia provided by this app. There are many content creators, who are called YouTubers. They have an impact on the society because they create channels and content based on what they like. For example, there are channels whose main goal is to teach English to adults and there are other channels which are the opposite way, meaning for entertainment purposes. On these channels, people are committed to making individuals laugh, do dares, or even challenges.
In the case of academic purposes, people try to teach countless topics and subjects; YouTube, then, becomes a virtual classroom in which the viewers are the learners. The YouTuber, the teacher in this case, has the responsibility of using the app in an informative and effective way for people to engage with the channel and continue following this person’s teaching method. (Wilson, 2015, p.10). On the other hand, every person in charge of a YouTube channel has the responsibility and social pressure to create their work for people’s interests and enjoyment. As part of it, the creation of videos is a job that people must spend lots of time in it to create the “perfect” video for their target audience. These audiences may be kids, teenagers, or adults. As a result, the main goal is to create a connection with the viewer and get subscribers for the channel.
Advantages and Disadvantages of YouTube
One of the main advantages of this platform is the flexibility of the time users can access to it. People have access to the Internet every day, so, it is just a matter of having an electronic device and a stable internet connection to use it. Another advantage is that by having YouTube, people do not have to waste money. It is amazing how someone can learn a new language, math, science, or history just by searching on YouTube and watching videos. “The researchers found many uses of video for learning such as video diaries, stimulations and instructional sequences.” (Wilson, 2015, p.11) People can study and learn independently. For this, it mostly works for people with not many educational opportunities to get to know to be someone in society.
On the other hand, highlighting and addressing the disadvantages is imperative. First, YouTube was considered a social media app. This means that it can make people engage with the app and not let them focus on their daily routines. According to Balakrishnan & Griffiths (2017) as cited by Khan (2017): “Of the various types of social media sites, online video-sharing applications have been shown to have the highest interactive level.” (p. 364) As they have the highest interactive level, this can produce lack of physical activity and deconcentrating factors. Then, ads are a major concern for viewers, this can turn into frustration and stress levels. Still, premium users have the benefit of not having to deal with ads which interrupt in the middle of your video. Finally, if it is an academic video this can lead the person to an interruption in their learning experiences, but not everyone has the resources to have the premium version of this platform.
Listening Skill
As part of this study, the listening skill is one of the four skills presented when acquiring a new language. That is why it is imperative to mention that it is the first skill to be gained when learning a new language. According to Liubinienė (2009) as cited in Vandergrift (2002): “listening comprehension, is an interactive, interpretive process where listeners use both prior knowledge and linguistic knowledge in understanding messages. In other words, both “top-down” and “bottom-up” processes are at work in the listening activity.” (p.89) For a proficient listening, learners must pay close attention to what is being said to decode the message. In the beginning, it may seem hard, but the brain starts adjusting and connecting with previous knowledge that was heard or learned.
There are three types of listening: content listening, critical listening, and emphatic listening. First, in content listening, it is vital to identify key points, ask questions and clarify the content that was not well understood. These three aspects to get a better understanding. Second, for critical listening, the listener must get to understand the implication of the message, the evidence which is being provided and the argument as it is. Basically, it is to put into practice the content listened to. Third, empathic listening involves the ability to ask open questions, keep the speaker going and reflect on the content. (Liubinienė, 2009, p.90) Therefore, it is fundamental to be an active listener to enhance this type of ability when learning a new language. Listening is crucial because it is how people convey most messages to other people. It is easier and faster to say it verbally than to write it on a piece of paper.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
For gathering information, an observation was performed regarding the students’ performance using YouTube and their behavior towards a video activity performed. With the use of an app that can also be used for social purposes, it is hard that all participants to stay focused during this process of completing an assigned activity related to education. According to Balakrishnan & Griffiths (2017) as cited by Khan (2017): “Of the various types of social media sites, online video-sharing applications have been shown to have the highest interactive level.” (p.364) For this reason, students were concentrated during the process, but two of the participants were deconcentrated because YouTube can also distract. Besides, YouTube “was containing thousands of different videos for every taste: spoofs, pranks, videos from parties, concert footage, comic videos.” (Vytiaz, 2018, p.10), which caused students to have a temptation towards other non-educational videos.
Considering the behavior, three aspects were analyzed and observed (nervousness, frustration, and attitude). So, “YouTube has the potential to be an outlet for students and educators to create, change, exchange information and collaborate.” (Wilson, 2015, p.10) That is why, during the process of watching the video, the participants seemed relaxed with a good attitude towards the activity. They were not nervous; on the contrary, students were concentrated because they knew they were using the app for educational purposes. Also, the behavior was positive because they liked using the app in school.
As part of the evaluation process, the researchers observed the participants and realize they can perform and solve the activity. According to Duffy (2008): “They absorb information quickly, in images and video as well as text, from multiple sources simultaneously.” (p.120) As a result, students learn faster if the content is presented strikingly visually, in a verbal mode and in an interactive way. Therefore, participants answered all comprehension questions, invested little time in the task, and showed comprehension of the video.
Besides, a questionnaire was given to the participants to complete the research process. “There’s a wide range of content to choose from. So, whether it’s endless beauty tutorials, product reviews, gaming channels, or hours of unboxing videos — YouTube has it all.” (Mohsin, 2022, para.2) YouTube has everything people like or need. That is why, from an overall view, participants usually spend a lot of time on YouTube. As well, it can be inferred that they overuse this app for social purposes at most, not academic ones. On the other hand, it can be shown how students learn new things from this platform. “YouTube is increasingly being used by educators as a pedagogic resource for everything from newsworthy events from around the world to “slice-of-life” videos used to teach students within an ESL (English as a Second Language) course.” (Duffy, 2008, p.124) Furthermore, YouTube is a good tool to learn on your own because each person learns a different word and new knowledge necessary to acquire new things. Accordingly, YouTube instructs the latest information to every person who utilizes the platform.
Overall, it can be inferred that most students presented good listening skills and that they understood most of the information provided in the video. According to Liubinienė (2009) as cited in Vandergrift (2002): “Listening comprehension, is an interactive, interpretive process where listeners use both prior knowledge and linguistic knowledge in understanding messages.” (p.89) which explains that during the current analysis, students could understand the words provided because they used their prior knowledge to figure out the meaning of many aspects. The five techniques (reading along with the song, being an active listener, staying relaxed, using translation, and taking notes) can demonstrate how students understand listening activities.
In this case, the three types of listening were involved during the application and investigation process. At first, content listening can be part of taking notes and translation because with these aspects the student will be able to understand better. Secondly, critical listening is part of the process because it requires more focused and active listening. Lastly, emphatic listening helps the listener reflect on the content and not apply other types of techniques. (Liubinienė, 2009, p.90) For this reason, most students applied the reading-along technique, which demonstrates that the listeners are empathic and need serious concentration to decode the message.
Lastly, the participants provided their opinion. According to Wilson (2015): “YouTube can be given “many uses of video for learning such as video diaries, stimulations and instructional sequences.” (p.11) Participants felt engaged with the experience since they were using an app that they were familiar with and that they like to use. Thus, participants had fun learning, which coincided with the purpose of the learning process.
CONCLUSION
Concerning the objectives anticipated in this research, they were all achieved and completed successfully. 4-A students at New Hope Bilingual School showed that they like using YouTube for educational purposes. This is a way in which they can engage with the subject or topic depending on the video that is shown to them. As well, it is necessary to mention that even though they use the app for other than educational purposes in their free time, they still can concentrate on using this app.
According to the hypothesis proposed for this paper, it can be shown (considering the data analysis and previous research) that YouTube has a positive impact on students’ learning opportunities. It provides a way in which students can enhance their listening skills which was the main goal of this investigation. Thus, the studies previously examined provided ways in which students could use the app for good learning/educational purposes. Besides, teachers can use this platform in the class to reinforce a topic or explain a certain aspect to the students.
One of the main findings of this research was how effectively students learned from a video. They showed wholesome performance while watching the video and undertaking the activities planned. Even though they had not heard or seen the video before, they used the subtitles and the explanation provided in the video to comprehend it better. Students had a different strategy to comprehend the video; for example, some used concentration, others read along with the video, etc. They could apply the strategy that worked better for them to understand the video.
Thus, the investigation process was successful, and it was related to the use of a worldwide known app as it is YouTube connected with the listening skill. Overall, YouTube provides good advantages for students to improve their listening skills and it was the case with the subjects of this study.
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