YouTube’s impact on students’ self-directed language learning (SDLL): A comprehensive evaluation based on the knowledge-skills-attitude trio

Abstract

YouTube has undeniably become a ubiquitous and influential multimodal media for recreational and educational purposes among Generation Z students. These “digital natives” have acquired increasingly more self-efficacy to lead their learning via this virtual immersion. Their self-directed language learning (SDLL) is hailed as a game changer in cultivating learners’ ability to activate their language acquisition device when encountering comprehensible input (Chomsky, 1965; Krashen, 1982). Therefore, the current study aims to identify the effects of YouTube on students’ SDLL and propose solutions to optimize this self-regulated process. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a survey with 361 participants from a high-ranking language-major university. The data was analyzed descriptively and inferentially via Microsoft Excel Analytical Pack with the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicate a significant relationship between the learning time on YouTube and the overall study result. YouTube has a considerable impact on their autonomous learning (M = 3.60 on average) regarding eight aspects: vocabulary (M = 3.73), grammar (M = 3.18), pronunciation (M = 4.12), listening (M = 3.44), reading (M = 3.27), speaking (M = 3.24), writing (M = 4.06); and their attitudes (M = 4.10). The study also reports student-raised suggestions to maximize the effectiveness of their SDLL.