Reducing EFL learners’ speaking anxiety through YouTube content creation
A mixed-methods study
Keywords:
Foreign Language Anxiety, Speaking Anxiety, Technology-Mediated Learning, Vlogging, YouTubeAbstract
Speaking anxiety is a persistent affective challenge in English as a foreign language (EFL) learning that may hinder learners’ willingness to communicate and oral performance. Technology-mediated speaking activities, particularly student-generated video content, may provide learners with opportunities to rehearse, reflect, and communicate in less threatening conditions. This study investigated the effect of YouTube content creation on EFL learners’ speaking anxiety and explored their experiences during the intervention. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed with 17 EFL learners participating in an eight-week YouTube content creation project. Quantitative data were collected through a foreign language anxiety questionnaire administered before and after the intervention, while qualitative data were obtained from students’ reflections and responses concerning their learning experiences. The quantitative results showed a significant reduction in overall speaking anxiety, from a pretest mean of 117.94 (SD = 9.34) to a posttest mean of 93.59 (SD = 8.47), t(16) = −7.42, p < .001, with a large effect size (d = 1.80). Reductions were also observed in communication apprehension, test anxiety, and social anxiety. Qualitative findings indicated that repeated rehearsal and reflection, reduced fear of negative evaluation, supportive peer and instructor feedback, and greater learner autonomy contributed to students’ more comfortable speaking experiences. The findings suggest that YouTube content creation can serve as a promising pedagogical strategy for reducing EFL learners’ speaking anxiety when implemented through structured opportunities for rehearsal, revision, autonomy, and supportive interaction.
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