Enhancing EFL Students’ Listening Comprehension through BBC Learning English on YouTube

Abstract

Listening comprehension remains a persistent challenge for many EFL learners, particularly when access to varied and accessible spoken English is limited. This study investigated the use of BBC Learning English videos on YouTube as a supplementary resource for supporting Grade 11 students’ listening comprehension. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was employed with 20 students at a senior high school in Palopo, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Data were collected through listening comprehension tests administered before and after the intervention and a questionnaire examining students’ perceptions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test. The results showed an increase in the mean listening comprehension score from 53.00 on the pre-test to 83.50 on the post-test, representing a 30.50-point gain. The paired-samples t-test indicated a statistically significant difference, t(19) = −5.977, p < .001, with a large within-group effect (dz ≈ 1.34). Students also reported positive perceptions, with 94% of questionnaire responses falling within the “agree” or “strongly agree” categories. These findings indicate substantial improvement in listening comprehension following the intervention and suggest that BBC Learning English on YouTube may serve as an accessible supplementary resource for EFL listening instruction. However, because the study lacked a control group, the findings indicate improvement following the intervention rather than definitive evidence of a causal effect attributable solely to BBC Learning English.