https://doi.org/10.37815/rte.v34n2.888
Original articles
Improving oral communication skills of English learners with voice
messages and short videos
Mejora
de las habilidades comunicativas orales de estudiantes de inglés con mensaj=
es
de voz y vídeos cortos
Rotimi Peter
Oye1
Katherine Salva=
dor
Cisneros2 https://orcid.org/0000-0=
003-0414-3597
1
2
Sent: = 2021/12/10<= o:p>
Accepted: 2022/05/19
Published: 2022/06/30
Abstract
Summary: Introduction,
Methodology, Results and Discussion and Conclusions. How
to cite: Oye, R. & Salva=
dor-Cisneros,
K. (2022). Improving oral communication skills of English learners with
voice messages and short videos. Revista
Tecnológica - Espol, 34(2), 155-164. http://www.rte.espol.e=
du.ec/index.php/tecnologica/article/view/888
University students=
face
the challenge of communicating in a foreign language while speaking. This is
perceived as one of the most complex skills to develop. The lack of
opportunities to interact in the target language, in and out of the English
classrooms, prevents students from acquiring fluency and confidence. This s=
tudy
examines the development of students' oral communication skills of Level B1
(Pre-Intermediate level of the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages) of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) using the WhatsApp
applications. Forty–five EFL learners aged 18-25 from a language center at a
university in Ecuador performed exercises using voice messages and short vi=
deos
as part of their course planned activities. The data collection method
consisted of surveys and interviews with the participants and their teacher=
’s
observations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and
cross-tabulation accordingly. Analysis of the data evidenced that short vid=
eos were
far more effective than voice messaging in improving the participants' oral
communication skills. Other benefits were the improvement of grammar and
pronunciation observed in the learners' voice messages, with the consequent
improvement of their speaking fluency. It can be said that the participants'
overall oral communication skills developed with the use of the WhatsApp
application in this study. Therefore, the authors recommend exploring the
application of technological resources in the EFL classroom.
=
Keywords: educational research, foreign language instruction, English, educati=
onal
technology, educational innovations, WhatsApp.
Resumen
Los estudiantes universitarios
enfrentan el desafío de comunicarse en una lengua extranjera mientras que l=
a destreza
oral es una de las más difíciles de desarrollar. La falta de oportunidades =
para
interactuar en el lenguaje objetivo dentro y fuera de la clase de inglés im=
pide
adquirir fluidez y confianza. Este estudio examina el desarrollo de las
habilidades de comunicación oral de los estudiantes del Nivel B1 (Nivel
pre-intermedio del Marco Común Europea de Referencia de Lenguas) de inglés =
como
Lengua Extranjera, haciendo uso de la aplicación WhatsApp. Cuarenta y cinco
estudiantes de inglés, de edades entre 18 y 25 años, de un centro de idioma=
s de
una universidad de Ecuador realizan ejercicios de comunicación oral emplean=
do
mensajes de voz, con la ejecución de vídeos cortos como parte de las
actividades planificadas en su curso. El método de recolección de datos inc=
luye
encuestas y entrevistas a los participantes, y observaciones de su profesor=
. La
información se examina mediante estadística descriptiva y tabulaciones
cruzadas. El análisis de los datos evidencia que el uso de vídeos cortos es
mucho más eficaz que los mensajes de voz para mejorar las habilidades
comunicativas orales de los participantes. Otro beneficio es la mejora en el
uso de la gramática y la pronunciación observada en los mensajes de voz de =
los
estudiantes, y su consecuente mejoría de la fluidez en su habilidad oral. En
este estudio puede decirse que las habilidades comunicativas orales mejoran=
de
manera general con el uso de la aplicación WhatsApp, por lo tanto, los auto=
res
recomiendan explorar diferentes recursos tecnológicos en la enseñanza de
lenguas extranjeras.
Introduction
This
study addresses one of the concerns of English as Foreign Language (EFL)
teachers about learners' difficulty speaking in English after studying the
language for several years. English learners have many problems engaging in
meaningful conversations. Most learners have difficulty developing oral
communication skills (Altiner, 2018). This diff=
iculty
may result from some teachers focusing more on teaching grammar and vocabul=
ary
with a content-based approach, leaving a communication-based approach aside.
Also, for some learners, passing an English exam composed of grammatical st=
ructures
and writing about individual experiences is not enough to improve their oral
communication skills. Not being able to speak English in and outside the
classroom is a typical problem college students face. In addition, learners=
say
they are shy or afraid to make mistakes when trying to communicate in Engli=
sh (Namaziandost, 2019).
It must
also be said that oral production in the English language does not only help
learners to further their education, but also prepares them for cross-cultu=
ral
activities in their life experiences. Furthermore, speaking English will en=
able
learners to obtain part-time jobs due to Ecuador being a touristic location=
for
foreign English speakers who are seeking adventures and international
relationships. Learners with a B1 level of English will find it easy to get
jobs in hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and tourist places. The
advantages of cross-cultural activities like knowing Ecuadorians' local
cuisines and other cultural identities may be transmitted to English native
speakers who come to visit Ecuador for cultural experiences. Cultural
experiences may be achieved through speaking to individuals physically or
through video conferencing (Jung, 2013). Learners will be prepared to master
the meanings of words and use them on different occasions with those who wa=
nt
to have a cultural understanding of a specific location (Kurkimbayeva
et al., 2020).
According
to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education on Learning English, Article 31 of =
the
University Council, students must achieve a B1 level of English of the Comm=
on
European Framework before graduating from university (CES, 2019). Some high
school students need to prepare well to pass their English proficiency level
when they reach university. The English proficiency level at the university
corresponds to the B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages, which states that learners would be able to communicate fluently=
on
topics related to their everyday activities (Council of Europe, 2001, p.24).
This work results from research undertaken towards the master in TEFL degre=
e of
one of the authors. It is set in the English Center of the Continuous Educa=
tion
Department at the National Polytechnic University. Participants are univers=
ity
and high school students enrolled in this English Center who are challenged=
to
acquire a B1 level (a pre-intermediate level of the Common European Framewo=
rk
of Reference for Languages) to improve their oral communication skills.
The research questions of this study are:
1. How do voice messages improve the oral communication of EFL B1
students using the WhatsApp application?
2. How do short videos in English improve the oral communication of =
EFL
B1 students using the WhatsApp application?
3. What are EFL B1 learners' perceptions of using voice messages and
short videos to enhance their communication skills?
Meth=
odology
This study aimed to employ an action research approach to address communication skills problems in the EFL classroom. Alina et al. (2007) suggest that acti= on research results in practical solutions to problems in education and learni= ng. Siegel (2013) states that practical solutions can improve language skills w= hen attention is given to the learner's perspective of their learning process. = In the same vein, Tuan and Nhu (2010) claim that researchers and learners need to investigate student perspectives while interacting to find solutions to learners' communication skills in the classroom. Therefore, this study uses an interpretive approach to examine learners' perceptions of improvement when using WhatsApp as a learning tool= . In this regard, the study combined a survey, interviews, and observations as d= ata collection tools to identify and meet the needs of learners.
The survey employed in this study i= ncluded five statements where the participants were asked to position themselves al= ong a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 to 5, as follows:
1. &n= bsp; Extremely poor
2. &n= bsp; Poor
3. &n= bsp; Neither poor nor good
4. &n= bsp; Good
5. &n= bsp; Extremely good
The semi-structured interview inclu= ded three initial questions aimed to respond the research questions:
Question 1. Would you like to use v= oice messages through the WhatsApp application during class activities? Why?
Question 2. Would you like to use s= hort videos from the WhatsApp application during class activities to enhance your communicative skills? Why?
Question 3. What are your perceptio= ns about using voice messages and short videos to improve your speaking skills?
The data collected from surveys were interpreted using descriptive statistics and a cross-tabulation analysis. T= he responses to the open questions in the interviews were listed for their analysis. Results and conclusions followed the analysis of the collected da= ta.
Forty-five participants took part i= n this study. Students were enrolled in the 5th Cycle English Course, Fall Term (October 20th to December 17th, 2020) in the English Center of a polytechnic university. All participants were 18 to 25 years old. They held Level B1 in English according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languag= es. Participants granted their informed consent to participate, knowing the pur= pose and the content of the survey and the interview. Participants attended two-= hour daily English lessons for eight weeks, from Monday to Friday. Learners in t= his study usually have scarce opportunities to put the grammatical structure learned in class into practice in their daily activities and conversations. Therefore, this study explored the effect of using English voice messages a= nd short videos through the WhatsApp application to improve the communication skills of EFL B1 learners in the classroom. The focus of this study was the improvement of oral skills, fluency, and the learners’ confidence in the us= e of the language.
Resu=
lts and Discussion
The participants’ responses to the survey are presented based on a descriptive statistical analysis. Figure 1<= /span> illustrates how stu= dents perceived their improvement after using WhatsApp voice messages through bar charts. Most respondents (n=3D20; 44.4%) agreed that WhatsApp voice message= s are an excellent tool to improve their communication skills. At the same time, = only one participant (2.2%) agreed that the use of WhatsApp voice messages is a = poor technique to improve communication skills.
The second objective of this study w=
as to
explore how short videos from WhatsApp contributed to participants' oral
communicative skills. Figure 2 reflects that most respondents (n=3D22;48.9%) agreed that
short videos are good to improve their communicative skills. While only one=
of
the respondents (2.2%) agreed that short videos are considered an Extremely
Poor tool to improve communication skills.
The third objective o=
f this
study was to know the most perceived improvement after using voice messages=
and
short videos from the WhatsApp application. Figure 3 depicts students' responses, with most respondents
(n=3D18;40.0%) reporting the perception of improvement in their grammar ski=
lls.
Only two respondents (4.4%) agreed that voice messages and short videos from
the WhatsApp application enhance their emotional expression.
Figure 1
Bar chart of the distributio=
n of
students’ perception of their improvement after the use of voice messages
Figure 2
Bar chart of the distributio=
n of
students’ perception of their improvement after the use of short videos
Figure 3
Bar chart of the distributio=
n of
students' perception of their improvement after the use of voice messages a=
nd
short videos
A cross-tabulation co=
unt of
students' perceptions corroborates that those respondents who agree that vo=
ice
messages and short videos are good tools to enhance their communication ski=
lls
relate Grammar as the primary area of improvement (Table 1 and Table 2).
Table 1
Cross-tabulati=
on
count of respondents’ perceptions (voice messages)
|
SCALE |
EASY TO USE |
HELP IN PRONUNCIATION |
MORE CONFIDENCE |
EXPRESS EMOTION |
IMPROVE GRAMMAR |
TOTAL |
|
EXTREMELY POOR |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
POOR |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
NEITHER POOR NOR GOOD |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
|
GOOD |
3 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
6 |
20 |
|
EXTREMELY GOOD |
3 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
17 |
|
TOTAL |
8 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
18 |
45 |
Table 2=
Cross-tabulati=
on
count of respondents’ perceptions (short videos
|
SCALE |
EASY TO USE |
HELP IN PRONUNCIATION |
MORE CONFIDENCE |
EXPRESS EMOTION |
IMPROVE GRAMMAR |
TOTAL |
|
EXTREMELY POOR |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
POOR |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
NEITHER POOR NOR GOOD |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
GOOD |
4 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
22 |
|
EXTREMELY GOOD |
1 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
17 |
|
TOTAL |
8 |
10 |
7 |
2 |
18 |
45 |
The Pearson Chi-Square value was calculated to determine if there was a signifi= cant difference among the perceptions. It was found that there is no statistical= ly significant association between the participant's perception of the use of voice message and short videos and their responses about the use of voice messages as a tool to improve communication skills. This lack of associatio= n is shown in Table 3 since the P-value o= f 0.551 is more significant than 0.05 (95% confidence level).
Table 3=
Chi-Square test
|
|
VALUE |
DF |
ASYMPTOTIC SIGNIFICANC=
E (2-SIDED) |
|
PEARSON CHI-SQUARE |
10.738a |
12 |
.551 |
|
LIKELIHOOD RATIO |
9.912 |
12 |
.624 |
|
LINEAR-BY-LINEAR ASSOC=
IATION |
.505 |
1 |
.477 |
|
N OF VALID CASES |
45 |
|
|
|
a. 18 cells (90.0%) ha=
ve an
expected count of less than 5. The minimum expected count is .04.<=
/span> |
The same test was run with the second set of data. It was found that there is a statistically significant association between people's perception of the us= e of voice messages and short videos and their responses about the use of short videos as a tool to improve their communication skills. This association is seen in Table 4= , where the P-value of 0.027 is less than 0.05 (95% confidence level).
Table 4
Chi-Square test
|
|
VALUE |
DF |
ASYMPTOTIC
SIGNIFICANCE (2-SIDED) |
|
PEARSON
CHI-SQUARE |
28.519a |
16 |
.027 |
|
LIKELIHOOD
RATIO |
28.285 |
16 |
.029 |
|
LINEAR-BY-LINEAR
ASSOCIATION |
1.599 |
1 |
.206 |
|
N
OF VALID CASES |
45 |
|
|
|
a.
23 cells (92.0%) have an expected count of less than 5. The minimum expec=
ted
count is .04. |
The semi-structured interview with each participant was thought to inquire if they liked introducing the WhatsApp application using voice messages and short videos during classroom activities to enhance their communicative skill. An opening question was followed by the second question to make participants state the= ir reasons why they would like to use it and why not. The last question aimed = to know their points of view on the uses of both voice messages and short vide= os through the WhatsApp application. Table 5 lists the responses= from participants as follows:
Table 5
Responses to semi-structured interviews
|
QUESTIONS |
RESPONSES (n=3D45=
) |
|
Participants who would like th=
e use
of voice messages through WhatsApp during learning activities. |
All participants said yes to t=
his
question. |
|
Participants who would not lik=
e the
use of voice messages through WhatsApp during learning activities. |
None. |
|
Participants' reasons for the =
use of
voice messages. |
-It makes it possible to be
confident when talking. -It is possible to repeat sent=
ences
and delete them until accuracy is achieved because we can sp=
eak
well. -It makes it possible to expre=
ss
emotion. |
|
Participants who would like th=
e use
of short videos through WhatsApp during learning activities. |
All participants said yes to t=
his
question. |
|
Participants who would not lik=
e the
use of short videos through WhatsApp during learning activities. |
None. |
|
Participants' reasons for the =
use of
short videos. |
-It helps to improve grammar s=
kills. -It helps to learn more expres=
sions
in English. -It helps to improve pronuncia=
tion. |
|
Participants' perceptions abou=
t the
uses of voice messages and short videos. |
-It is easy to use. -It is funny. -It makes us learn personally.=
-To understand different accen=
ts. |
During
this study, the improvement in students' Grammar was observed, for example,=
in
the voice messages. This improvement is reflected in the observation notes'
good use of grammatical structures. Mistakes in the use of possessive prono=
uns
were reduced. For example, three participants were aware of the difference
between 'your' and 'their.' Participants were e=
ngaged
in self-discovery and self-correction. The following quote of one of the
participants depicts this, “I went to the house and see, sorry saw my brother watching the movi=
e….”
(SS1)
In the above-directed quote, the participant made a mistake in the second verb, using the verb in simple form instead of the verb in simple past, and he quickly corrected it. Therefore, this behavior was noted as self-discovery errors and self-corrected.
It was also found that students' motiva=
tion
increased, as noticed in the SS2 continuous question Teacher! Can I speak
about the short videos? The energy and the drive-in in most of the
participants who wanted to present their findings of short videos on the
WhatsApp application reflected their attempts to copy expressions and use t=
hem
in the classroom.
Their teamwork and excellent cooperation
during participants' preparation for both presentations and sending of voic=
e messages
were found in the field notes as cooperation and not competition. Also, the=
ir
expressions of laughter, interjections, and the use of adjectives to descri=
be
their voice messages and short videos in the English language, allowed to
observe this.
Finally, despite having some mistakes in
their voice messages and short videos, participants were able to have more
confidence and speak with few or no errors for more than three minutes. Sho=
rt
videos appealed more to them since they were given a chance to select their
short movies and send them to the WhatsApp group for all to watch before
presentations. Participants were able to include some funny videos that were
sometimes relevant to their topics. Funny videos made them feel relaxed aft=
er a
good laugh, as noticed in one of the participants' comments, “Teacher! I remember to speak about it
because it is very funny” (SS3).
Conclusions
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of English voice messages and short videos using the WhatsApp application to improve communication skills. The improvement in the use of the WhatsApp application was more noticeable = in short videos than voice messages. Similarly, the improvement was more relat= ed to Grammar and pronunciation.
Lack of communication skills is one of the problems students face when learning English as a second language. Therefore, finding a solution to this problem= is significant. Most students in this study look forward to expressing themsel= ves in L2. According to Kovac & Mrsic (2017) learners' attitudes towards speaking a second language increase their self-confidence, which is related to the student’s behavior. Hence, a posit= ive impact for students is increased self-confidence during and after using the WhatsApp application. It may be argued that the opportunity to repeat and listen to individual voices both inside and outside the classroom increased confidence in using the language. The results show that most of the participants agree that using voice messages and short videos on WhatsApp w= ould improve their Grammar and pronunciation in their oral communication skills. Based on the field notes, we also noticed an increase in their confidence w= hen speaking English.
In addition, the WhatsApp application created a social bond between students a= s they listened to and watched videos individually or collectively to react and sp= eak in the classroom. The use of the WhatsApp application has provided neurolog= ical value. This finding means that learners can use their brains to think patie= ntly and critically about what is happening in their heads before deciding to se= nd a voice message or watch a short video. As a result, students could focus on finding specific words, paragraphs, and sentences while listening to and watching short English videos through the WhatsApp application.
As argued, the WhatsApp application allows students to create interest and val= ue when they focus on their learning activities (Stepp, 2002). Language teache= rs need to be creative about incorporating WhatsApp into their lesson plans to avoid the underuse of social networks in the educational sector and the pow= er of social media for learning purposes (Prichard, 2013; Ko, 2019). Also, in = this study, some students sent good voice messages and short videos to the Whats= App group that were not relevant to a particular topic and were too long. Consequently, it is recommended that voice messages and short videos from WhatsApp should not be too long so that students do not miss the purpose of learning English.
There were no significant limitations that could affect the results of this study. The researchers planned to make sure that all limitations were under contro= l. We mention minor ones that were dealt with during the study. For example, t= here are reported cases of shy students, students who wanted to choose the short videos, and some who did not follow the given instructions. Students were t= imid to speak out during the first activities on sending voice messages to the WhatsApp group of the class. It was complicated to understand the main idea= of their discussion due to their low voice. Some gave excuses for using bad earphones, while some complained about noisy environments. However, there w= as an improvement after that.
Moreover, students wanted to choose the videos they liked, not according to the learn= ing objectives. It was also discovered that students often got carried away by wanting to continue watching even after the allocated time lapsed. Some students wanted to use their earphones covered with their hands to pretend = they were paying attention in the class while still looking at the screens of th= eir phones. Some students had to repeat their activities because they refused to send their short videos and voice messages within the allocated time assign= ed by the researcher. All efforts were made to make sure that participants followed instructions so that the results of this study were valid and reliable.
The result of this study would be helpful to both language teachers and learner= s on the use of WhatsApp application in the classroom to help enhance their oral communication skills, which corroborates other studies (Minalla, 2018). The uses could be extended to the university and other English langu= age institutes in Ecuador. Language teachers could make a proposal to universit= ies and language institutes about the significance of the internet in teaching = and learning environments for learners to use WhatsApp in their different classrooms. The increase in the usage of cell phones has given young learne= rs the benefits of using educational applications to learn and do more academic activities without necessarily being in the classroom. The advantages of eLearning are overwhelming in academic cycles. Learners may choose their concentration instantly using tablets and other electronic devices (Main-sm= ith, n.d.). This trend will advocate the acceptance of mobile phones in the classroom since they could be essential learning tools.
Further research could be done on other social applications like Instagram, Faceboo= k, Telegram, Twitter, QQ, WeChat, and QZone. Using= those tools in the EFL classroom is sought to improve oral communication skills a= nd the understanding of complex topics in language teaching. Creativity in usi= ng technology in the classroom is always recommended for teaching EFL.<= /span>
The
authors would like to thank the Centro de Educación
Continua of the Escuela Politecnica Nacional an=
d its
students who participated in this study.
References
Alina,
M., Lopes, C., Sancha, P., Cientifico,
T., & Ingleses, E. (2007). Communicative EFL Assessment in Cape Ver=
de
Perceptions, Constraints and Suggestions for Effective Testing Tools
Communicative EFL Assessment in Cape Verde Perceptions, Constraints and
Suggestions for Effective Testing Tools.
Altiner, C. (2018). Teaching of Focus Structures in
English. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 6(11a), 6=
9. https:=
//doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i11a.3802
CES
(Consejo de Educación Superior). (2019). Reglamento de Régimen Académico
Consejo Educación Superior. Lexis Finder, 051, 51 regl=
amento-de-regimen-
academico-2015.pdf
Council =
of Europe.
(2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learn=
ing,
teaching, assessment. Cambridge University Press.
Jung, M.=
-Y.
(2013). Videoconferencing Improves Students’ Language Learning in the EFL
Classroom. TESOL Journal, 4(4), 743–751. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.112
Ko, M. H.
(2019). Students’ reactions to using smartphones and social media for
vocabulary feedback. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 32(=
8),
920–944. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1541360
Kovac, M=
. M.,
& Mrsic, A. (2017). St=
udents’Attitudes
towards Foreign Languages. Journal of Educational and Developmental
Psychology, 7(2), 124. https://doi.org/10.5539/jedp.v7n2p124
Kurkimbayeva, A. M., Akhatova, =
B. A.,
Gumovskaya, G. N., Kotenya=
tkina,
I. B., & Khuziakhmetov, A. N. (2020).
Communicative strategies in modern linguistics (On the material of English
travel blogs). XLinguae, 13(2), 3=
3–49. https://doi.org/10.18355/XL.2020.13.02.03<=
/a>
Main-smi=
th, J.
(n.d.). Cell-Phone Addiction.
Minalla, A. A. (2018). The Effect of WhatsApp Chat Gro=
up
in Enhancing EFL Learners’ Verbal Interaction outside Classroom Contexts. <=
i>English
Language Teaching, 11(3), 1. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v11n3p1
Namazian=
dost, E.
(2019). The Impact of Social Media on EFL Learners’ Speaking Skill: A Su=
rvey
Study Involving EFL Teachers and Students. 6(3), 199–215.
Prichard=
, C.
(2013). Using Social Networking Sites as a Platform for Second Language
Instruction. TESOL Journal, 4(4), 752–758.
https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.113
Siegel, J. (2013).
Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching Second language learners’
perceptions of listening strategy instruction. Innovation in Language
Learning and Teaching, 7(April), 37–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2011.653110
Stepp, J=
. G.
(2002). Student Perceptions on Language Learning in a Technological
Environment: Implications for The New Millennium. Language Learning and
Technology, 6(January), 165–180. http://llt.msu.edu/vol6num1/steppgreany/
Tuan, L. T., & Nhu, N. T. K. (2010). Theoretical Review on=
Oral
Interaction in EFL Classrooms. Studies in Literature and Language, 1=
(4),
29–48. <=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:ES-MX;text-=
decoration:
none;text-underline:none'>https://doi.org/10.3968/1415
5
Improving oral communication skills of English
learners with voice messages and short videos