The effectiveness of using video in teaching English pronunciation: a survey of using YouTube as supplementary material with university EFL students in Japan

The use of information technology is not new in the field of education. In recent years, a great tendency towards the use of technology and its integration into the curriculum has given prominence to language teaching. The young generations of today are different from the previous generations because of the rapid changes and exposure to information technology so computers have become more and more indispensable for language teaching and learning. This paper aims to explore the use of video as an audio-visual material in language teaching and learning and review the applicability of using video for English language teaching in Japan. Surveys were conducted in the 2022 Spring semester in two Freshmen English classes (n=39). Students rated the use of YouTube to study English pronunciation favourably with regard to it being more entertaining, relevant and comprehensible. In general, students gave positive feedback regarding the use of this technology, though students indicated that they do not usually study English through YouTube. Pedagogical considerations for enhancing learning outcomes through the use of YouTube as supplementary materials in EFL classrooms are also provided.