Exploring online technology resources for English speaking skills: A case study of students’ experiences

Abstract

Various learning resources are designed and used to enhance students' English speaking skills because the speaking skill plays a significant role in communication and in language acquisition. For the past few decades, the rapid development of information and communication technologies have made a significant contribution to English language teaching and learning. In other words, the development of technology has been the driving force that leads to a transformation in English language learning. Particularly, the mushrooming online learning resources have been providing valuable support for students when it comes to learning English speaking skills. Nonetheless, not many studies have looked into how low-proficiency English learners utilized the online technology resources for English speaking skills. Thus, this study aims to study the online technology resources used by low-proficiency English learners to improve their communication and speaking skills. This study adopted a quantitative approach. The instrument used to elicit the data for the study was questionnaire. A total of 62 undergraduate students were recruited as the respondents of this study. The results of the study showed that YouTube (58%) was one of the most popular online technology resources used by students to improve their communication and speaking skills. Most of them perceived that online technology resources helped to build their confidence and reduce their speaking anxiety (32%). However, internet/Wi-Fi (26%) problem was the biggest challenge encountered by them. It is believed that this paper could make a contribution to the body of knowledge as it explored students' experiences in using online technology resources. Lastly, the recommendations for future studies and limitations were also discussed in this paper.