Let’s Listen Through WhatsApp: An energizing listening exercise in EFL Class

Abstract

This research is focused on analyzing the impact on the use of ‘WhatsApp’ as a media to develop listening skill for a group of 26 ten-grade senior high school students. Since the phenomenal booming about the tremendous use of smartphone in real-life among teenagers which might bring negative effects, it is urgent to empower the phenomenal behavior of teenagers toward their mobile phone in the context of language learning. The 26 ten grade senior high students were put in ‘WhatsApp’ group messenger. The learning activities were performed in ‘virtual’ ‘WhatsApp’ group class called ‘Fun In English’. The one-group pretest-posttest design was implemented in this study. The instruments used in this study were 1) learning activities 2)English comprehension tests (pretest and posttest) and 3) a questionnaire and interview of the students ‘response. Regarding the data analysis, mean, percentage and t-test scores for the dependent sample were employed. The result indicated that 1) the students’ English listening comprehension ability increased significantly after learning with MP3 which uploaded in ‘WhatsApp’ group called ‘Fun In English’. 2) the questionnaires told that the students reflected a good response. The mean score of pre-test was 6,9 then mean score of posttest was 8,7 which means that there is a significant increasing score. The students’ score were increased after the treatment which is the students was given learning activities through ‘WhatsApp’ group exercises. Thus, the learning model is confirmed to be effective and powerful. The students gave their response through questionnaires that reflected their enthusiasm, intimate interaction, and enjoyable learning activities.