Abstract

YouTube has the potential to significantly impact Korean millennials’ daily lives. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the value of YouTube can be explained by Korean students’ learning needs and practice. This qualitative study attempts to add a new dimension to possible ways of using YouTube for educational purposes. Focusing on narratives of first-year Korean international students studying in the U.S., this study examines the ways in which using YouTube contributes to students’ linguistic and cultural diversity. Findings reveal that YouTube helps expand students’ perspectives on cross-cultural understanding. The educational use of YouTube also leads students to academic pursuits and engagement during studying abroad by developing content knowledge and skills in English. It further enables students to enhance their knowledge of English as a global language by taking ownership. Ultimately, YouTube plays an indispensable role in supporting Korean international students’ academic and social progress in the transitional phase from their home to host countries. From these findings, and in response to the post-COVID era, the implications for the new normal in education using social networking sites, YouTube in particular, are discussed for effective multilingual and multicultural education in South Korea.

Highlights

  • The present study examines the benefits of YouTube for Korean international students aiming to succeed in new academic and social contexts

  • Upon integrating the nine Korean international students’ transitional experiences, three major themes emerged surrounding the role of YouTube for educational purposes to promote multicultural competence: (1) enhancing cross-cultural sensitivity, (2) building content knowledge and skills in L2, and (3) refining an understanding of English as a global language

  • Our findings reveal that there is a greater tendency for Korean international students to use YouTube, as it is characterized by more open access in acquiring content knowledge and skills in English on their own

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Summary

Introduction

Along with the development of a cutting-edge mobile industry based on two large technology companies, namely, Samsung and LG, and an easy access to the world’s fastest broadband Internet service, access to YouTube is a growing social trend in South Korea (Korea). YouTube is one of the most popular smartphone applications among Koreans The importance of this popularity has been reinforced, bringing about significant changes in Koreans’ career options. According to the annual survey of future career preference among Korea’s K-12 students, conducted in 2020 by the Ministry of Education and Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, 6.3% of the 6352 sixth-grade students in Korea stated “YouTube creators

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