Watch and Practice: Effectiveness of Using WhatsApp as a Multimedia Tool in Boosting Speaking Competence during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

Abstract

With their audio-visual capacity, linguistic and non-linguistic content, WhatsApp group video calls appear to have great potential for encouraging EFL learners' speaking development. However, the literature has yet to establish the degree to which WhatsApp group video calls promote English learning motivation and self-efficacy, reduce English speaking anxiety, authentic self-assessment, or urge teachers and students to improve their digital literacy. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of using WhatsApp group video calls to improve students' speaking skills and reveal the extent of this media's impact on student learning. The pre-/post-test, the two-group quantitative explanatory research design was undertaken, featuring one hundred and nineteen students from four classes. A test and questionnaires were used for data collection, and then data were analyzed by using SPSS 24.0. The findings reveal that WhatsApp group video calls have been helpful for increasing learners’ speaking competence during the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting students' English speaking motivation. With all these advantages in mind, this study suggests that ESL/EFL speaking instructors use WhatsApp group video calls in their distance or online English speaking classes.