REVISTA

JUVENTUD Y CIENCIA SOLIDARIA:

En el camino de la investigación

The impact of English media

consumption on High School students’

languaje proficiency

Ana Nicole Segarra Caguana

Mi name is Ana Nicole Segarra Caguana.

I was born in Cuenca on June 25, 2007, and

I study at Unidad Educativa Agronómico

Salesiano. My hobbies include reading, learn-

ing new things, painting, and spending time

with my pets. I’m 17 years old, and one of

my biggest inspirations today is the original-

ity of people. This is why I try to understand

the unique vibe that each person transmits.

Abstract

This project was conducted to analyze how media con- who do not use media to learn English. Finally, an

sumption affects the language proficiency of students interview was held to explore how using media has

at Agronómico Salesiano High School. To gather the improved their speaking skills.

sample, a survey was administered to all high school

students from the baccalaureate level.

The analysis was based on exploratory research, and

Based on their responses, a group of 16 students was the results showed that students who engage with va-

selected, focusing on their use of different media to rious media (movies, books, TV series, music, video

learn English. The focus group participated in three games, among others) tend to be more proficient in

phases.

English.

First, they completed a survey to assess how they use

media to learn English. Second, a proficiency test was Keywords: media, consumption, strategies, benefits,

conducted to evaluate their skills compared to students learning, proficiency.

En el camino de la investigación

Explanation of the topic

New technologies play a crucial and integral role in

teenagers’ lives [1]. As [2] noted, the use of diffe-

rent media is growing rapidly and constantly evolving.

Therefore, continuous research on how to leverage this

new media in second language acquisition is essen-

tial. For language learners, acquiring a new language

can be challenging and requires significant time and

dedication [3]. Consequently, second language educa-

tors must use diverse methodologies and strategies,

including new media. As stated by the aforementioned

authors, media refers to movies, music, films, and other

entertainment-related learning resources. Several stu-

dies have highlighted the benefits of using mass media

Figura 1. Media most used by students

Source: Author

Graphic 1 illustrates that 100 % of students listen

to music to improve their English, 93.8 % watch series

and movies, 68.8 % play video games, and 12.5 % read

books and listen to podcasts. Interestingly, none of the

students reported watching the news for the purpose

of learning English.

After the survey, students took a B1-level exam

based on sample tests from Cambridge University Press

and the book Compact Preliminary for Schools: Second

Edition. This was done to compare how students who

use media to learn English perform in comparison to

those who do not. The exam assessed all four language

skills, with the following results:

in the teaching and learning process [1,4–6]. However,

students often fail to fully exploit the potential of

mass media to improve their proficiency in a second

language because they are unaware of how to take

advantage of the opportunities these resources offer.

This study focuses on analyzing how the consumption

of English-language media affects the language profi-

ciency of high school students at Agronómico Salesiano

High School.

A qualitative research methodology was used to

collect and analyze data for this study, based on an

exploratory research approach. According to [7], ex-

ploratory research investigates topics that have not

been thoroughly studied and is primarily qualitative,

although it may also include quantitative elements.

To understand the benefits of media use among

high school students, all students were initially inter-

viewed. Based on the results, a sample of 16 students

was selected. This group represented students who

actively use media to learn a language.

To collect reliable data, proficiency tests and inter-

views were conducted, focusing on assessing students’

English levels and how they use media to support their

learning. The goal was to analyze and evaluate how

proficient students are when they incorporate media

into their learning process.

Figura 2. Writing Skill

Source: Author

Initially, a 12-question survey was administered to

In the writing section, students were asked to res-

gather information about how students learn English, pond to an email taken from a B1-level exam. It was

how they have improved their language skills through evident that students who use media in their learning

media, and the types of media they use for learning.

process produced more comprehensive answers, using a

Juventud y Ciencia Solidaria:

wider range of vocabulary, connectors, and displaying of media consumption for language learning, as stu-

better coherence in their writing.

dents demonstrated improved vocabulary, fluency, and

pronunciation.

Conclusiones

This project aimed to analyze the impact of English

media consumption on high school students’ language

proficiency, as media consumption can significantly

enhance student engagement and motivation to learn

English. The study revealed the benefits of using me-

dia as an effective tool for learning English. Students

are more accustomed to using media than traditional

learning materials, as media provides a dynamic way

to explore and learn. Our research’s primary objective

was to offer students a better option for learning a

foreign language. The results showed that listening to

music, watching movies and series, and playing video

games were the most preferred methods for learning

English among teenage students. This presents an op-

portunity that can be utilized in the classroom, using

just a cellphone or lab computers. Music could be in-

corporated into tasks, or as a game where students

guess the song. Movies could be used similarly, with

students summarizing or answering questions about

them, or copying phrases and words. As for video

games, teachers can decide how best to integrate them

into the classroom, but video games offer a vast array

of useful phrases and words. The use of media is reco-

mmended due to the ease of learning it provides, as

demonstrated in this project, which shows how it can

enhance students’ English proficiency.

Figura 3. Reading Skill

Source: Author

In the reading section, students were evaluated on

three tasks: analyzing images related to news, text

messages, and flyers; matching websites with relevant

users; and completing reading comprehension ques-

tions. Results indicated that students who use various

media to learn English had superior reading compre-

hension skills, as most of them answered the questions

correctly.

Referencia

[1] B. Boldizsár, “Teenagers and new media: Impact

on foreign language proficiency and cultural sus-

tainability,” European Journal of Sustainable De-

velopment, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 301–301, 2021.

Figura 4. Listening Skill

Source: Author

For the listening section, students were given two

audio recordings with 11 questions. While some stu-

dents performed well, the results highlighted the need

for further focus on improving listening skills in future

investigations. For the speaking section, each student

participated in an interview. Aspects such as fluency,

[2] M. K. Opsahl and H. Levin, “Trending: A New Way

of Language Learning: Students’ Language Acqui-

sition Through TikTok,” phdthesis, University of

South-Eastern Norway, 2022.

pronunciation, sentence formation, and response speed [3] W. S. Albiladi, F. H. Abdeen, and F. Lincoln,

were analyzed. The results underscored the importance “Learning English through movies: Adult English

En el camino de la investigación

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