The Perception of Indonesian EFL University Students on Perceiving English Movies for Oral Communication Enhancement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26740/rt.v14i03.72309Keywords:
English movies, EFL Students, oral communication, student perception, qualitative studyAbstract
This study investigates the perception of Indonesian EFL university at a state university regarding the use of English movies as a learning medium to enhance oral communication skills. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected from seven English students majoring in English language-related fields. The findings reveal that students perceive English movies as highly beneficial for developing oral communication, particularly in five core aspects: (1) speaking fluency, (2) pronunciation clarity, (3) lexical adequacy, (4) grammatical accuracy, and (5) pragmatic competence. Students reported increased motivation, confidence, and contextual language awareness after regular engagement with English movies. However, the exclusive use of movies also surfaced persistent challenges, including difficulty with fast-paced dialogue, unfamiliar accents, idiomatic or culturally embedded expressions, and technical issues such as subtitle dependence and internet access. Overall, the findings underscore the need for a balanced approach: integrating English movies with other communicative and formal resources, supported by explicit teaching and scaffolding, to fully optimize oral communication learning outcomes in EFL contexts.
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(Mustamir, 2024), which emphasizes the importance of developing independent listening strategies to enhance oral communication skills. Furthermore, the findings of this study contribute to the existing literature by highlighting the need for a multifaceted approach to language learning that incorporates various resources and strategies to support EFL students in their journey toward achieving oral communication competence.
CONCLUSION
The findings of this study indicate that EFL undergraduate students at the State University of Surabaya recognize significant benefits from using English movies to enhance their oral communication skills. Participants reported improvements in five key areas: speaking fluency, pronunciation clarity, lexical adequacy, grammatical range and accuracy, and pragmatic competence. Specifically, students noted that regular exposure to English movies helped them become more fluent and confident in their speaking abilities. Lexical adequacy was also enhanced, as students frequently encountered new vocabulary in context, which they could apply in real-life situations. However, while students acknowledged these benefits, they also expressed concerns about the grammatical accuracy of dialogues in movies, suggesting that formal instruction remains essential for comprehensive language development.
Despite the gained valuable insights, this study has several limitations. The small sample size of seven EFL undergraduate students from a single university may not adequately represent the broader population of EFL learners in Indonesia, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, reliance on self-reported data introduces potential biases, such as social desirability and recall inaccuracies, which could affect the authenticity of participants' perceptions. The exclusive focus on English movies as a medium for enhancing oral communication skills may overlook other effective resources and strategies that contribute to language learning. These limitations suggest that further research with larger and more diverse samples is necessary to validate the role of authentic audiovisual input in fostering productive oral skills and to explore the effectiveness of various instructional methods.
It is recommended for the future research to expand the sample size and include participants from multiple universities to gain a more comprehensive understanding of EFL students’ perceptions and experiences with English movies. Investigating the impact of different movie genres on language acquisition could potentially provide valuable insights into how specific types of films influence learning outcomes. Additionally, studies should explore movie-based interventions in rural Indonesian contexts with limited digital access to identify unique challenges and opportunities for language learning. It is also recommended to examine the effectiveness of combining English movies with interactive activities or guided discussions to determine the most effective strategies for oral communication skills enhancements.
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