YouTube Video Clips as a Stimulus for Culture-based English Reading for EFL Learners

The present study examines effects of YouTube Video Clips (YVCs) on English Reading Class (ERC) for EFL learners at the tertiary level, regarding YVC as a stimulus to facilitate culture-based English reading. Culture learning for the development of intercultural communicative competence is respected as the critical goal in the language learning classroom. The study recruited participants (N=121) from college English learners of Korea and conducted the quasi-experiment. Students were divided into two groups of comparison (N=61) and experiment (N=60) respectively. To collect the data for comparison, the statistical analysis was demonstrated and reported the effectiveness of YVCs in accordance with reading comprehension competence, motivation for reading, and intercultural sensitivity. The study found that the boosted target-cultural input with YVCs changes the level of intercultural interaction and engagement, adds respect for cultural differences, facilitates the self-efficacy of English reading, and increases the overall reading comprehension. In this light, the study suggests that the implementation of YVCs propels cultural-based English reading with the power of authenticity and brings the extension of affective domains of language learning such as motivation and cultural awareness, along with academic domains of the increase of reading comprehension for unpracticed readers of English.