EXPLORING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND CHALLENGES IN USING YOUGLISH FOR PRONUNCIATION LEARNING
Abstrak
Pronunciation is a fundamental aspect of communicative competence, yet it remains one of the most challenging skills for EFL learners to master. Recent technological advancements have introduced self-directed digital tools, such as YouGlish, which provide authentic multimodal input to support pronunciation learning. However, empirical studies investigating learners’ experiences with such tools remain limited, especially in the Indonesian EFL context. To address this gap, this study explores university students’ perceptions of using YouGlish to improve their English pronunciation and examines the challenges they encountered while engaging with the platform. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, involving six English department students from a state university. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns across participants’ experiences. The findings revealed that students perceived YouGlish as a motivating and effective tool for developing pronunciation, particularly because of its multimodal features and access to real-life examples of native speech. They reported increased confidence, enhanced phonological awareness, and greater engagement in autonomous practice. However, they faced several challenges, including physical fatigue, phonetic complexity, and limited time. These findings highlight the need to integrate supportive strategies when using self-directed digital tools for pronunciation learning.
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