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Exploring Online Technology Resources for English Speaking
Skills: A Case Study of Students’ Experiences
Si Na KEW*
University Teknologi Malaysia &
National Institute of Education,
Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore
Aminuddin Hashemi
Takhar University,Taloqan, Takhar,
Afghanistan
Ziauddin Quvanch
Jawzjan University, Afghanistan
Dimitar Angelov
Coventry University, Coventry,
England
Yahya M. Al-Dheleai
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang,
Malaysia
Omid Tajik
Herat University, Afghanistan
Elizabeth Koh
National Institute of Education,
Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore
ABSTRACT
Various learning resources are designed and used to enhance stu-
dents’ English speaking skills because the speaking skill plays a
signicant role in communication and in language acquisition. For
the past few decades, the rapid development of information and
communication technologies have made a signicant contribution
to English language teaching and learning. In other words, the
development of technology has been the driving force that leads
to a transformation in English language learning. Particularly, the
mushrooming online learning resources have been providing valu-
able support for students when it comes to learning English speak-
ing skills. Nonetheless, not many studies have looked into how
low-prociency English learners utilized the online technology re-
sources for English speaking skills. Thus, this study aims to study
the online technology resources used by low-prociency English
learners to improve their communication and speaking skills. This
study adopted a quantitative approach. The instrument used to elicit
the data for the study was questionnaire. A total of 62 undergradu-
ate students were recruited as the respondents of this study. The
results of the study showed that YouTube (58%) was one of the most
popular online technology resources used by students to improve
their communication and speaking skills. Most of them perceived
that online technology resources helped to build their condence
and reduce their speaking anxiety (32%). However, internet/Wi-Fi
(26%) problem was the biggest challenge encountered by them. It is
believed that this paper could make a contribution to the body of
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ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom
© 2023 Copyright held by the owner/author(s). Publication rights licensed to ACM.
ACM ISBN 979-8-4007-0061-3/23/04. . . $15.00
https://doi.org/10.1145/3594441.3594456
knowledge as it explored students’ experiences in using online tech-
nology resources. Lastly, the recommendations for future studies
and limitations were also discussed in this paper.
CCS CONCEPTS
·Applied computing →Education; E-learning;
KEYWORDS
Speaking skills, Communication skills, ICT, English language, Uni-
versity, Case study
ACM Reference Format:
Si Na KEW*, Aminuddin Hashemi, Ziauddin Quvanch, Dimitar Angelov,
Yahya M. Al-Dheleai, Omid Tajik, and Elizabeth Koh. 2023. Exploring Online
Technology Resources for English Speaking Skills: A Case Study of Students’
Experiences. In 2023 The 8th International Conference on Information and Edu-
cation Innovations (ICIEI 2023), April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom.
ACM, New York, NY, USA, 8 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3594441.3594456
In many non-native English-speaking countries, English language is
considered the second ocial language. Therefore, learning English
skills is vital for people. Those with good English skills stand better
opportunities to get jobs in foreign countries and international com-
panies or organizations. Also, speaking skill plays a signicant role
in communication and language acquisition [
1
] because students
are constantly judged based on their speaking performance. From
this point forward, there is a need to nd suitable ways and tools
that can facilitate English language learning and help improve stu-
dents’ speaking skills. In fact, English language learners can benet
from the advancement of learning technology. The new technology
oers a wider range of methods, tools, materials, devices, systems,
and strategies to optimize the learning outcomes of English teach-
ing and learning [
2
]. The computer and the internet, which attract
students’ attention better, allow students to construct meaningful
learning by developing higher order thinking during the learning
process [
3
]. Moreover, the type of technology that involves devices
and the internet enable students to engage in a collaborative pro-
cess of learning and communicate with others. Therefore, students
86
ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom Si Na Kew et al.
believe in the benets of using technology tools to improve their
English communication skills as they can use them during and after
class time to practisereading, writing, speaking and listening skills
[
4
]. Online learning technology resources provide valuable support
in the teaching and learning of English speaking skills. According
to [
5
], technological development has opened several avenues for
students to apply online resources in their language learning. If
students have access to the internet, many audio-visual materials
can be utilized in multiple ways to enhance their speaking skills.
These online resources provide opportunities for students to go be-
yond the limitations of the classroom context and access authentic
materials which are helpful for real-time communication. However,
not many studies have examined the types of technology tools used
by students for enhancing their speaking skills. Yet, it is vital to
supplement traditional speaking courses with online resources to
aid students’ language learning process as the role of technology
cannot be ignored in learning speaking skill.
For instance, [
1
] studied the technological tools that had helped
students enhance their language skills including speaking. Inter-
net, video conferencing, videos, and speech recognition softwares
were believed to be the most suitable tools for practising speaking
skills. Similarly, [
6
] also emphasized the variety of online learning
technology resources that could be used to enhance speaking skills
among language learners. Other than the resources mentioned ear-
lier, Parveen also highlighted that videos and blogs were useful
in developing the students’ speaking skills. [
7
] believed that on-
line platforms provided more opportunities for students to practice
speaking skills as they had to interact with all their friends to fulll
the task requirement. [
8
] examined the eectiveness of blogs as a
learning and evaluation method for English language prociency.
The results showed that the use of blogs did help to eliminate the
issue of physical barriers in the classroom and enhance students’ en-
gagement through the emotional bonding formed amongst students.
[
9
] stated that online platforms improve student’s communication
(Speaking) skills through engaging them in the virtual world. It
helps them to interact with a variety of people from dierent walks
of life all over the world through chatrooms in a fairly easier, more
exible and more accommodating manner. Nonetheless, not many
studies have examined the online technology tools used by students
to improve their speaking skills, especially that of the specic group
of university students whose English prociency is relatively low
(e.g. scoring Band 3 and below in Malaysian University English
Test (MUET)). The use of online learning technology resources in
language teaching and learning is growing as it can facilitate stu-
dents’ progress and improve students’ learning experience; with
this respect, this study aims to ll up the gap and address the follow-
ing research objectives: (a) To identify online tools/ technologies
used by language students to improve their communication and
speaking skills in English , (b) To nd out how the online learning
technology resources improve the communication and speaking
skills, as perceived by language students, and (c) To discover the
challenges faced by language students when using the online tools/
technologies.
1 LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1 The use of online learning technology
resources in learning English speaking skills
Some students encounter problems in speaking as they might feel
uneasy in keeping the conversation going and keeping the interlocu-
tor engaged in discussing the topic. Thus, [
10
] suggests a variety of
activities to enhance speaking skills; these activities include discus-
sion activities, role plays, reporting, interviews, and information
gap activities. Each of these activities provides opportunities for
language students to practice speaking skills in real world contexts,
thus preventing communication breakdowns. However, students
still could not master speaking skills because the courses relied only
on drills, repetitions, or memorization of dialogues [
1
]. In particular,
as the language students in traditional speaking classes were only
exposed to textbook discourses or unrealistic situations that they
might never face in real life, it often resulted in communication
breakdowns when they confronted real-life situations. Thus, it is
crucial to transform the teaching and learning of speaking skills.
Language instructors have since initiated the practice of incorporat-
ing authentic materials using online learning resources and students
have been encouraged to use online learning resources to improve
their English prociency. Online resources have emerged as a trans-
formational force in language instruction due to the COVID-19
pandemic [
11
]. It is found that several online resources can facili-
tate the development of speaking skills. In a study conducted by
[
5
], online resources such as YouTube videos appeared to be one
of the most useful resources in developing speaking skills among
language students. He believes that YouTube videos help improve
multiple language skills such as speaking, listening, and pronuncia-
tion skills. Moreover, YouTube videos serve to familiarize language
students with English language varieties. Another important aspect
of YouTube video is that they provide students with authentic ma-
terials and real-life contexts. Therefore, the utlitisation of YouTube
videos is instrumental in the development of speaking skills among
English language students. There are several other studies [
12
-
14
]
which also emphasized the importance of YouTube videos in devel-
oping speaking skills among language students as they were able
to enjoy the content and learn about the subject matter at the same
time.
Besides that, [
15
] advocated for Web 2.0 technologies and pod-
casts in the roles they play in enhancing speaking skills of the
language students. In this case study, authentic resources were
utilized to create a series of podcasts. The researcher used Skype
(free-of-charge telephone system) to conduct this research. The
results of the study suggested that podcasts are exceptional online
resources that provide students with good opportunities to practice
speaking skills. A study completed by [
16
] suggested integrating
the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) tool and ana-
lytical rubric for developing the speaking skills of EFL language
students. The researcher planned several CALL activities to study
speaking skills development. These activities were designed to as-
sess both the meaning and form of speaking skills. The results of
the study indicated signicant development of speaking skills when
CALL activities were utilized. Therefore, it is proposed that CALL
activities should be employed in speaking classrooms. Moreover,
87
Exploring Online Technology Resources for English Speaking Skills: A Case Study of Students’ Experiences ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom
[
10
] also recommended the use of information communication tech-
nologies (ICT) tools catered for speaking for language students to
advance their speaking skills. These ICT tools include computers,
the internet, projectors, interactive whiteboards, and other software
programs. According to [
10
], most of these ICT tools are available
in most language classrooms around the world; however, the in-
corporation of these tools in speaking courses should be planned
and done wisely. Although plenty of studies have shown the use-
fulness of ICT tools in English classroom, there are limited studies
that investigated students’ experience in using online technology
resources for English speaking and communication skills develop-
ment. In other words, not many studies have examined the types of
technology tools used by students in improving their speaking and
communication skills, in particular, the group of students whose
English prociency is relatively low. It is thus important to study
their learning experiences with regard to the use of technology
tools.
1.2 The benets of online learning technology
resources in English speaking skills
ICT has been known for its potential to be used as sources for
learning and practising four primary English language skills (i.e.
listening, speaking, reading, and writing) [
17
]. The studies show
that ICT has been a signicant tool in enhancing English-speaking
skills and their components [
18
]. It also plays a huge role in the
development of students’ interests and abilities to practise speaking.
[
19
] argued that speaking skill is considered to be more complicated
since it requires a delivery process, e.g., choosing topics, organizing
thoughts, tailoring the message, and adapting to listeners’ feedback.
The authors suggested that the online learning platforms provide
an opportunity for student to practise speaking everywhere and
enhance their skills. Moreover, [
20
] discussed how ICT could be
used eectively to enhance listening and speaking skills. The nd-
ings reveal that using online platforms provides an opportunity
for students to practise and enhance their speaking and listening
skills at their own space and time. [
21
] also stated that the available
software in the language learning area assists English students to
improve their speaking skills and take control of their learning
in order to practise outside the classroom. To illustrate, [
22
] in-
vestigated the impact of utilizing WhatsApp to enhance English
skills. Based on the ndings, WhatsApp yielded improvement in
students’ speaking skills and vocabulary. Similarly, [
7
] pointed out
that online platforms make learning engaging. Hence, students feel
interested in talking and are able to better express their ideas, which
is helpful in stimulating and facilitating the learning of a foreign
language. In addition, students enjoy the process of teaching and
learning more. As it aids to improve students’ speaking skills in
the aspects of comprehension, uency and accuracy , as well as
keep the students highly motivated, students are able to practise
and talk more. Furthermore, [
23
] investigated the eectiveness of
video blogs to improve speaking skills. Based on the results, the
use of video blogs helps students’ in improving speaking skills.
[
24
] carried out a study to examine how WhatsApp can positively
impact the skills of speaking. The results revealed that the speak-
ing abilities of the students in the experimental group improved
signicantly as compared to those in the control group. Moreover,
students utilised WhatsApp to interact with their peers, ask for
advice, and overcome their fear for the language such as pronuncia-
tion. In addition, the exible nature of ICT promotes collaboration,
interaction, communication, and cooperation among students; be-
sides, it provides an authentic learning environment, participation
and promotes socialization in the learning process [
24
-
27
,
37
]. ICT
is regarded as an eective communication instrument as it helps
to address the demands of students since there are no time and
location issues in an asynchronous e-learning environment [25].
1.3 The challenges of using online learning
technology resources in the teaching and
learning of English speaking skills
There are some issues or challenges in implementing the online
learning platforms in English language teaching. [
28
] carried out a
study on identifying the ICT facilities, skills, usage, and the prob-
lems faced by the students using ICT. Among the challenges faced
by the majority of students include slow and shabby computers,
poor internet signals. the lacks of internet access and technical
support. [
29
] reported that instructors have faced a number of chal-
lenges when preparing speaking activities using online platforms,
and these challenges can be the condence level of students and
teachings to use ICT. [
30
] studied English teachers’ perceptions and
the challenges of the implementation of ICT in ELT classrooms in
Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The teachers reported signicant challenges
in using ICT, such as limited ICT tools, low Internet connection,
and lack of knowledge and training experience. Moving on, [
31
]
stated that the lack of teacher knowledge impacts the utilisation of
online platforms in enhancing students’ speaking skills. Therefore,
to overcome this challenge, teachers should be trained by experts
and be proactive in using technology tools. Since many studies have
examined teachers’ perceptions on the challenges faced in using
ICT tools in teaching English, more studies should be conducted to
investigate students’ perceptions on the challenges faced in using
ICT tools in improving their speaking skills.
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Research design and samples
This study utilized a quantitative approach. A validated survey
was conducted during COVID-19 in order to discover how a spe-
cic group of university students whose English prociency is
relatively low (e.g. scoring Band 3 and below in Malaysian Uni-
versity English Test (MUET) ) used online tools/ technologies to
improve their communication and speaking skills in English, to
investigate whether these online learning technology resources
improve the students’ communication and speaking skills, and to
nd out the challenges faced by language students when using
the online tools/ technologies. In order to address the aforemen-
tioned research objectives, a total of 62 undergraduate students
from two sessions who enrolled in the English subject classroom
were selected as the respondents of this study by using purposive
sampling method. Their age is between 19-21. 46 of them are fe-
males while 16 of them are males. The researcher explained the
objectives of the research to the participants, and they were given
absolute freedom to decide whether they wanted to be involved in
88
ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom Si Na Kew et al.
Table 1: Condence in communication and speaking
Items Mean SD
1. I am condent that I can explain my idea when a listener cannot understand what I have said. 2.52 0.50
2. I am condent that I can speak rst in an in-class group discussion. 2.26 0.68
3. I am condent that I can ask someone to share his opinions. 2.35 0.68
4. I am condent that I can suggest a new topic during in-class discussions. 2.40 0.69
5. I am condent that I can encourage someone to join the discussion. 2.35 0.73
6. When somebody is not speaking, I am condent that I can ask the questions to learn about his opinions. 2.32 0.72
7. I am condent that I check whether another speaker has understood my opinion. 2.55 0.50
8. I am condent that I can ask another speaker to explain when I do not understand what he has said. 2.56 0.50
9. I am condent that I can be active to keep the discussion balanced. 2.53 0.50
Average Score 2.43 0.61
this research. Also, they were informed that their names would be
anonymous in the research report. As the explanation was clearly
done, this research received the consent from all participants to be
involved in the study. To practise speaking is a signicant way of
improving English speaking skills, It is also important to promote
students’ condence level in communication and speaking through
online platforms. Therefore, this survey consists of items adapted
from [
32
] that seek to understand respondents’ condence level in
communication and speaking skills. Based on Table 1, the overall
mean score of students’ condence level in communication and
speaking skills is 2.43 with a standard deviation of 0.61, indicating
that their level is intermediate. Also, it is identied that the lowest
mean score of the same subject is 2.26 with a standard deviation
0.68 and it corresponds to Item 2, łI am condent that I can speak
rst in an in-class group discussionž. It shows that they have low
condence level in initiating discussions. Thus, it is important and
interesting to observe how this specic group of students uses the
online technology resources for enhancing their speaking skills.
Due to their intermediate condence level in communicating and
speaking in English, it is essential to pay more attention to the kind
of online technology resources that can be used to improve their
speaking skills.
[33] believes that employing ICTs application and resources in-
creases motivation and promotes students’ engagement, active par-
ticipation, interaction, motivation, self-learning and condence in
using online technology. Therefore, it can be concluded that build-
ing condence in communication skills requires practice either
through online technological applications and devices or non-web-
based tools. In conjunction with this, the next section will show the
technology used by these respondents in improving their speaking
and communication skills, how they gained benets from the use
of technology and the challenges they encountered.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1
Online tools/ technologies used by language
students to improve the communication and
speaking skills in English
Table 2 shows the ndings of the research question concerning
the online tools/ technologies used to improve communication and
speaking skills in English language. To pull their socks up, a ma-
jority of 36 respondents (58.06%) used YouTube channels, followed
by. 9 respondents (14.52%) who employed NETFLIX, another 9 re-
spondents (14.52 %) who engaged others such as Google translate,
English videos and so on, 5 respondents (8.06%) preferred TED
Talks .and last but not least, 3 respondents (4.84%) opted for open
language.
The ability of online technological applications and other online
tools in improving communication and speaking skills has been
proven by many researchers as indicated in the literature. The
main nding of this study is consistent to a study conducted by
[
5
], similarly reporting that online tools such as YouTube videos
are one of the most valuable resources for language students to
improve their speaking skills. Moreover, YouTube videos are also
useful in helping to improve multiple language skills and pronunci-
ation. In addition, watching YouTube videos can familiarize English
language students with dierent varieties of English language. In
short, they are eective online technological applications and tools
that enhance communication and speaking skills among English
language students. Another signicant feature of YouTube video
is that they provide credible materials and real-life meanings to
students. Therefore, the use of YouTube videos in improving the
speaking skills of English language students is very signicant. In
line with several other studies [
12
-
14
] the nding of this study
highlights the value of YouTube videos in developing language
students ’speaking skills as they appreciate the content and learn
about the content. Besides that, the integration of video technol-
ogy in language learning is one of the signicant and underscored
tools to enhance language learning around the world [
34
]. Video
technology such as TED Talk in English learning serves as an in-
teresting and eective learning tool which is not only easy but also
enjoyable to be used for learning [35]. Students can improve their
speaking skills by watching general online videos, NETFLIX movies,
kids’ cartoons, English lessons, speeches, presentations and just
any forms of videos. Videos have been found to be an eective and
alternative tool to improve students’ English speaking competence
[
36
]. Besides, online video blogs can enhance student’s knowledge
in terms of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and accent which
contributes to the overall improvement of English speaking skills
[23].
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Exploring Online Technology Resources for English Speaking Skills: A Case Study of Students’ Experiences ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom
Table 2: Online Tools/ Technologies Used to Improve Communication and Speaking Skills in English
No. Online Tools/ Technologies Frequency Percentage (%)
1 YouTube 36 58.06
2 NETFLIX 9 14.52
3 Open language 3 4.84
4 TED Talk 5 8.06
5 Others (e.g. Google Translate, English video, etc.) 9 14.52
Total 62 100
Furthermore, [
3
] highlighted the critical role of video technology
in language learning, as it assists students to learn the language
at their own speed, and boost students’ motivation for active lan-
guage learning. It also encourages students to learn and improve
their speaking abilities because it is believed that these students
feel more motivated and have less fear in their learning process,
which is a crucial psychological component that can help students
to be more active in learning. It has been shown in numerous
studies that students’ motivation towards speaking skills is linked
to online learning environment. These studies indicated that on-
line learning tools facilitate language learning, enhance speaking
skill, and improve students’ motivation to participate in and en-
gage with the learning environment. [
30
] argued that ICT helps
English language students to access authentic materials easily and
makes teaching and learning more enjoyable. Other online tools
and resources (e.g. Google Translate, English video, etc) also oer
sophisticated features that facilitate English language learning and
improve speaking skills. Google translate is comprised of audible
features which enable students to learn accurate pronunciations of
words. Other online English bilingual dictionaries oer the same
feature which contributes to the improvement of students’ accent
and pronunciations, thus resulting in better communication and
speaking skills.
3.2 Online learning technology resources
improve the communication and speaking
skills
Regarding the students’ opinions on the use of online technology
to improve communication and speaking skills of English language.
53 % of the respondents strongly agreed and 47% agreed on the
usage of online technology and applications in improving speak-
ing skills. In general, ICT is known to support exible learning
environment, engaging students inside and outside of the class-
room, give freedom to students to take control of their learning
and give them time to plan their own learning [
1
] [
25
] [
33
] [
37
]. It
also favours students with various learning styles. This is because
ICT can be used in an asynchronous setting that enables them to
study at their own way and pace in any convenient place. It also
enables students to access to learning at all times, allowing them
to learn anywhere and anytime with the condition that they have
internet connection. As a result, students have more time to learn
English and practise speaking outside of the classroom. Moreover
[
1
] stated that online platforms provide opportunities for students
to engage in self-directed actions. ICT allows students to practise
learning anywhere/anytime. It also impacts positively on student’s
ability to practice learning autonomously and authentically [
3
]. In
parallel with this, online learning encourages students to practise
speaking independently [
38
] and be able to express their feelings
and ideas freely via speaking. It also promotes their social skills
and develop their autonomy in speaking [
31
]. According to Table
3, 20 respondents (32.6%), 18 respondents (29.03%), 17 respondents
(27.42%) and 7 respondents (11.29) agreed that online technology
devices and resources build condence and reduce anxiety, and
they feel that online resources can be helpful to improve their pro-
nunciation as the technology resources provide dierent kinds of
speaking activities and topics that they can freely use and replay
easily.
The ndings of this study are supported by [
1
] who indicated that
students develop their language skills such as communication and
speaking skills through the use of online learning resources. The
most appropriate resources for learning speech skills are known
to be the Internet, podcasts, video conferencing, photographs, and
speech recognition software. Similarly, this study is in line with a
study conducted by [
6
] who stressed the range of tools for online
learning technologies to boost the speaking abilities of language
students. In addition to the previously listed tools, Parveen also
suggested the use of videos and blogging to improve the speaking
skills of language students. The advancement of technology has
given students the opportunities to engage with English speak-
ers in real-time conversations and communication for improving
their speaking skills. Resources such as video conferencing oers
teachers and students the availability to interact, communicate
and improve speaking skills. They can also get involved in other
classes across the globe, obtaining help from other teachers and
students. The review of the literature revealed that ICT has a sig-
nicant impact on reducing students’ level of speaking anxiety.
The studies showed that implementing technological tools not only
enhances students’ speaking skills, but also create an anxiety-free
environment. The crucial role of well-trained teachers is also em-
phasized to help students create online models to reduce their
level of anxiety and build their condence. In parallel with this,
[
33
] stated that that the potential benets of technological tools in
terms of supporting English language students is that provides a
less stressful environment as compared to classroom learning. [
8
]
utilized electronic speaking portfolios to investigate its usefulness
in evaluating students’ oral performance and explore their reactions
towards using electronic speaking portfolios. The results show that
the participants favor the electronic speaking portfolios because
they helped them evaluate their weakest areas in speaking, give
more opportunities for oral exercises and reduce their speaking
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ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom Si Na Kew et al.
Table 3: Online Learning Technology Resources Improve the Communication and Speaking Skills.
No. Ways to Improve Communication and Speaking Skills Frequency Percentage (%)
1 Build condence and reduce anxiety to speak and communicate 20 32.26
2 Has dierent kinds of speaking activities/ topics 18 29.03
3 Help pronounce in a correct way 17 27.42
4 Others (e.g. free to use, can play again, easy to use, etc) 7 11.29
Total 62 100
Table 4: Challenges Faced by Language Students when Using the Online Tools/ Technologies
No. Challenges Frequency %
1 Internet/Wi-Fi Problem (e.g. the internet is very low or limited) 16 25.81
2 Lacking Technological Devices/ ICT tools (e.g. do not have appropriate softwares to support, etc.) 10 16.13
3 Time Management Problem (e.g. no enough time, etc.) 8 12.90
4 Not Familiar with Using Online Tools (e.g. not familiar with the format, cannot nd the button) 6 9.68
5 Money Problem (e.g. payment, not enough money to buy data, etc.) 4 6.45
6 No Problem 13 20.97
7 Others (e.g. worrying about the privacy and virus, the absence of clear instruction and companion, etc.) 5 8.06
Total 62 100
fear. Moreover, [
39
] also believed that utilizing ICT applications
can make impacts in speaking skills by reducing students’ anxiety.
It implies that by eliminating their anxiety, students will be able
to benet from more enjoyable and meaningful learning. [
40
] inte-
grated a mobile networking sites (SNS) into rst-grade EFL classes
in China, to determine its eects on students’ speaking skills. The
ndings of the study revealed that Mobile-SNS-based oral practice
reduced young students’ speaking anxiety. Technology-based com-
munication settings play an important role in enhancing students’
speaking abilities. Furthermore, the use of technology and online
learning resources allows students to develop their language skills
by boosting their condence and reducing their anxiety to speak
and communicate. It is because the technology tools provide more
personal rooms and spaces for them to practise the language at
their own pace. Also, the online resources have various speaking
activities/ topics that can be chosen according to users’ preferences,
especially the Youtube. This helps to retain their learning inter-
est and they become more motivated to practise their speaking
skills. For instance, they can replay a video to learn and perfectize
a word’s pronunciation. All in all, based on the experience of the
respondents, it can be concluded that online learning technology
resources indeed help to improve communication and speaking
skills.
3.3
Challenges faced by language students when
using the online tools/ technologies
Table 4 focuses on the challenges faced by language students when
using the online tools and technologies. Although 13 respondents
(20.97%) have been reported of being happy because of not having
problems when using the online tools, some of them still encoun-
tered dierent challenges. For examples, 16 respondents (25.81%)
considered internet/Wi-Fi problem as the main challenge of using
online tools and applications. 10 respondents (16.13%), 8 respon-
dents (12.90%), 6 respondents (9.68 %), 4 respondents (6.45%) and
5 respondents (8.06%) considered the lack of ICT tools, eective
training, money, and privacy as the challenges and barriers towards
using online tools in improving communication and speaking skills
in English respectively.
The results of this study showed that when using online
tools/technologies, the basic challenges faced by language students
were lack of internet, lack of hardware, lack of time for computer-
based production of materials and lack of sucient resources. By
oering only hardwares and softwares and by setting up the infras-
tructures, the use of online services would not be insured. Likewise,
it can be recognized that in addition to the lack of hardware and
software, limited opportunities to access these services would limit
students’ chances of using technology to use online technologi-
cal resources for enhancing their communications and speaking
skills in English language learning. Nonetheless, 20.97% of them
did not face any challenge in using technology where they can get
more benets to improve their speaking skills at anytime and any-
where. This study is supported by [
41
] who indicated that there are
some internal problems, such as inadequate equipment or access,
insucient technology related training to the online technolog-
ical resources in English. The ndings of this study are also in
line with the ndings of [
42
-
43
] and in terms of problems faced
in the use of classroom ICT resources. Limited accessibility and
network connectivity, limited technical support, lack of adequate
preparation, limited time and lack of teacher expertise were identi-
ed as key issues and challenges found to be relevant in teachers’
use of ICT resources. In addition to internal issues, such as the
attitudes and values of students, faith in skills and so on are also
considered as the challenges of online technology resources to-
wards communication and speaking skills in English. In another
study conducted by [
44
], it is also mentioned that the success of
91
Exploring Online Technology Resources for English Speaking Skills: A Case Study of Students’ Experiences ICIEI 2023, April 13–15, 2023, Manchester, United Kingdom
remote or online learning is inuenced by the accessibility and
suitability of technological equipment. In conclusion, this study
reveals that the aforementioned challenges faced by language stu-
dents when using the online tools or technological devices aects
the learning process of communicating and speaking skills. These
challenges should be overcome in order to assist language students
to maximise their language competency.
4 CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that the mostly used online tools are those that
provide English materials in the format of videos. They are eective
for English language learning as they provide various modalities.
Online videos such as YouTube provide the opportunity for English
students to learn anytime and anywhere according to their own con-
venience and pace. Moreover, students can learn English through
watching dierent types of contents such as movies, documentaries
and learning contents from dierent elds. Hence, students can
be more engaged with the videos and feel less bored as they can
access videos for learning, entertainment and content of their in-
terest. This explains why the respondents in this study reported a
high usage of YouTube, NETFLIX and other online learning video
resources. Having good speaking skills encourages students to join
group discussions, presentations and debates. It also allows them to
be condent in doing public speeches, excel in the job interviews
and get better job opportunities [
45
] [49]. Nonetheless, this study
has several limitations. Firstly, the sample size is not large; thus, a
greater number of students should be involved in future researches.
More dierent research instruments such as interview should be
utilized to get a richer data on this research topic. However, the
ndings of this study have conrmed the role of technology in
English language learning, and there are some recommendations.
Therefore, the authors of this study recommend the education in-
stitutions and English learning centres to take care of the ICT such
as multimedia tool [
46
-
47
] and technology infrastructures [
48
] by
providing high-speed internet connection, computer labs, English
learning programs and systems.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education
(MOHE) through Postdoctoral Scholarship Program, and Funda-
mental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2020/SSI0/UTM/02/11),
as well as by Research University Grant (RUG) Program
(Q.J130000.3853.19J71) initiated by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
(UTM).
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