The Impact of YouTube on University Students’ English Learning Motivation and Strategies

Abstract

With the rapid internationalization of higher education and the proliferation of digital media, YouTube has emerged as a pivotal informal platform for English language learning. Unlike traditional classroom instruction, YouTube offers learners diverse, authentic language input and flexible access. This study investigates the relationship between English learning motivation and strategy use among university students in a YouTube-assisted learning context. The research aims to identify the most evident types of motivation and frequently employed strategies, while exploring the influence of background variables such as gender, English certification, and frequency of use.

A quantitative methodology was employed, recruiting 286 valid participants from a technical university in southern Taiwan. Data were collected in June 2025 using a researcher-developed “YouTube on English Learning Motivation and Strategies Questionnaire,” which demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .957) and validity. The findings indicate that individual and contextual variables--such as prior learning experiences, digital engagement, and perceived relevance to future goals--play a more critical role than gender in shaping learners' motivation and strategic behaviors. Notably, while possessing an English certificate does not necessarily boost overall motivation, it significantly cultivates specific strategic competencies, particularly compensation and affective strategies, which help students manage communication challenges and emotional pressures.

Furthermore, the results highlight that career aspirations serve as a central motivational anchor, translating intrinsic and instrumental motivation into more effective strategy use in digital environments. Frequent YouTube engagement is associated with both enhanced motivation and more sophisticated learning strategy use, characterized by a highly integrated deployment of cognitive, metacognitive, and affective strategies. Pedagogically, this study suggests that teachers should integrate curated YouTube content into formal instruction and pair it with reflective or collaborative tasks to strengthen social strategies. By aligning instruction with students' future-oriented goals and fostering self-regulatory competence, educators can maximize the pedagogical potential of informal digital learning environments, supporting diverse learning pathways inside and outside the classroom.