Improving Speaking Skills Through the Use of YouTube "Arabic Podcast" Among Graduate Students of Higher Education

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33650/ijatl.v9i2.12060

Authors (s)


(1) * Zair Idrisa   ()  
        Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


Speaking skill development in Arabic learning often faces challenges related to anxiety, limited practice opportunities, and lack of exposure to authentic spoken language. This study aims to explore graduate students’ lived experiences in using YouTube Arabic Podcasts for developing maharah kalam. Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study involved graduate students as participants, with data collected through in-depth interviews and classroom observations and analyzed thematically. The findings reveal that students experience YouTube Arabic Podcasts as a flexible and learner-controlled medium that supports autonomous speaking practice. Repeated exposure to authentic pronunciation and intonation reduces speaking anxiety, enhances confidence, and gradually improves fluency. Students also demonstrate a shift in speaking orientation, prioritizing meaning-making over grammatical perfection. The novelty of this study lies in its phenomenological insight into the psychological and experiential dimensions of podcast-based Arabic speaking learning. The findings imply that integrating Arabic podcasts into speaking instruction can foster a more communicative, confidence-oriented, and learner-centered approach to maharah kalam development.


Keywords

Speaking Skills, YouTube, Arabic Podcast







References


Abdelaal, A., Medhat, A. A., Elsayad, M., Foad, M., Khaled, S., Tamer, A., & Medhat, W. (2024). Text Correction for Modern Standard Arabic. In Procedia Computer Science (Vol. 244, pp. 371–377). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2024.10.211

Ahsanuddin, M., Ainin, M., & Asrori, I. (2019). the Mapping of Arabic Language Learning in Senior High Schools and Vocational Schools in Malang Regency. Arabiyat : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Arab Dan Kebahasaaraban, 6(1), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.15408/a.v6i1.7308

Akhoirsheda, I. M., & Faraj, B. A. (2025). Comparative Study of Lexical and Grammatical Similarities in Child English and Child Arabic: Insights from YouTube Videos. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(1), 252–259. https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.11121

Albahli, S. (2022). Twitter Sentiment Analysis: An Arabic Text Mining Approach. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.966779

Alkadi, H., Almoaily, M., & Alsuhaibani, Y. (2025). From Formality to Familiarity: A Content Analysis of Linguistic Shifts in Written Arabic on YouTube. International Journal of Applied Linguistics (United Kingdom). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12825

Almoayad, F., Alhashem, A., Alotaibi, R., Alashwl, R., Albahouth, A., Benajiba, N., Kelly, P. J., & Aboul-Enein, B. H. (2024). YouTube Video Clips on Breastfeeding Education and Promotion for Arabic-Speaking Populations: A Social Media Content Analysis. Breastfeeding Medicine, 19(9), 734–741. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2024.0149

Almutawa, S. S., & Faisal, M. (2023). Deep Learning for Digital Safety: Cyberbullying Detection in Arabic YouTube Content. In Proceedings - 2023 10th International Conference on Social Networks Analysis, Management and Security, SNAMS 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/SNAMS60348.2023.10375399

Alsharif, R. S. (2025). Hyperbole in Arabic YouTube: A Pragmalinguistic Study of Artificial Intelligence Discourse. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05215-x

Alwadi, M. A. M., AlJameel, A. B. H., Alaskar, M. M. A., Alzahrani, S. A., Almoayad, F., Aboul-Enein, B. H., & Kelly, P. J. (2025). YouTube as a Source for Arabic-Speaking Parent Education on the Oral Hygiene of Children: A Social Media Content Analysis. Public Health Nursing, 42(4), 1469–1477. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13551

Anis, M. Y., Nababan, M., Santosa, R., & Masrukhi, M. (2022). The Ideology Behind the Translation of an Islamic Moral Ethic Book: A Case Study of Al-Ḥikam’s Aphorisms. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2022.2129484

Baharun, H., Rahman, S. A., Ahmad, H., Saad, N. S. M., & Jamal, I. H. (2020). Quranic Understanding among Non-Native Speaker of Arabic: Malaysian Experts’ Perspectives. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 20(2), 203–223. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2020-2002-12

Bechir, S. Ben, Mekki, A., & Ellouze, M. (2024). Transfer Learning Model for Cyberbullying Detection in Tunisian Social Networks. In Communications in Computer and Information Science: Vol. 2071 CCIS (pp. 62–75). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-55729-3_6

Damayanti, D., & Ammar, F. M. (2024). Revolutionizing Arabic Vocabulary Learning with Mimicry Memorization. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Studies, 11(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.21070/ijis.v11i4.1725

El Ouahabi, S., El Ouahabi, S., & Dadi, E. W. (2023). Multi-Domain Dataset for Moroccan Arabic Dialect Sentiment Analysis in Social Networks. In 2023 International Conference on Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence: Technologies and Applications, CloudTech 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/CloudTech58737.2023.10366119

Frick, U., Sipar, D., Bücheler, L., Haug, F., Haug, J., Almeqbaali, K. M., Pryss, R., Rosner, R., & Comtesse, H. (2023). A Mobile-Based Preventive Intervention for Young, Arabic-Speaking Asylum Seeker. Design and Implementation. JMIR Formative Research, 7. https://doi.org/10.2196/44551

Hanaqtah, M. (2022). Applicable Methods and Techniques for Translating Military Eponyms from English into Arabic. International Journal of Communication and Linguistic Studies, 20(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7882/CGP/v20i02/1-10

Haseeb, M., Kot, S., Hussain, H. I., & Jermsittiparsert, K. (2024). Correction to: Impact of Economic Growth, Environmental Pollution, and Energy Consumption on Health Expenditure and R&D Expenditure of ASEAN Countries (Energies, (2020), 12, 19, (3598), 10.3390/en12193598). In Energies (Vol. 17, Issue 12). https://doi.org/10.3390/en17122879

Hejazi, H., & Shaalan, K. (2021). Deep Learning for Arabic Image Captioning: A Comparative Study of Main Factors and Preprocessing Recommendations. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 12(11), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2021.0121105

Ismail, U. S., Makhtar, N. I., Chulan, M., & Ismail, N. (2023). A Model Framework for the Implementation of Gamification in Arabic Teaching in Malaysia. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 13(11), 2800–2805. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1311.09

Kharlanova, E. M., Sivrikova, N. V., Roslyakova, S. V., & Chernikova, E. G. (2024). Educating the Digital Generation: the Role of Virtual Communities. Obrazovanie i Nauka, 26(1), 103–132. https://doi.org/10.17853/1994-5639-2024-1-103-132

Kohn, L., & Christiaens, W. (2024). Qualitative Research Methods: Contributions and Beliefs. Reflets et Perspectives de La Vie Economique, 53(4), 67–82. https://doi.org/10.3917/rpve.534.0067

Leblebici, D., & Rostom, M. (2025). “Alexa Learned Arabic”: A Translanguaging and Multimodal Perspective on Language and Media Ideologies. Discourse, Context and Media, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2025.100909

Mancilla-Martinez, J., Oh, M. H., Luk, G., & Rollins, A. (2024). Special Education Representation Trends Vary by Language Status: Evidence of Underrepresentation in Tennessee. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 57(3), 153–167. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194231178285

Mashaqba, B., Sa’aleek, H. A., Huneety, A., & Al-Shboul, S. (2020). Grammatical Number Inflection in Arabic-Speaking Children and Young Adults with Down Syndrome. South African Journal of Communication Disorders, 67(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajcd.v67i1.702

Mokadem, S., Fortier, A., Gharbi, M., Essid, M. A., Aublé, A., Defortescu, G., Pfister, C., Sibert, L., & Cornu, J. N. (2022). Is YouTubeTM a Reliable Source for Patient Information about Holmium Laser Enucleation of Prostate? Progres En Urologie, 32(6), 465–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.purol.2022.02.008

Musthofa, T., & Fauziah, R. (2021). Arabic Phonological Interventions with Mimicry-Memorization Learning Method: A Review on Evidence-Based Treatment. Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, Dan Pengembangan, 6(1), 96. https://doi.org/10.17977/jptpp.v6i1.14396

Öberg, L., & Bohnacker, U. (2022). Non-Word Repetition and Vocabulary in Arabic-Swedish-Speaking 4–7-Year-Olds with and without Developmental Language Disorder. Languages, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7030204

Olmos, M., & Mendoza, M. (2023). The Press in The Classroom for Citizenship Formation in The Digital Age? Paper and Pencil Case in Public Education Institutions in Cartagena De Indias-Colombia. Proceedings of International Conference on Research in Education and Science, 9(1), 1875–1883.

Panggua, S., Fitri, N., & Patanduk, S. T. (2020). Need Analysis: Developing Speaking Skills Training Materials for High School EFL Teacher in Indonesia. Asian EFL Journal, 27(33), 37–50.

Rahmanidar, N., & Izah, N. (2023). Qualitative Study Utilization of Complementary Midwifery Services on Mother Post Partum. In Improving Health for Better Future Life: Strengthening from Basic Science to Clinical Research (pp. 330–338). https://doi.org/10.1201/9781032693408-53

Ramadan, H. I. (2023). Arabic Rules Between Philosophy of Language and Grammar Criterion: A Modernist Approach. Darulfunun Ilahiyat, 34(2), 453–469. https://doi.org/10.26650/DI.2023.34.2.1262493

Rizqia, A. S., Sopian, A., Ridlo, A., & Abdulkhaleq, ⁠Al-Rawafi. (2024). Using Mimicry Memorization Method in Improving Student’s Learning Outcomes on the Lesson of Arabic Language. Arabi : Journal of Arabic Studies, 9(1), 80–90.

Sali, A. H. A. (2020). Pedagogical Praxis: Muslim-Filipino Madrasah Teachers’ Conceptuality of Instructional Process. IAFOR Journal of Education, 8(4), 115–131. https://doi.org/10.22492/ije.8.4.07

Shurafa, C., & Zaghouani, W. (2024). Sentiment Analysis and Emotion Annotation of a Large-Scale Arabic YouTube Trauma Corpus. In Proceedings of the 2024 11th IEEE International Conference on Behavioural and Social Computing, BESC 2024. https://doi.org/10.1109/BESC64747.2024.10780706

Sofi, D., Stier, J., & Wahlström, E. (2025). Hyperreality, Polarization and Prejudice: Social Media Descriptions of Swedish Child Welfare Services. Child and Family Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70075

Wesely, P. M., Vyn, R., & Neubauer, D. (2024). Teacher Beliefs about Instructional Approaches: Interrogating the Notion of Teaching Methods. Language Teaching Research, 28(1), 29–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168821992180

Zeid, N., Tang, L., & Amith, M. “Tuan.” (2023). The Spread in Arabic on YouTube: A Network Exposure Study. Digital Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076231205714


Dimensions, PlumX, and Google Scholar Metrics

10.33650/ijatl.v9i2.12060


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Zair Idrisa

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.