Investigating Students’ Perceptions in Listening through Digital Media

Abstract

In today’s digital era, digital media have become increasingly relevant in supporting English listening practice, particularly for learners who need authentic, flexible, and engaging learning resources. However, many students still struggle to maintain motivation and understand spoken English when listening activities rely primarily on conventional classroom materials. This study aims to investigate students’ perceptions of listening through digital media, including Instagram, podcasts, audiobooks, and English songs. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed by distributing a closed-ended questionnaire to 14 English Education students who had experience using digital platforms for listening practice. The questionnaire explored students’ perceptions of motivation, enjoyment, listening comprehension, confidence, and learning autonomy. The findings showed that 78% of the participants felt more motivated to learn English through digital media, 78% agreed that digital media made listening activities more enjoyable than conventional methods, 86% found it easier to understand vocabulary and pronunciation through songs or Instagram captions, and 71% agreed that digital media supported independent and flexible learning. These results indicate that students perceive digital media positively as supportive tools for listening practice. The use of familiar platforms allows students to engage with English input in a more enjoyable, authentic, and self-directed way. Therefore, digital media can be considered a valuable resource for fostering students’ motivation, autonomy, and exposure to authentic English listening materials.