The effect of YouTube comment-based writing tasks on writing proficiency and writing anxiety among Uzbek EFL learners: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Today, social networks have become an integral part of students’ lives, providing them with opportunities to learn and practice languages. This article discusses the impact of comment writing tasks on the YouTube platform on the English writing skills and pre-writing anxiety of Uzbek high school students learning English as a foreign language. The study was conducted based on a single-group experimental design, in which changes in the written speech skills and psychological state of the participants were studied. During the experiment, the participants watched videos on the YouTube platform and performed tasks related to leaving comments on them. The study involved 60 students in grades 10-11, and the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) questionnaire developed by Cheng (2004) was used. The results show that after the experiment, the participants’ written speech significantly improved and the level of anxiety during the writing process decreased. The study findings confirm that writing assignments based on YouTube comments not only develop linguistic competence in EFL students, but also serve to overcome psychological barriers to the writing process.