Enhancing EFL Speaking Fluency Through TikTok: Short-Form Videos as a Pedagogical Tool in Saudi Classrooms

Abstract

Aim. The emergence of short-video platforms, such as TikTok, has created new opportunities for integrating digital media into the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL). This study intends to examine how incorporating TikTok-based short-video activities improves speaking fluency among EFL students in Saudi university classrooms. Methods. In a quasi-experimental pre-mid-post design, 87 undergraduate learners were grouped into experimental (TikTok-based structured speaking activities) and control groups for a 9-week instructional freeze. Monologic speech samples of learners were audio-taped at three levels and assessed based on 11 verified temporal and breakdown fluency measures based on the existing psycholinguistic models. The engagement, confidence, and perceived communicative growth of the learners were assessed using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire administered at the end of the program. Results. The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in composite fluency than the control group, with the largest effects observed for speech rate, articulation rate, and selected repair-related measures. Several additional temporal measures also showed significant differential change, whereas pauses per minute during speaking time and mean pause duration did not differ significantly between groups over time. Moreover, students exposed to TikTok-based assignments reported massive engagement and moderate confidence improvement. Conclusions. The findings indicate that structured short-form video practice can support improvement in selected dimensions of monologic speaking fluency and positive learner perceptions of the instructional experience. Recommendations for digital task integration in teaching EFL speaking and future studies are identified.