STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS ON THE USE OF TIKTOK IN IMPROVING SPEAKING SKILLS AT TADULAKO UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This study examines how sixth-semester English Education students at Tadulako University perceive TikTok as a tool for developing their English-speaking ability. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the researcher interviewed five purposively selected participants who had used TikTok for speaking-related practice and analyzed the resulting transcripts through Braun & Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis procedure. Four recurring patterns emerged from participants' accounts: TikTok functioning as a vocabulary and pronunciation resource, TikTok enabling repeated and self-paced speaking rehearsal, a shift toward greater confidence and lower speaking anxiety, and a broadly favorable view of TikTok's contribution to speaking development. Across most accounts, exposure to short-form English content appeared to build vocabulary, model pronunciation, and create low-stakes opportunities to rehearse speaking, which several participants linked to feeling calmer and more capable when speaking. One participant, however, attributed her gains mainly to vocabulary rather than to speaking confidence itself, pointing to differences in how individual students engage with the platform. These results are interpreted through the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989), Multimedia Learning Theory (Mayer, 2009), and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008). The study suggests TikTok holds value as a supplementary, learner-driven resource for EFL speaking practice, particularly for building vocabulary, raising pronunciation awareness, and easing speaking-related anxiety.