The Role of Audiovisual Media in Enhancing Listening Skills at Junior High School

Abstract

This study investigates the role of audiovisual media in enhancing students’ listening skills in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. Listening is frequently considered one of the most challenging language skills for learners because it requires the ability to process pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and meaning simultaneously. Despite its importance, listening instruction is often overshadowed by other language skills such as speaking and reading. Therefore, the integration of audiovisual media has been increasingly recommended as an effective strategy to support listening instruction. This research employed a descriptive qualitative design involving one English teacher and ten students at SMPN 5 Simpang Empat in the academic year of 2025/2026. Data were collected through classroom observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documentation. The findings reveal that audiovisual media plays an important role in enhancing listening to comprehension, increasing students’ motivation, and supporting contextual understanding of spoken English. Students reported that audiovisual materials such as videos, songs, and multimedia presentations helped them understand pronunciation, meaning, and context more effectively than traditional textbook-based learning. However, the implementation of audiovisual media also faces several challenges including limited classroom facilities, unclear audio equipment, time constraints, and classroom management issues. These findings suggest that while audiovisual media offers significant pedagogical benefits for listening instruction, successful implementation requires proper planning, adequate technological support, and teacher training.