Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) Video Setting—A Potential Enhancement For English As A Foreign Language (EFL) Learning
Zhu Zhang
ABSTRACT:
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a unique physiological and psychological response to particular multisensory triggers. ASMR-inducing videos on social media platforms like YouTube have gathered public and scholarly attention due to their positive physical and emotional effects on viewers. The authentic, engaging, contextual, empathetic multisensory stimulation, intereactive discourse, and representation genre of ASMR videos corresponds with essential attributes of English as a foreign language (EFL) learning. This study seeks to explore the effectiveness of ASMR videos in facilitating both informal and formal EFL learning. Two synchronous intervention designs were conducted with 70 ASMR-sensitive EFL learners at a Chinese university. Findings revealed that immersion in informal English ASMR video-watching for four months leads to a significant overall improvement in pronunciation ability compared to the pre-test and the no-intervention group. ASMR video-facilitated in-class intervention showed a significant advantage over the traditional video-based instruction in vocabulary and pronunciation acquisition. This study implies that ASMR video setting provides an effective alternative approach for EFL learning in the digital age, with the potential to enrich EFL pedagogy across diverse contexts.
keywords: ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), EFL (English as foreign language learning), ASMR-video enhanced learning