From scrolling to speaking: Students’ experiences in using TikTok duet for English practice

Abstract

This study explores the use of TikTok Duet as a digital platform to support speaking practice in English language learning. It focuses on the experiences of five non-English major university students enrolled in a general English class with a specific emphasis on speaking skills. They were chosen for their excellent performance in a series of speaking tasks delivered through TikTok Duet and were considered reliable examples of best practice. The objective of the study was to examine how the students perceived and engaged with TikTok Duet as a tool for improving speaking skills. A qualitative case study design was employed, and data were gathered through in-depth, recorded group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the students’ reflections. The findings show that the students have already begun using TikTok for learning English, reflecting a transition from entertainment to educational use. They viewed TikTok Duet as a useful tool for making speaking practice more enjoyable, thanks to its interactive, visual, and user-friendly features. Consistent use of TikTok Duet helped improve their accuracy and fluency, with reported development in vocabulary, sentence construction, intonation, pronunciation, and body language. The progression of tasks, from reading modeled dialogues, to composing scripts, and finally interacting with peers, was seen as meaningful. Despite these benefits, some students reported feelings of anxiety, mainly due to performance pressure and language accuracy. The study concludes that social media platforms like TikTok have the potential to reshape English language pedagogy by promoting creativity, learner autonomy, and communicative competence.