Pendapat Mahasiswa tentang Penggunaan Video YouTube dalam Pembelajaran Menyimak Teks Argumentatif (Studi terhadap Mahasiswa Semester IV Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris di UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar Tahun Akademik 2024/2025)
This research explores students’ opinions on the integration of YouTube videos within a "Listening to Argumentative Texts" course. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative design, the study focused on fourth-semester students in the English Teaching Department at UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar during the 2024/2025 academic year. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five purposively selected participants and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman (2014) interactive model, involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that students hold predominantly positive opinions, identifying YouTube as a medium that provides graded learning complexity, offers relevant and engaging topics, and helps identify argumentative structures. Furthermore, participants noted that YouTube enhances critical thinking, supports independent learning, and increases overall motivation. While some students found the less-structured nature of spontaneous spoken content challenging compared to written texts, they acknowledged that this exposure helps them adapt to authentic communication patterns. The study concludes that YouTube is an essential and highly beneficial tool for developing analytical and critical listening skills in argumentative contexts.