This paper examines the potential of the video-sharing platform YouTube for learners of L2 German in Japan. For this purpose, a case study involving the use of YouTube videos was carried out in a German culture class, involving three students, and conducted online at Hiroshima University. Focusing on given topics, the students (CEFR A2) searched for YouTube videos that interested them. They then wrote a comment on each video, providing information about its contents and an assessment of its suitability for learning German. The comments were shared with the teacher and other members of the class via the forum function of the university’s learning management system, Bb9, for a written group discussion.
The data used for this study consist of learners’ written contributions to the discussion as well as student feedback on the YouTube project through a written survey conducted after the end of the course. The results of the case study indicate that learners enjoyed having the opportunity to study with videos of their choice and to learn about cultural topics that interested them. They also appreciated experiencing the benefits as well as the challenges of studying with authentic audiovisual materials from the internet. By writing comments on the videos they watched, they could not only enhance their ability to critically assess the quality of publicly available YouTube videos, but they were also able to improve their writing skills.