The Correlation between Duration of Watching English Movies and Writing Competencies in Junior High School Students

Abstract

Writing is an essential competency in language learning, which allows students to express ideas clearly and effectively. Unfortunately, many learners struggle to achieve writing competencies. Previous research has examined correlations between watching movies and grammatical competence as well as self-efficacy, but there is limited research that has examined the relationship between the duration of watching English movies and students’ writing competencies. In order to fill this gap, this research examines whether there is a significant correlation between the duration of watching English movies and students’ writing competencies. This research uses a quantitative method with a correlational design. There are thirty-five seventh-grade students from class VII.9 during the 2024/2025 academic year were selected through cluster sampling. Two instruments were used, which are questionnaires to measure the duration of watching English movies and writing test to assess writing competencies. Validity and reliability tests were conducted. Since the data were not normally distributed, the Spearman correlation applied. The results showed a weak positive correlation (r = 0.269), but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.118, p > 0.05). Future research should explore other factors, such as audiovisual media that related to the local cultures and its impact on students’ writing competencies.