How To Enhance Speaking Skills in Learners

Abstract

One year ago, I conducted the exploratory action research on enhancing speaking skills in learners. While observing, I noticed my students’ apparent reluctance to participate in fluency activities I offered them during the lesson. They demonstrated a lack of confidence while making presentations, taking part in discussions, or engaging in dialogues. Consequently, I undertook this research to reveal root causes of this issue, as it became clear that despite their awareness of grammar and vocabulary, a deficiency in their speaking abilities was noticeable. 
I formulated three exploratory questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of their current situation at hand.
     1. What kind of fluency activities do my students find most engaging and preferable?
     2.How do my students prefer to practice and consolidate new vocabulary?
     3.What types of fluency activities do my colleagues implement in the classroom?
For answering questions and collecting data I used the following tools:
•    Reflective journal.
•    Student questionnaire.
•    Interview with colleagues.
For four weeks, I used a combination of three methods to collect data, including a reflective journal for documenting my students’ behavior during fluency activities. A student’s questionnaire in order to elicit insights into the underlying reasons for the students’ reluctance to participate in speaking activities and an interview with my colleagues to share their experiences on this topic.
Upon thorough analysis of the data collected, in relation to the fluency activities the data suggested that most learners (13 out of 22) preferred role-plays. One student articulated this preference by stating: “I like taking part in role-plays because I feel more confident”.  Six students enjoyed providing personal information and only three preferred making presentations. However, reflective notes revealed that the most challenging barrier for students was making presentations in front of a large audience due to their shyness. Furthermore, students could utilize newly acquired vocabulary in written form, but found it difficult to engage in speaking.
  During interviews, most of my colleagues used storytelling, as they thought students could create stories that helped them use new vocabulary. Additionally, they also used personalization as a fluency activity. They said:” Some students feel free when they speak about themselves”
Based on the findings, it appeared that the students’ hesitance to engage in speaking activities was not primarily due to a lack of vocabulary, as initially presumed, given their proficiency in written tasks. Rather, it seemed to be related to difficulties when attempting fluency exercises, as well as their shyness and insecurity, indicating a need for more practice and support.
 To address this issue, I diversified the classroom activities in the classroom with fluency exercises and implemented them into the learning and studying process. 
1.    Increase debate practice: Create low pressure debate activities to build confidence and improve argumentation skills.
2.    Expand vocabulary use: Encourage speaking activities to help students actively use new vocabulary in real-life situations.
3.    More role-plays: Provide students with varied role-play scenarios to practice vocabulary in meaningful contexts.
By offering a wide range of speaking tasks, my students built their confidence and improved their oral communication skills. Furthermore, providing personalized assistance and encouragement fostered their progress in this area.