Enhancing Confidence in Students’ English Speaking Skills by the Use of Interactive Practices

Dr. Afsheen Salahuddin, Dr. Farah Deeba, Amna Saleem

Abstract


In a developing country like Pakistan, speaking English has emerged as the most popular tool for communication. Fluent speakers of English get good job opportunities as this is also the need of the hour. The English language has become an international language widely spoken all over the world. For the present study, the problem identified by the researchers was the low confidence level of students in spoken English. Therefore, the core purpose of the current endeavor was to enhance the confidence of students in speaking English by using interactive practices. The present study was conducted at one of the private sector universities in Lahore, Pakistan. The quasi-experiment and pre-and post-test research designs were used in the study. An intact group consisting of 40 students from the university was included in the study. Furthermore, these 40 students were divided into two groups, i.e., the experimental group and the control group. The traditional teaching method utilized in the English language lessons was replaced by innovative and interactive sessions for one semester for the experimental group. The null hypothesis developed was: there was no change in the confidence level of students in speaking English before and after the intervention. The data was statistically analyzed, and it was discovered that interactive activities can boost students' confidence and reduce anxiety while promoting an urge in them to speak up without hesitation. Thus, it is proposed that interactive activities be used in the English language classroom to boost students’ speaking skills in English.


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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21015/vtess.v10i1.957

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