Improving Spanish EFL Students' Speaking Skills through Cooperative Work

Abstract

[eng] It is common knowledge that most EFL students tend to feel anxious when they have to communicate orally in their target language. The present study applied an action research technique using cooperative work to conduct the research to analyze the EFL students’ speaking skills. It is thought that this type of task could help them improve their spoken skills in English since it involves classroom interaction. This dissertation also tackled some difficulties which EFL students encountered when communicating in their L2, such as speaking anxiety, fear of failure, lack of L2 exposure and classroom environment among others. Students were divided into two groups according to their level of English. The main research material used in this study was an oral presentation in groups of three people which they prepared beforehand and then delivered to the rest of the class. Their oral performance was analyzed taking into account specific criteria such as pauses, speech rate, repetitions, self-corrections, pronunciation, memorization and their body language. The findings revealed that these EFL learners had great difficulties to express themselves in their L2; hence, different speaking activities are included at the end of the study to enhance and improve Spanish EFL secondary-school students’ speaking skills.