Communicative strategies on the English speaking skill development

Abstract

The aim of this research project is to examine the various communicative strategies that students learning a foreign language can use in order to improve their speaking skill. To determine the consistency of these two variables a deep research was carried out through investigation in books and online sources such as scientific articles and journals. This research was directed to university students from level Avanzado 1 C1- (Levels). To evaluate students’ speaking skill a rubric was conducted based on students’ oral performance taking into account the communicative strategies that they use in order to convey their ideas effectively and appropriately. Special focus was given to the independent variable (communicative strategies) in relation to the dependent variable (English Speaking Skill). To analyze the results obtained from the research a pre and posttest was applied to 36 students. Once the pretest was applied, a series of activities were put into practice with students to enable them use communicative strategies, then a posttest was applied and it was analyzed whether the activities contributed to improve students’ speaking skill development. The analysis of results indeed proved that by making students use their communicative strategies, their speaking skill could improve significantly. The results were the basis to state conclusions and recommendations which in turn can contribute to the improvement of the speaking skill in students learning English as a foreign language. Finally, ten activities are proposed to use with students at level Avanzado 1 C1- (level 6) in order to enhance the English speaking skill.