The use of culture based contents to enhance the speaking skills.

Abstract

The objective of the present research was to determine whether the use of culture based contents enhanced the speaking skills. For this purpose, a research and theoretical background were put together. Chiefly, the research background proved that in south America there is little information and precedents about the inclusion of cultural contents in speaking classes. For the study treatment, the experimental group were high school students from the Cristobal Colon high school. It consisted of 19 students and had both male and female population. The ages of the students from the group ranged from 16 to 18 years old. These students were assessed using the ECCE test (Examination for the certificate of competency in English). The ECCE is a certification which is widely accepted in many countries and in Ecuador it counts with the approval and legal authorization of the Ministerio de Educacion This standardized test provides test takers with a B2 certification according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). To assess the students’ performance, the ECCE Speaking rating scale was the instrument used in both test administrations. To gather data, the experimental group received the same testing format but with different prompts in both pre and posttests. To analyze the information obtained from both the pre and posttests, a t-student test was applied, using the SPSS statistics platform. The results from the t student test proved that there was a significant improvement by using culture based content given to the students. In addition, a survey with eight questions was xii administered. The results from such survey showed positive results confirming that the members of the experimental group noticed the improvement in their speaking skills through the application of culture based content lessons. These lesson plans were custom made for the students, their age and English level. They focused on the discussion of cultural aspects from the students’ country and the production of spoken language in class.