Self-Assessment Strategies and Speaking Skills

Abstract

The objective of this research was to analyze learners’ perspectives on self-assessment strategies that foster the development of speaking skills in English language learning. This study employed a descriptive research design with a mixed-methods approach. Data was collected through a survey administered to 60 A2-level students (36 female and 24 male) from the Centro de Idiomas at Universidad Técnica de Ambato. The research instrument consisted of a structured Likert-scale questionnaire organized into three sections: self-assessment strategies, speaking subskills, and speaking strategies. It was validated by five experts in the field, obtaining an Aiken’s V coefficient of 0.996, which demonstrated high content validity. In addition, reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.901, indicating strong internal consistency. The results revealed checklists and questionnaires were the self-assessment strategies most frequently identified by learners since they provide clear criteria and guiding questions for reflection Regarding speaking subskills, accuracy and discourse management were the most effectively recognized. This is because students focus on producing correct and organized language during speaking performance. Furthermore, appealing for assistance and using conversation maintenance cues were the speaking strategies most frequently implemented since they help learners maintain communication and receive support when facing difficulties during interaction. Overall, this study concludes that self assessment strategies support the development of speaking skills by guiding learners to reflect on their performance, recognize speaking subskills, and implement strategies that facilitate oral communication.