Multimedia Tutorials and Speaking Skills

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze learners' perspectives on how multimedia tutorials enhance speaking skills. A descriptive research design with a quantitative method approach was applied through a survey of 61 students (23 women and 38 men) of the Centro de Idiomas from Universidad Técnica de Ambato. The instrument was validated and approved by five experts in the field. Ranging from 0.95 to 1 on the Aiken V coefficient. The questionnaire was also validated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.830). Additionally, the research was based on three research questions aligned with the objectives. The results revealed that branching and linear tutorials were the principal tutorials applied in EFL classrooms due to their structured, interactive, and accessible characteristics, which promoted learners’ participation and independent learning. In terms of speaking subskills, it was evident that lexical resource, grammar competence, and discourse management were the most frequently addressed in classes promoting organized, coherent, and accurate oral communication among learners. In relation to speaking strategies, simplification of fluency, self-correction, and clarification facilitates communication and interaction during oral activities in EFL classrooms. Finally, it is important to mention that simulation-based multimedia tutorials should be further developed because they promote real English communication and support the improvement of learners’ speaking skills. Furthermore, fluency was identified as one of the main weaknesses among students, suggesting the need for greater continuous exposure to interactive speaking activities and meaningful oral practice in the target language