Anek Suping & Vanita Chopra
Abstract
This practitioner research report focuses on 19 ninth-grade students in a rural area of Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The study addresses the prevalent issue of student reluctance to perform speaking tasks in a secondary school classroom setting. The authors employed an Exploratory Action Research approach where the exploratory phase was followed by an intervention involving the application of the Know-Want-Learn (KWL) strategy and the use of an online collaborative whiteboard platform (Miro board). The research study sought to find answers to how students perceive speaking tasks in the target language and what kind of speaking activities they prefer and whether effective instruction regarding speaking activities improves oral performance. Data was gathered through focus group discussions, peer observations, and students’ self-evaluation forms. Findings from the exploratory phase suggested that students’ reluctance to speak was due to low levels of self-confidence and the inadequate manner in which speaking activities were introduced and managed. The intervention improved students’ confidence and engagement, resulting in more active class participation.
Keywords
speaking confidence; conversation enhancement strategies; peer conversation; collaborative speaking tasks
Citation (APA)
Suping, A., & Chopra, V. (2024). Improving Thai teenage students’ confidence to speak English. ELT Classroom Research Journal, 1(1), 47-72.
Link
https://eltcrj.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ELTCRJ_v1i1-Suping-Chopra.pdf
