Browsing by Author "Alvarado Bonilla, Cristela Judith"

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    The effects of using communicative activities to enhance the speaking skill on students taking the readings and conversation I course during the second semester 2017 at the Foreign Languages Department, University of El Salvador
    (2017-12-12) Alvarado Bonilla, Cristela Judith; Quijada Cantor, Íngrid Vanesa; Alexander Bruno, Wilber; Contreras Cárcamo, Mauricio
    The Foreign Languages Department students at the University of El Salvador consider that speaking is the most difficult skill to sharpen since it involves the development of some sub skills such as vocabulary, fluency, accuracy, pronunciation, and some others. They are usually afraid of speaking English during their classes because they do not feel comfortable with their level of English. Why is it difficult for students to develop the speaking skill? And which tools professors can use to enhance the speaking skill during the class? The present research shows the effects of using communicative activities to enhance the speaking skill and takes as a sample a group of students taking Readings and Conversation I course. Readings and Conversation I course is part of the majors “Licenciatura en Idioma Inglés opción Enseñanza” and “Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas Especialidad Francés e Inglés” at the Foreign Languages Department at the University of El Salvador and it’s taken by students who have passed the English intensive courses of Basic, Intermediate I, Intermediate II and Advanced English I and II. That means that students taking Readings and Conversation I course have an advanced level of English and they are able to have a fluent conversation in their daily routine; however, some of them are still struggling with some issues when using the English language. Research practitioners took Readings and Conversation I course at an earlier stage in their major and realized that the speaking skill is not always enhanced at this point of the major and planned a conversation project where students are exposed to communicative activities with the aim of improving their speaking skill.