The Effect of Realia on Improving Speaking Skills in EFL Basic Education Students

Resumen

This study examined the effect of realia, real and tangible objects used as instructional resources, on the development of speaking skills among young learners of English as a Foreign Language in basic education. Speaking remains one of the most challenging skills to develop in this population, particularly in public schools where access to technological and didactic resources is limited. Using a quantitative quasi-experimental design, the oral performance of 32 third-grade students of a public Ecuadorian school was assessed before and after participating in instructional activities based on real objects, with a focus on fluency, accuracy, and pronunciation The findings revealed a substantial and statistically significant improvement in students' overall speaking performance after the intervention, with consistent gains across all three subskills examined. These results suggest that realia can serve as an effective, low-cost pedagogical resource capable of supporting meaningful oral language development among young learners with minimal prior exposure to the language. The study contributes subskill-specific evidence that addresses a gap in previous research on realia, which has traditionally focused on older or more experienced populations. Overall, these findings support integrating tangible, real-world materials into foreign language instruction as a practical strategy for enhancing communicative competence in under-resourced educational contexts.