The impact of cooperative learning on the oral production of English as a foreign language students

Autores/as

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60112/erc.v6.i3.908

Palabras clave:

cooperative learning, speaking, participation, english as a foreign language, ecuadorian students

Resumen

Developing speaking skills is a significant challenge for students learning English as a foreign language. Among common initiatives to counteract this, cooperative learning is frequently used as a strategy to increase student speaking time. Unfortunately, the specific effects on oral fluency and participation have not been studied in Ecuadorian high school students. Hence, this study seeks to analyze the impact of cooperative learning strategies on oral production and participation levels. The population was 20 Ecuadorian secondary students who received interventions over eight weeks. The study followed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test assessments. These measures were selected to assess changes in speaking fluency based on speech rate, the length of continuous speech, and total proportion of speaking time. After the intervention, all fluency measures improved: speech rate rose from 78.45 to 91.20, words without pauses from 4.21 to 5.68, and speaking time from 52.30% to 61.75%. Likewise, student participation was noted using a structured observation checklist. Participation patterns indicated that students hardly ever initiated talks, sought clarification from peers, or conversed in English for discussions. The findings are in line with Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory as they provide evidence on how peer interaction has the potential of enhancing fluency while underlining teaching interaction strategies for maximizing the effect of cooperative learning.

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2026-09-23

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