The Use of L2 Oral Communication Strategies in a Secondary School Context
Fecha
2021Resumen
ABSTRACT. Nowadays, the presence of oral communication strategies when it comes to learning
a foreign language is indisputably fundamental. In this research project, the objective is
the introduction and development of oral communication strategies through activities
based on three different methodologies, which are Communicative Language Teaching,
Task-Based Language Teaching, and Cooperative Language Learning. This hypothesis
is supported by three theoretical assumptions established after a period of research, and
these can be summarised in the following way: These three methodologies undoubtedly
foster the development of the communicative competence rather than the grammatical
competence; the focus of attention of these methodologies is oriented mostly towards
real-life events and authentic language production; and these methodologies coincide in
contributing together to the development of L2 students in terms of their oral
communication strategies.
These methodologies have been tested and discussed by means of the
implementation of spoken interaction activities during the practicum period that is part
of the masters’ degree in English teaching. Two groups of Spanish high school students
have participated in this study; they are in the first year of Bachillerato, therefore
belonging to an intermediate level of English. This masters’ thesis has been conducted
due to several materials destined to collect data: a students’ questionnaire as well as a
teachers’ questionnaire; a continuous assessment rubric and a communicative task
rubric; my own observations in class combined with diary entries and notes, and my
high school tutor’s perceptions about each lesson. The results obtained from the
application of the activities have been presented and examined, to then state that the
data that has been gathered is unfortunately not enough, making the outcomes sort of
unresolved. Consequently, it has been considerably complex to verify the authenticity of
my hypothesis and provide an answer to the research questions proposed for this
masters’ thesis.
Even though my hypothesis has been considerably demonstrated, some ideas in
relation to the topic of this research project have been acquired in order to continue
investigating and apply them in future studies or in my future profession as an English
teacher