Skype conference calls; a way to promote Speaking skills in the teaching and learning of English.
by Alexander Montealegre
1. Provide opportunities
1.1. Proficiency
1.2. Motivation
1.3. Knowlege
2. Pedagogical Intervention
2.1. • Pre-stage: This initial stage was essentially devoted to informing the participants and the administrative staff at ILUD
2.2. • While stage: During the pedagogical intervention of this project, the online Skype™ conference calls were implemented. Fifty hours of the pedagogical intervention were held according to the participants’ time availability.
2.3. • Post stage: Once the 50 hours of pedagogical intervention were covered with online Skype™ sessions, two data collection instruments were applied by the researcher. The first one was a survey and the second one was a focus group.
3. Speaking Skill in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning
3.1. Common European Framework of Reference
3.1.1. be able to ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics
3.1.2. use simple phrases and sentences to describe where they live and people they know
3.2. Speaking skill viewed
3.2.1. Most challenging skills
4. Teacher
4.1. Should
5. Promoting Social Interaction Skills in English Language Learning
5.1. Conference calls promotes EFL A1 adult learners’ social interaction skills outside the classroom setting.
5.2. Fluency Reinforcement
5.2.1. "When you are in the Skype™ conference calls, you have time to organize your ideas while another person is speaking" by student.
5.3. The use of Skype™ conference calls helped learners reinforce their oral language fluency as they could communicate in the target language more effortlessly and with an easier command of language
5.4. Oral Reinforcement of Course Contents
5.4.1. The good thing of the Skype™ conference calls is that one can practice the topics that we study in class but in an oral way. This way, one progressively forgets about the fear to speak. (Student 1, Survey)