The Effect of Communicative Practice on Oral Speaking Exam Performance in High School Spanish Students
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2010-12
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Masters of Education
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the implementation of additional
communicative activities in the Spanish IV classroom increased speaking fluency in high school
students. The Powell Rubric was the instrument used to determine success on the speaking
exams. Students came from a convenience sample and were non-randomly assigned to the
control group which was only exposed to the standard curriculum (N=26) or the experimental
group that was allotted extra instructional time to engage in communicative activities in addition
to the standard curriculum (N=22). The control group (Mean = 42.88, SD = 6.09) was not found
to differ significantly from the experimental group (Mean=43.32, SD=4.04) on speaking fluency
prior to the intervention based on an independent sample t-test comparing performances on a pretest
[t(46) =- .29, p > .05]. The treatment took place during a period of 12 weeks. The groups
were compared on a score based on performances on two assessments—one that took place
during the intervention and one that took place after the intervention. The control group
(Mean=92.96, SD=10.37) did not differ significantly from the experimental group (Mean=96.09,
SD=10.11) on the fluency scores [t(46)= -1.05, p>.05]. Therefore the null hypothesis failed to be
rejected. Practical and theoretical implications as well as threats to validity are discussed.
Recommendations for future research are discussed, including the ideas that research be
conducted over a longer period of time and there be an increase in the intensity of the treatment
applied to the experimental group.