MEKELLE UNIVERISTY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND FOREIGN

LANGUAGES

A Research Proposal on:

Assessment of students Oral Communication in English Class particular reference to
Grade 10th Students of Yekatit 23 Secondary school
By:

ID. NO

DulaSanbatoCSSL/PS/ 018/07

Submitted to Instructor:HailuAbraha

September, 2016
Mekelle, Ethiopia

Table of Contents
Contents

Page

1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................1
1.1

Background of the study...................................................................................................1

1.2. Statement of the Problem....................................................................................................2

1.3. Research Questions...............................................................................................................2
1.4. Objective of the study...........................................................................................................2
1.4.1. General Objective...........................................................................................................2
1.4.2. Specific Objectives.........................................................................................................3
1.5. Significance of the Study....................................................................................................3
1.6. Scope

of the Study.......................................................................................................3

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE................................................................................4

2.1. Oral Communication.............................................................................................................4
2.2. Communication strategies.....................................................................................................5
2.2.1. Communicative competence.........................................................................................5
2.2.2. Definitions of communication strategies........................................................................5
2.2.3. Factors affecting the choice of communication strategies............................................6
3. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................................8
3.1. Study Area.............................................................................................................................8
3.2. Research Design....................................................................................................................8
3.3. Sources of Data.....................................................................................................................8
3.3.1. Primary Sources.............................................................................................................8
3.3.2. Secondary Sources.........................................................................................................8
3.4. Sample Size and Sampling Techniques.................................................................................9
1

3.4.1. Sample Size....................................................................................................................9

3.4.2. Sampling Techniques......................................................................................................9
3.5. Data Collection Tools............................................................................................................9
3.5.1. Questionnaire.................................................................................................................9
3.5.2. Observation....................................................................................................................9
3.6. Method of Data Analysis.....................................................................................................10
4. Schedule of the study.................................................................................................................11
4.1. Time Breakdown.................................................................................................................11
4.2. Financial Breakdown..........................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
English has been taught in Ethiopia as a foreign language until now. It involves the four major
language skills like speaking, listening, reading and writing. From these language skills,
speaking is one of the skills of language that is applied in different areas of learning teaching
process, mostly through oral communication.
The serious consideration of oral communication as a decisive skills on second or foreign
language teaching -learning can be generally dated to the subsequent years of the second
world war (brow et al ,1989;2) when a few enthusiasts began the last forty-five years that this
view has prevailed and become widely accepted (Brown,1985:1)
Proficiency in oral communication is increasingly required both in academic and professional
settings. For this reason, an increasing number of courses, taught in both public and private
institutions, are addressing oral communication skills. With globalization, the number of
opportunities for interactions in English has increased and so has the need to learn strategies for
successful oral communication in English. In the field of ELT, research is being carried out with
the aim of testing and comparing approaches and methods for enhancing the learning and
acquisition of successful communication skills in the classroom.
Communication is the glue that holds society together and enables it to function. Through the
process of communication, the members exchange message using a common system of symbols,
which results, at least to some degree, in shared meanings. Communications also help to set
members of the organization apart from non members. By learning the language of the company,
you become an insider (Court land, L.Boveejohn V.Thill, 1992)
In this perspective, this paper illustrates the experience carried out on the Assessment of
students Oral communication ability in a class of English lesson at the Addis Ketema
Preparatory school. The paper will discuss how various resources will be used to teach
communication skills in the course and how they contributed to meaning-making.

1.2.

Statement of the Problem

Gregory (1999) reported that speaking effectively is important for any human being to develop
communication skills. As Gregory (1999) stated that many college and tertiary student say that
public speaking was one of the most valuable to enhance oral communication skill. He suggested
that student and teachers and other professions can be brilliantin their fields but if they cannot
communicate fluently in public and in class room they are not valuable learners. Thats way most
students rank the ability to communicate orally well and listen intelligently as the most highly
prized of all skill when learning. Like wish, students who lack communicating skills cannot
develop all the human functions like, developing a good knowledge getting a pressing
developing self confidence and self esteem.
In the above assumption one can understand that all human have not the communication skill and
presentation skill. Some can be a good speaker and confident presenter, but other one can have
communication anxiety when he or she speaks in front of crowded people and in class room
speech. So the researcher wants to assess students oral communication during English class.

1.3. Research Questions

This research will be designedto investigate or examine the following questions. These are;
a) What techniques and strategies do teacher use to teach oral communication skills?
b) What activities do teacher use to develop teaching oral communication skills?
c) What teaching materials (resources) do teacher use to develop

Oral

Communicationactivities?
d) Do students play their role in oral communication?
e) What roles of teacher are implemented in the classroom to enhance oral fluency?

1.4. Objective of the study

1.4.1. General Objective

The main objective of the research will be to assess students English oral communication ability.

1.4.2. Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this study will be to:

1.5.

Observe the techniques and strategies used by teachers(s) to teach oral lesson,
Assess materials (resources) used to develop students oral communication skills,
Investigate students pronunciation inoral communication during English classes.

Significance of the Study

The finding of this study will be hoped to have the

following contributions. The benefit

of the study may be theoretical benefit or practical benefit.

A) Practical Benefit
By reading the result, the studentswill be motivated in mastering oral
communication skills and good pronunciation,
This study can be used by the teacher to provide the

better technique or

method for teaching oral lessons during English lesson.

B) Theoretical Benefit
The result of the research may be used as an input in English teachinglearning process especially in developing oral communication skills.
The result of the research may be used as a reference for those who want to conduct
research on Assessment of students Oral communication skills.

1.6.

Scope

of

the

The study will be limited in

Study
Yekatit 23 Secondary school; which

is found in Addis

Ababa town of Addis Ketema sub-city. The school was established in 1981 with the help of
Government. Now a day the school accommodates 1410 students. The research will mainly focus
on Assessments of Students English Oral Communication skill with particular reference to
Grade 10th students. It is difficult for the researcher to cover other areas or classes due to budget
and time constraints.

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1. Oral Communication

Oral communication is an essential aspect of social interaction. Being able to communicate well
is not only an important skill in itself, but also contributes significantly to the success of a
persons personal and professional life. Speaking is used to engage in conversations, transmit
information, express opinions, and contribute to discussions. Speaking also has an enormous
impact on the impression we make on people, because when we speak we communicate both
personal information about ourselves (such as age, origin, social status, education) and
paralinguistic information about what we are saying (intentions, attitudes, emotions) (Brown,
1995). But speaking is not the only element involved in communication. Listening is also
involved, as understanding is as essential to communication as speaking. Communication cannot
take place if the receiver does not understand the speakers message. In addition, other
modalities such as intonation, facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements combine to
convey meaning along with the verbal message, and naturally influence both the speaker and the
receiver.
However, learners input is often limited to a restricted range of examples of oral language, the
main linguistic reference for spoken language being the teacher herself, frequently aided by
audio (or video) material presenting short conversations from some pseudo-real situation
purposely created for learners in a rather artificial way. Typically, learners are asked to focus
their attention on linguistic elements (such as words or sentence structures) which become the
main source of information about language use, constructions or pronunciation. Generally,
learners manage to master basic listening and speaking skills, with some students being far more
effective in their oral communication than others, possibly because of a natural predisposition to
communication (Allen et al. 2007).

2.2. Communication strategies

Brown (2000), points out those more recent approaches seems to take communication strategies
as elements of an overall strategic competence. Thus, before mentioning communication
4

strategies, it is necessary to clarify the concepts of communicative competence and strategic

competence.
2.2.1. Communicative competence
Hymes (1972) proposed the term communicative competence in contradistinction to
Chomskys notion of linguistic competence. The latter emphasizes the abilities of speakers to
produce grammatically correct sentences, and the former includes linguistic competence and
socio-cultural dimensions. For Hymes, communicative competence enables learners to convey
and interpret messages and to negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts
(Brown, 2000, p.246). Canale and Swain (1980) further develop this notion, identifying four
dimensions of communicative competence: grammatical competence (knowledge of what is
grammatically correct in a language), sociolinguistic competence (knowledge of what is socially
acceptable in a language), discourse competence (knowledge of intersentential relationships),
and strategic competence (the knowledge of verbal and nonverbal communication strategies). In
a word, communicative competence includes both the use of the linguistic system itself and the
functional aspects of communication. It is a dynamic, interpersonal construct; it is relative and
depends on the cooperation of all the involved participants (Canale and Swain, 1980).
2.2.2. Definitions of communication strategies
Brown (1995) proposes the concept of communication strategies, which he defines as a byproduct of a learners attempt to express meaning in spontaneous speech through a limited target
language system. Since he first used the term, it has been the subject of much discussion but also
of little consensus as to its correct definition.
In early work, a communication strategy was regarded as language learners problem-solving
behavior in the process of target language communication. Language learners employed CSs to
compensate for their linguistic shortcomings in order to achieve a particular communicative goal.
This kind of notion focuses on the language learners response to an imminent problem without
considering the interlocutors support for its resolution. Thus, it is an intra-individual,
psycholinguistic view that locates Communication strategies in models of speech production or
cognitive organization and processing (Kasper & Kellerman, 1997, p. 2). In contrast, Tarone
(1980) as cited in Brown (2000), defines communication strategies from the inter-individual,
interactional view, regarding Communication strategies as the mutual attempts of two

interlocutors to agree on a meaning in a situation where the requisite meaning structures do not
seem to be shared.
Thus, communication strategies are utilized to bridge the gap between the linguistic knowledge
of the foreign language learner and that of the target language interlocutor in real communication
situations (Tarone, 1981) so as to avoid communication disruptions.
2.2.3. Factors affecting the choice of communication strategies
Understanding the communication strategies that students employ helps teachers understand
their strategic competence so that appropriate strategies could be chosen for pedagogical
purposes.
However, in guiding students to become competent speakers of English, EFL teachers may need
to explore further the influence of other learner variables on the use of oral communication
strategies by students. This study investigates, in particular, the effect of five variables such as
gender, language proficiency, self-perceived oral proficiency, the frequency of speaking English
outside the classroom, and motivation in speaking English, on students oral communication
strategies use.
2.2.3.1. Gender

In second/foreign language learning, gender differences are discussed mostly in studies of

language learning strategies. Several studies have shown that females use language learning
strategies more frequently than males (Oxford, 1995). Besides, females are reported to be more
socially interactive than males (Oxford, 1995). However, some findings reveal that males employ
more learning strategies than females and others that there are no significant differences between
the sexes in their use of language learning strategies.

References
Brown, H.D. (1995). Teaching by Principles.An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy.
Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Pegents.
6

Brown, H.D. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching.3rd Edition. Pearson
Education Ltd.
Brown, H.D. (2001). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching.4th Edition.
Pearson Education Ltd.
Gregory (1999).Teaching Ethics in Speech Communication: Communication Education
Oxford, R.L., (2003). Language Learning Styles and Strategies: An overview:
OUP. Available at: http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf
Ur, P. (1999). A Course in Language Teaching: CUP

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