Using persuasive monologue recording tasks as a means to improve students’ speech rate at a public university in Colombia: a case study

Abstract

Developing fluency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is critical to language proficiency. This case study investigation explores the effectiveness of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach through Persuasive Monologue Recording Tasks (PMRTs) as a means to improve utterance fluency of 38 EFL students across three B1 CEFR general English classes over a semester at a public university in Colombia. This investigation also looks at some of the factors that can influence the effectiveness of this approach and examines the student’s perceptions. The Praat speech analysis software was used to measure speech rate in syllables per second in students PMRT recordings for five tasks during the semester to see if the implementation of the TBLT through PMRTs syllabus led to an improvement in speech rate. The analysis of the audio recordings did not show statistically significant improvements in speech rate. Possible explanations for this could be intermediate plateauing, an insufficient number of tasks, or time between first and final task. The findings from the surveys and the interviews do however suggest the students felt positively about the PMRTs. Results from the questionnaires indicate a reduction in the affective filter, and findings from the interviews suggest that authenticity was an important factor in motivation and willingness to speak in the L2.