Digital tools for improving teenager's speaking

Abstract

In EFL classes, Mexican teenagers often face problems when trying to communicate orally in English. Martin and Molina (2011) argue that “…not knowing how to speak effectively limits severely our career possibilities and personal” (p. 92). The present paper reports on a study of the impact of incorporating different online resources to improve adolescents’ speaking in English through an exploration of students’ perceptions regarding their use, as part of an extracurricular English language course at a Mexican public secondary school.

Students recorded themselves once a week using specific online tools for their homework. The main purpose was to give students the opportunity to record and hear themselves as many times as necessary until they considered their work was acceptable. Additionally, they were aware of being listened by their teacher and classmates. Results seem to suggest that students’ self-confidence when speaking in the classroom, motivation to speak and awareness of features of acceptable speech were enhanced by using these online tools to practice speaking independently.