Improving speaking skills in EFL through cognitive strategies with students of 8th grade at a public school

Abstract

The main objective of this research project is to show how the use of cognitive strategies based on practicing could help the students to overcome the speaking obstacles. The research questions that guide our study were: What obstacles do students of 8th grade have in speaking in an EFL context at a public School in Barranquilla? And How can cognitive strategies based on practicing help overcome the obstacles of EFL learners’ speaking skills in 8th grade at Sofia Camargo de Lleras school? This study was carried out in a public school in Barranquilla. The participants were a group of students of eighth-graders between the ages of 13 and 14 years old. The method used in this project was qualitative. The instruments to gather information were: observations, surveys, diagnostic tests, and interviews. As a consequence, we found that the problems that affect students were: fear of speaking, lack of grammar, pronunciation problems. Taking into account the result of the previous study, we decided to implement in our proposal Cognitive Strategies based on practicing by Rebecca Oxford. Through the application of five workshops based on “daily life” the students could participate actively in a natural conversation. In conclusion, we could demonstrate with the implementation of these workshops by using topics about their interest, and interactive activities, to enhance the students to become more confident in their English speaking.