Luis Enrique León García
Universidad Veracruzana
Facultad de Idiomas
Finding Out about the Language Classroom
Licenciatura en Enseñanza del Inglés
Improving L2 Learners' Verbal Communication Skills Through
Communicative Strategies and Relatable Models
Luis Enrique León García
S22012844
December 11th, 2023
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Luis Enrique León García
I. Introduction
In this report, I will be detailing the steps of my Action Research (AR) project on the
topic of "Does approaching Communicative Strategies with relatable-examples
methods improve L2 learners' verbal communication skills by filling the language gaps
and making them feel more confident and likely to speak in L2?" The main problem I
identified was that students were communicating in their first language (L1) during their
second language (L2) class, which could potentially hinder their L2 learning. I chose
this topic after observing a class and retrospectively realizing this issue.
II. Research Paradigm
“Action research is a reflective process of progressive problem-solving led by
individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to
improve the way they address issues and solve problems.” (Glăveanu, 2023) In my
project, I identified the problem during an observation of a third-grade English class at a
bachillerato school. Despite the class being conducted in English, the students were
communicating in their first language (L1), which I believed could hinder their second
language (L2) learning.
The literature I reviewed, provided by my facilitator, included various academic sources
in which I could search for posts about ESOL/ESL/L2 teaching issues. Although I did
not feel that the literature significantly influenced my planning or intervention, it did
provide a broader context for my research.
The strategy I designed was based on advice from the students' English teacher and
my observations of the class dynamics. I planned a three-session intervention, each
session lasting 60 minutes, spread over three weeks, one session per week. The goal
was to reinforce the topics the students had already learned, teach them common
English expressions, and encourage them to speak more in English.
The data was collected through audio recordings and criteria charts to evaluate the
students' performance. I also kept a notebook to jot down my thoughts and
observations during the sessions. This approach allowed me to capture immediate
reactions and insights, which were invaluable for reflecting on the effectiveness of the
intervention and planning future sessions.
Reflecting on the results, my intervention was successful. I observed a decrease in the
overuse of L1 in the English class, which was a positive outcome. However, I would
have liked to continue the project and observe the students over a longer period to see
if they could master English a little better
III. Methodology
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Luis Enrique León García
The research process for this project followed the steps provided by my facilitator. After
observing an English class, I identified the overuse of the students' first language (L1)
during their second language (L2) class as a potential issue. I then conducted a
literature review on issues in verbal communication in L2. Although the literature did
not significantly influence my planning or intervention, it provided a broader context for
my research.
To address the problem, I designed an intervention that encouraged students to speak
more in L2. I developed speaking strategies based on the students' existing knowledge
of sentence construction. The intervention was implemented over three sessions, each
lasting 60 minutes, spread over three weeks.
Data was collected using a smartphone for audio recording the sessions, a criteria
chart for evaluating the students' performance, and a notebook for jotting down
observations during the class. The data was reviewed immediately after each session to
complement the notes and evaluate the students' performance.
For data analysis, I used the Coding technique, following video tutorials provided by my
facilitator.
In terms of reliability, the data collection methods were consistently applied across all
sessions. The use of audio recordings, criteria charts, and note-taking were standard
procedures in each of the three sessions. This consistency in data collection methods
helps to enhance the reliability of the findings. However, due to the limited number of
sessions and the privacy concerns preventing the disclosure of the audio recordings,
the data's reliability may have limitations.
As for validity, the data collection methods were designed to accurately measure the
students' performance and the effectiveness of the intervention. The use of criteria
charts allowed for an objective evaluation of the students' performance, while the audio
recordings and notes provided a comprehensive record of the sessions. In the field of
second language acquisition, several theories and studies support your approach. For
instance, studies have shown that teaching common expressions and phrases can help
learners become more fluent and confident in using the language. (Baum, 2012)
IV. Results
The intervention had a noticeable impact on the students' comfort level with the L2.
Teaching the students common English expressions and tag questions helped them to
connect their thoughts and fill silent gaps in their speech, which previously led them to
revert to their L1. As the intervention progressed, I found myself needing to remind the
students to speak in English less often, indicating that they were becoming more
accustomed to using the L2. Some students even began using grammar structures that
they had not been taught yet, suggesting a growing familiarity and fluency with the
language.
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Luis Enrique León García
The criteria charts used to track the students' progress showed a clear improvement
over the intervention. The scores were lower in the first session but increased as the
intervention went on, further supporting the observations.
Session 1
Criteria Description Rating
Use of L2
Does the student use a variety of vocabulary in L2? 1 2 3 4 5
vocabulary
Grammar Does the student use correct grammar in L2? Are
1 2 3 4 5
Accuracy there frequent grammatical errors?
Is the student’s pronunciation clear and
Pronunciation understandable in L2? Are there any issues with 1 2 3 4 5
accent or intonation?
Does the student speak smoothly and confidently
Fluency in L2, or are there frequent pauses and 1 2 3 4 5
hesitations?
Non-verbal Does the student frequently resort to gestures or
Communicatio expressions when struggling with L2 1 2 3 4 5
n communication?
How often does the student revert to using L1
Use of L1 1 2 3 4 5
during activities? Is this a frequent occurrence?
Session 2
Criteria Description Rating
Use of L2
Does the student use a variety of vocabulary in L2? 1 2 3 4 5
vocabulary
Grammar Does the student use correct grammar in L2? Are
1 2 3 4 5
Accuracy there frequent grammatical errors?
Is the student’s pronunciation clear and
Pronunciation understandable in L2? Are there any issues with 1 2 3 4 5
accent or intonation?
Does the student speak smoothly and confidently
Fluency in L2, or are there frequent pauses and 1 2 3 4 5
hesitations?
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Luis Enrique León García
Non-verbal Does the student frequently resort to gestures or
Communicatio expressions when struggling with L2 1 2 3 4 5
n communication?
How often does the student revert to using L1
Use of L1 1 2 3 4 5
during activities? Is this a frequent occurrence?
Session 3
Criteria Description Rating
Use of L2
Does the student use a variety of vocabulary in L2? 1 2 3 4 5
vocabulary
Grammar Does the student use correct grammar in L2? Are
1 2 3 4 5
Accuracy there frequent grammatical errors?
Is the student’s pronunciation clear and
Pronunciation understandable in L2? Are there any issues with 1 2 3 4 5
accent or intonation?
Does the student speak smoothly and confidently in
Fluency 1 2 3 4 5
L2, or are there frequent pauses and hesitations?
Non-verbal Does the student frequently resort to gestures or
Communicatio expressions when struggling with L2 1 2 3 4 5
n communication?
How often does the student revert to using L1
Use of L1 1 2 3 4 5
during activities? Is this a frequent occurrence?
While it was unfortunate that the intervention could not be continued past the third
session, the results from these sessions suggest that the speaking strategies used in
the intervention were effective in making the students feel more comfortable with the
L2 and encouraging them to use it more.
V. Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on the intervention and the data collected, several conclusions can be drawn:
1. Teaching common English expressions and tag questions: This approach helped
students connect their thoughts and fill gaps in their speech, which previously led them
to revert to their L1. As a result, students became more comfortable using L2.
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Luis Enrique León García
2. Continuous prompting to speak in English: This strategy was effective in
encouraging students to use L2 more frequently. Over time, the need for reminders
decreased, indicating that students were becoming more accustomed to using L2.
3. Improvement in language use: Some students began using grammar structures
that they had not been taught yet, suggesting a growing familiarity and fluency with L2.
The relevance of these conclusions lies in the potential application of these strategies in
similar educational contexts. The strategies used in this intervention could be beneficial
for teachers seeking to encourage their students to use L2 more frequently.
For teachers facing similar issues, the recommendation is to consider the use of
common expressions and continuous prompting to encourage students to speak more
in L2. However, it is important to adapt these strategies based on the specific needs
and context of the students.
For a subsequent action research cycle, it would be interesting to explore the long-term
effects of these strategies on students' L2 use. Additionally, investigating the impact of
these strategies on several aspects of language learning, such as reading or writing
skills, could also be beneficial.
Baum, M. B. (2012). Methodology. In Springer eBooks (pp. 42–50).
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-4444-3_3
Glăveanu, V. P. (2023). The palgrave encyclopedia of the possible. Springer Nature.
