Impact of Using Communicative Language Teaching Approach in ELT toImprove Students' Speaking Skill at Secondary Schools.

Abstract

This study, aimedto investigate the influence of using CLT approach in ELT to improve students’ speaking skill at secondary schools in Sudan. It has addressed four questions:To what extent do Sudanese secondary school students speak English language fluently? To what extent do Sudanese secondary school students speak English language accurately? How do students’ speaking problems creates challenges for teachers when implementing CLT approach? What are English teachers’ attitudes towards using CLT approach in classrooms? To answer these questions the researcher adopted descriptive analytic and experimental approaches in research methodology. The subjects of the study were one hundred and fourteen (114) second year students at HamzaIbn Al Matalib secondary school for Boys at Umbedah Locality in Khartoum State. The researcher has divided the students who were studying at second year into two groups: Experimental and Control. Each group consisted of fifty-seven (57) students. A pre and post tests have been used as primary tools for data collection, supported by an observation check-list used with the experimental group. The researched used SPSS program to analyze the data.Mp3 recorded test was also used as a tool of data collection to measure students’ pronunciation. A third tool of data collection was a questionnaire, distributed to twenty teachers who teach English language at secondary schools. The results of the study have shown that: The factors which affected students’ speaking skill at secondary schools such as shyness, anxiety, fearful of criticism and lack of self-confidence have been overcome by CLT implementation to great extent. Thus, students’ communicative competence has highly been improved and students were being able to speak English language fluently. Pair and group work have provided students with sufficient time to practice speaking with their peers. The researcher has suggested that teaching and learning materials should be up to date to modernize new way of teaching, and students centered- approach should be the norm in teaching English. Finally, the researcher recommended that: Enough time should be allotted to English period for practicing speaking skill with students. Training of teachers in how to teach oral skills is apriority to enhance students’ speaking skills.