An Investigation into the Effect of Discussion Versus Problem solving Activities on Iranian EFL Learners’ Speaking Ability

The present study aimed to investigate whether speaking instruction through two different activity types, namely discussion versus problem solving, affect intermediate Iranian EFL learners’ speaking ability. In this study, 60 students of intermediate level were selected from a larger population and were divided into two groups based on their performances on an OQPT, EX1 (discussion group) and EX2 (problem solving). The pretests of speaking were administered to both groups. Then, both groups were instructed EFL speaking through a communicative language teaching method; however, their instructional activities were different. After speaking instruction via different instructional activities for both groups was completed, two groups received posttest. The results of the paired-sample t-tests of the groups indicated that participants of both groups significantly outperformed on the post-test measures of speaking. Upon reviewing the results of the independent-samples t-test concerning speaking performance of two groups, it was revealed that the no group significantly outperformed the other after the intervention indicating that both activity types have helped learners improve their speaking ability. This study has some implications for language teachers, curriculum designers, and material developers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Discussion activities ، Communication ، Communicative competence ، Problem solving activities ، Speaking skill