Curriculum & Instruction Department

Using a dialogic teaching strategy to improve EFL prep school

students’ speaking skills and reduce their communication
apprehension

A Research Proposal

Submitted by

By

GAMAL HASSAN ELSAYED OMER

An English teacher

Ministry of Education

2024

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 Introduction and background of the problem

Teacher student dialogue is central to language teaching because it is not only

functions as linguistic change between teachers and students but also creates a community
of speakers and listeners who use the target language purposefully.

For most young language learners, classroom interaction is one of the primary
means by which they acquire competencies to develop target language skills such as
vocabulary knowledge and language awareness (Chow, 2021).

Dialogic teaching is a pedagogical approach that allows teachers and students to

interact collaboratively and build on each other's ideas to improve learning outcomes. It
focuses on pinpointing the dialogic process wherein both teachers and students act as
inquirers in dialogic exchange during classroom interaction.

By integrating dialogic teaching in the curriculum both teachers and students can
participate in the construction of meaning to achieve teaching and learning goals.

This dialogic approach improves the oral language skills of students in a

natural manner turning them to active speakers, and users. (Chow et, al 2010).

Dialogic teaching has emerged as a method of teaching that confronts the discourse
in standard English textbooks. Through dialogic teaching knowledge

is built by teachers who act as facilitators.

Alexander (2006) proposed five dialogic classroom principles suggesting

that classes should be as follows : collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and

purposeful.

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 A number of research studies have based classrooms through implementing a shown
positive outcomes of content dialogic teaching methodology.

It can be applied to the foreign language classroom where the focus of the class is
developing language skills. Through dialogic teaching students are afforded.

Opportunities to learn to improve their foreign language skills through

collaborative dialogue and group work.

LI and Wegerif (2014) stated that dialogic education can be stated back to oral
educational traditions. In this vein Karatas et al (2016) state that students in the classroom
have to perform orally in front of their peers and they need to take part in the classroom
discussions.

Speaking as a skill is part of everyday life is taken for granted. Many aspects of
speaking should be mastered such as vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, fluency learners
possess before they can communicate orally.

Furthermore, speaking accurately and fluently is the most important skill in learning
language.

The fact that many learners do not have the ability to communicate orally is still low.
Speaking is still a difficult skill for many ESL learners.

Stewart ( 2010 ) stresses the fact that spoken words gain meaning as the teachers and
their students are understood when they engage in communication.

Speaking is an act of making vocal sounds. It means to express ones thoughts

and feelings in spoken language. Speaking can be more informal to a more scholarly
presentation to a formal address. Speaking skills are the skills that gives us the ability to
communicate effectively. These skills help the speaker, to convey his message in a
convincing manner.

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 The ability to speak skillfully provides the speaker with many important advantages
such as ability to inform, persuade, direct and for career enhancement skills. (2013).

He emphasizes that speaking skills are important for career success, and enhances
one's personal life.

Bukhari (2019) mentions that speaking has been a promising language skill rather
than other language skills. It is a language skill that is important for communication.
Mastering speaking is a priority for many foreign language learners and it helps evaluate
their success in language learning as well as their spoken language proficiency. Speaking
as a skill requires learners to use their ability that they have learned in the classroom and
transfere it to everyday life communication. So teachers have to use the different and
modern methods of teaching speaking that suits the different linguistic levels of all
students to enhance their speaking skill.

Abdullah ( 2008) stated that foreign language learners face several challenges that
teachers and students face in teaching and speaking in the English language classroom.
First, students find it difficult to speak in the foreign language they are studying. Second
the circumstances under which they are taught will obstruct the development of their
speaking skills. Third, teachers teaching strategies can stifle students' ability to
communicate verbally. Fourth, students, EFL learners have a passive attitude towards
English. They are apprehensive about participating in classroom speaking events. Fifth,
there are psychological variables that could have a passive impact on students speaking
skills.

Many researchers stated in their studies about the foreign language skills
especially the speaking skill is that students are unable to communicate in English due to
lack of vocabulary and grammar structures. They still lack the ability to form sentences,
resulting in the use of native language. Students often consider making errors in public
speaking as frustrating, so they chose not to talk in an attempt to escape those contexts.
Teachers' assumptions and implicit attitudes about teaching speaking methods, instruction

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and extracurricular activities, and appraisal regulations are the five factors that lead to
these speaking difficulties.

To overcome these challenges, other researchers suggested that teachers should

engage their learners in constructive learning environments where they feel safe, take
risks, exchange roles and experiences and enjoy constructive feedback.

Chow et al (2021) conducted a study that addressed the use of dialogic teaching
for improving English language learning among Chinese children with varied levels of
English vocabulary. A 12 week dialogic intervention was implemented in daily English
lessons. Results showed that students in the experimental group with dialogic teaching
exhibited greater growth in expressive vocabulary knowledge on textbook items. The
results suggest that dialogic teaching in ESL enhance English language development.

Jocuns (202I) conducted a classroom based research in an English -listening

speaking class at a Thai university. A dialogic teaching methodology was used t in parts of
classroom tasks to encourage students speak more English.

The study aimed at analyzing the dialogically that emerged between students
during the classroom activities and discuss students reflections towards classroom dialogic
tasks.

Dialogic teaching was found to foster more conversations between the instructor
and the students as well as between students themselves.

Pointing out the effects of dialogic teaching on language learning shows that
research have identified several key benefits of dialogic teaching in facilitating the
language development of learners.

It provides a good way for scaffolding to help learners language competence.

Besides it equips teachers with rich meta language to raise the linguistic awareness of

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students and engages students in the target language. It can improve teacher student
communication by facilitating interactive exchanges. It also allows teachers to use creative
activities to facilitate production of creative discourse in students. Several studies note
how dialogic approach pedagogical apparutus with which to engage students. ( Garcia et
al, 2020).

Alhasni (2014 ) investigated the difficulties that young learners face when
speaking. He detected that most difficulties are due to factors like linguistic difficulties and
mother tongue use. Students are unable to communicate in English due to lack of
vocabulary and grammar structures. They lack the ability to form sentences therefore they
often make efforts in public speaking which makes them frustrated.

Halloush et al ( 2020 ), investigated the effect of implementing dialogic teaching on

Jordanian seventh grade EFL students speaking skill. A random sample was chosen during
the second semester of the academic year of 2019, Two groups served as both
experimental and control groups. The experimental was taught the speaking skill through
dialogic program, the control was taught using the traditional method. The results of the
study indicated that dialogic teaching contributed significantly to improving the speaking
skill if Jordanian students. Positive outcomes have reported from dialogic teaching in the
EFL classroom.

The role of CA is explored in human communication behaviour, focusing on

the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of human learning, following
contemporary educational psychology writers' lead. (James McCroskey ,1984)
Communication competence is the ability to understand and perform appropriate
communicative behavior in a given situation, while communication skill involves actual
psychomotor behavior. Both are crucial for effective communication. To be considered
skilled, one must engage physically in appropriate behaviors. The three components of
desired communication learning are competence, skill, and positive communication
effects. High CA is thought to be a direct cause of negative communication effects as well

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as a potential barrier to the growth of both communication competence and skill.
Contrarily, low CA is seen as a precursor of positive communication affect and a
facilitator of the growth of communication competence and skill.

In California State University, Vincent L. Bloom (1998) stated the component

theory of communication apprehension. Ayres proceeds to locate his concern explicitly
within the domain of communication apprehension as defined by McCroskey — "an
individual's level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated
communication with another person or persons." This places CA in the subjective area of
personal experience and, therefore, eliminates any concern with others' perceptions of the
individual and the actual skills the individual may or may not have. Ayres argues that " . .
. state communication apprehension can adequately be explained by a combination of three
variables: 1) self-perceived communication competence, 2) self-perceived negative
evaluation, and 3) self-perceived motivation." Chapter Two of the book sets forth these
three variables as accounting for an individual's self reported state communication
apprehension.

According to Richmond & McCroskey (1995, p. 35), McCroskey first used

the word "communication apprehension" in 1985 to characterise the worry or anxiety
related to actual or prospective communication with another person or persons.
Communication anxiety is associated with a variety of social withdrawal behaviours,
including the urge to avoid talking, the need to sit apart from a group, and the need to
avoid being among a lot of people (McCroskey & Sheahan, 1978; Sealy, 2021). According
to Berger et al. (1984) and Loureiro et al. (2020), individuals with these behavioural
tendencies frequently avoid interpersonal communication. According to research by
Watson published in 2007, people who experience high levels of communication anxiety
are much less likely to interact socially than those who experience moderate levels of this
anxiety. Extremely anxious people typically avoid communicating with others because

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they have grown to equate conversation with anxiety or fear. These apprehensions and
worries could be a result of the mockery, bullying, and other unfavourable actions that
have been committed against them and with which they have now come to identify. They
consequently opt to remain mostly silent in order to avoid these uncomfortable social
situations. While some people have severe communication anxiety, others may have minor
cases and may not show any signs of fear or anxiety when interacting with others (Pitt &
Ramaseshan, 1990).

Lin and Luk (2005) carried out a study in Hong Kong about the wider use of
English for communication. Teachers who engaged students in collaborative dialogues
facilitated creativity and encouraged students to speak English, who had effect of
producing students who understand new vocabulary and who were able to minimize the
distance between themselves and English.

Abdelwahab (2020) aimed at examining the impact of using dialogic teaching on

English majors critical thinking and meta cognitive awareness. The sample involve 66 EFL
freshmen students at the faculty of specific education Zagazig University.

Two groups an experimental and a control group participated in the study. A pre-
post critical thinking test and a pre-post meta cognitive awareness scale were designed
by the researcher. Findings showed that the experimental group surpassed the control
group in the over all critical thinking as well as the overall meta cognitive awareness.

Speaking is a part of everyday life that is taken for granted. There are several
aspects in speaking that should be mastered such as pronunciation, fluency,
comprehension, grammar and vocabulary.

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 At Middle Tennessee State University, USA, a study was conducted about
the relationship of self-talk frequency to communication apprehension and public speaking
anxiety. (Shi, X., Brinthaupt, T. M., & McCree, M. 2015). In Study 1, we examined the
relationship between general communication apprehension (CA) and the frequency and
nature of general self-talk. Results showed that higher CA scores were associated with
more frequent self-critical self-talk than lower CA scores. In Study 2, we examined how
self-talk pertaining to the preparation for an upcoming speech related to public speaking
anxiety. Results showed that self-critical and social-assessing self-talk were positively
related to people’s anxiety scores, whereas self-reinforcing self-talk was negatively
associated with their anxiety. Implications of these results for the management of public
speaking anxiety are discussed.

In Iran, a study investigated the effects of dialogic tasks on reducing

Iranian EFL learners’ language learning anxiety, with a focus on proficiency
levels and gender as moderating individual factors. (Namy Soghady, M. R.,
Hosseinpour, N., & Talebinejad, M. R., 2022). A study of 213 Iranian EFL
learners aged 15-19 from three language schools in Khafr, Fars province, Iran,
was conducted using the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). The learners
were divided into upper and lower intermediate proficiency levels and assigned
to experimental and control groups. Finally, it was found that this study's
participants who were female students experienced higher degrees of anxiety
than those who were male students. The results also revealed that female
students' higher anxiety levels can be attributed to their perceived greater
anxiety over failure, instructor criticism, poor assessments, and lack of
preparation.
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 Al-Tamimi investigated public speaking instruction adapted to
improve English speaking competence and reduce communication
apprehension. (2014) .The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of
public speaking instruction on improving students’ communicative competence
and reducing their communication apprehension in a foreign language setting.
Participants in this study were 60 Yemeni English majors at the college of
education of the Hadhramout University, Yemen. Objectives and research
questions focused on determining whether public speaking instruction makes a
difference for students who receive instruction as opposed to students who do
not on two concepts: public speech performance and communication
apprehension in speaking English. Results of the study illustrate that learners'
public speech performance improved and low communication apprehension
was shown after one term of instruction and practice of public speaking in
favour of the experimental group. In line with previous research, the current
study confirms that public speaking instruction has a positive effect on
improving students' public speech performance and reducing communication
apprehension of English language learners. The study also provides insightful
perspective into second language pedagogy and presents suggestions for future
research.

Statement of the Problem

Based on the review of literature, and the researchers experience as a teacher of English,
the problem of the study can be stated as follows: EFL prep school students need more

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improvement in their speaking skills, they lack some subs kills as pronunciation, grammar,
vocabulary that should be used correctly for communication.

Thus the current study used dialogic teaching strategy to help improve the EFL
speaking skill of the Iraqi students.

Questions of the study

The present study attempted to answer the following questions:

1- What are the characteristics of a dialogic teaching strategy that can improve EFL
prep school students speaking skill?
2- To what extent do the dialogic teaching strategy improve the speaking skills of the
EFL prep school students?
3- What is the effect of a dialogic teaching strategy on reducing prep school students
communication apprehension?
Purpose of the study
The current study aimed at:
1- Identifying the features of dialogic teaching strategy used to improve the speaking
skills of the first year prep school students.
2- Investigating the effectiveness of using dialogic teaching strategy in improving the
first year students speaking skill.
3- Reducing communication apprehension of prep school students using a dialogic
teaching strategy.

Significance of the study

The study is significant due to the following:

l- Using dialogic teaching strategy to develop EFL prep school students speaking skill.

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2-Challenging students to develop their speaking skill.

3-Through using the dialogic teaching strategy teachers can elicit students every day
common sense perspectives.

Delimitations of the study

The present study is delimited to the following:

- A sample of 60 prep school EFL students.

- The first term of the year 2023.

- Some dialogic teaching strategies to improve students speaking skills.

- Definition of terms

- According to Aladini (2020) speaking skill is a skill where people can express their
feelings, ideas through interactive practice with the community members.

Dialogic teaching strategy is defined by AlBour ( 2020) as a process by which

opinions are exchanged between the teacher and his students, and between the students
themselves. It is a type of teaching that concentrates on collaborative learning. It helps
students to view the text from different perspectives by adding different meaning to it.

James McCroskey (1984) defined CA as an individual's level of fear or anxiety

associated with oral communication. Recent papers have made minor modifications,
focusing on oral communication and whether CA is restricted to a trait conceptualization.
Most research studies use a trait approach, referring to CA as a trait-like, personality-type
variable. Traitlike CA is viewed as an enduring, personality-type orientation towards a
given mode of communication across various contexts.

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Methods of the study

Design of the study

The present study adopted the quasi-experimental design using two groups an
experimental and a control group. The experimental will be treated with the dialogic
teaching strategies, while the control will receive the conventional method of teaching
speaking.

Participants of the study

The participants of the study are 60 EFL students selected from prep school for
boys. Two classes represented the experiment an experimental group and a control group.

Instruments of the study

1- A speaking pre – post test will be designed to collect data for the study. The
speaking skill test is designed to measure students speaking skills before and after
the experiment. The test will be constructed following the guides lines of the
English language curriculum in the prep school.
2- A three point analytical rubric to measure the levels of the improvement in the three
sub skills of the test.
3- A communication apprehension (CA) scale.

Steps of the dialogic teaching strategy

The dialogic strategy used is-mainly called classroom and interaction

between students and their teacher. It concentrated on spending more time on meaning
full dialogues of students’ choice to encourage meaningful discussion of oral topics.

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 It primarily aimed at students sharing a common goal to practice the
language under the supervision of their teacher. It allowed them to pose questions and
strive to make their points as clear as possible besides giving arguments to support their
ideas.

The teacher then intervened to correct things and build on what the learners
initiated. Both the learners and the teacher challenged the thinking of classroom
members.

One of the strategies also used was linking their present activities to the past
experience and modeling different ways of using oral language in speech.

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