Investigating the Effects of the Project-Based Learning in Developing Learners’ Speaking Skill in Secondary School Education: Second Year Secondary School Learners as a Sample

Abstract

It is commonly acknowledged that the most challenging skill for English foreign language learners is the speaking ability. A learner is supposed to be a good speaker/communicator if he or she uses proper vocabulary in the well-organized sentences and utters it in correct pronunciation and appropriate fluency. Consequently, the best teaching method is one which helps language learners to speak more comprehensibly. Project- based leaning is an approach which is supposed to improve speaking ability in terms of its five components (vocabulary, grammar, fluency, pronunciation, and organization). The present research attempts to examine the role of project- based leaning implementation in engaging second year secondary school learners in Tiaret in the learning process and in speaking English. More precisely, this study aims to show how project- based leaning affects positively the learners’ engagement in speaking English as a foreign language. This is based on the main hypothesis, which says that project- based leaning implementation in secondary schools can encourage and motivate second year English foreign language learners’ commitment in speaking sessions. Accordingly, we adopted the mixed-method approach. In order to validate the hypothesis, the present study puts into practice three data collection tools, namely, teachers’ questionnaire, pupils’ questionnaire, and interview. Although some drawbacks are noticed from the sample teachers’ side, the interpretation of the obtained data revealed that integrating project- based leaning can result in fostering English foreign language learners’ engagement, more specifically in speaking. Therefore, we can deduce that the suggested hypothesis was validated and confirmed.