Innovative Didactic Activities to Develop Senior High School Students´ English Speaking Skills

Abstract

Didactic activities are used by teachers to achieve meaningful learning and to enhance and develop skills in foreign language learners. To overcome the language problems detected at Luis Vargas Torres School in Esmeraldas City, this research aimed as the main objective to analyze the contribution of some innovative didactic activities using technology to develop the students’ communicative speaking skills. The study was designed as a mixed type, with a descriptive approach, and was carried out from December 11, 2023, to January 19, 2024. The sample was composed of 24 students in their third year of Senior High school. The techniques used were a pre-test, a post-test, and a documentary study to design the activities to use during the research. The results of the pre-test showed that 50% of the sample did not pass the test because of problems with fluency, accuracy in pronunciation and grammar, and comprehension; but after the activities using technology, the post-test showed language improvements in most of the students. The technological tools used were the Internet, with worksheet pages and videos, YouTube, and smartphones with the WhatsApp and Messenger applications, all of which respond to TELL (Technology Enhanced Language Learning). It is concluded that the activities designed proved that they cater to social interaction purposes and serve as oral reinforcement of language fluency, accuracy, and course content since they helped to consolidate previous pieces of knowledge that were not fully mastered.