Strategies Instruction to Improve the Preparation for English Oral Exams

This article presents the results of an inter-institutional research study that assessed the impact of strategies instruction on students’ preparation for and performance in oral exams. Two teacher-researchers at different universities trained 26 students in their respective B1-English-level courses...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: José Vicente Abad, Paula Andrea Alzate
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2016-01-01
Series:Profile Issues in Teachers' Professional Development
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/49592
Description
Summary:This article presents the results of an inter-institutional research study that assessed the impact of strategies instruction on students’ preparation for and performance in oral exams. Two teacher-researchers at different universities trained 26 students in their respective B1-English-level courses in using language learning strategies. The study included pre- and post-intervention tests and on-line questionnaires after each oral exam. After comparing the test scores and analyzing the questionnaire responses, we arrived at two main conclusions: First, that strategies instruction, especially in combination with evaluation rubrics, promotes students’ autonomy and enhances their oral test performance. Second, that students’ use of language learning strategies is influenced by instructional variations tied to the relative importance that teachers ascribe to specific aspects of oral communication.
ISSN:1657-0790