Developing oral communication ability of economics undergraduates through the instruction of learning and communication strategies

Name: Mintra Puripunyavanich

keyword: Communication strategies

; Economics students

; Learning strategies

; Oral communication ability

; Strategy instruction

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of learning and communication strategies (LACS) instruction on EFL undergraduates’ oral communication ability and to explore their attitudes toward the LACS instruction in helping them improve their informative presentation and informal meeting skills. Twenty-three economics undergraduates at a public university in Thailand who enrolled on the Oral English Communication for Economics (OECE) course in the first semester of the 2017 academic year were involved in the study. They were explicitly taught 13 LACSs in class following the 3-stage LACS instruction. Two sets of pre- and post-tests – one set for an informative presentation, and the other for an informal meeting – were employed to collect quantitative data. Then, the paired-samples t-test was used to compare the mean scores of each pre- and post-tests set. Also, Cohen’s d was utilized in order to measure the effects of the LACS instruction. In addition, three instruments, including students’ reflective journals (SRJ), semi-structured focus group interviews, and teacher’s observation notes were employed to obtain qualitative data regarding the students’ attitudes toward the LACS instruction. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the data. The quantitative results of students’ oral communication ability in the informative presentation pre- and post-tests reveal a statistical difference at p < .001 level, with a large effect size (d = 0.89), indicating a large practical significance. In addition, the findings of students’ oral communication ability in informal meeting pre- and post-tests show a statistical difference at p < .001 level, with a large effect size (d = 1.25). Furthermore, the qualitative findings indicate the students’ positive attitudes toward the LACS instruction. Evidently, quantitative and qualitative findings, as revealed in the present study, confirm that the LACS instruction positively affected the economics undergraduates’ oral communication ability and their attitudes toward the LACS instruction. As a result, it is recommended that the 3-stage LACS instruction be implemented to develop students’ oral communication ability, particularly informative presentation and informal meeting skills. In addition, teachers should take into consideration the following aspects when teaching LACSs, including 1) students’ strategy use, 2) their role in facilitating the 3-Stage LACS instruction, and 3) instructional materials for the instruction.

Thammasat University. Thammasat University Library

Address: BANGKOK

Email: preserv@tu.ac.th

Name: Kittitouch Soontornwipast

Role: advisor

Created: 2017

Modified: 2021-05-05

Issued: 2021-05-05

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

DOI: 10.14457/TU.the.2017.378

eng

DegreeName: Doctor of Philosophy

Descipline: English Language Teaching

Grantor: Thammasat University

Level: Doctoral Degree

©copyrights Thammasat University

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