Vol. 11/ Núm. 2 2024 pág. 510
https://doi.org/10.69639/arandu.v11i2.282
Self-Assessment to Improve English Speaking Skills: an
action research with Elementary School Ecuadorian students
Autoevaluación para mejorar las habilidades de habla en inglés: una investigación-
acción con estudiantes de escuela primaria en Ecuador
Nathaly Dayanara Calero-Vinueza
ndcalero@uce.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0279-6227
Universidad Central del Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
Jardel Coutinho Dos Santos
jcoutinhod@uteq.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8626-7229
Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo
Ecuador – Quevedo
Gabriela Galeas Arboleda
ggaleas@uteq.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9759-5474
Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo
Ecuador – Quevedo
Ana Maria Cruz Quijije
ana.cruzq@ug.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2924-6907
Universidad de Guayaquil
Ecuador - Guayaquil
Artículo recibido: 20 junio 2024 - Aceptado para publicación: 26 julio 2024
Conflictos de intereses: Ninguno que declarar
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the impact of self-assessment on speaking skills among A2
movers’ students. The data analysis revealed that its use has a favorable effect on students' speech
skills and showed that they could use the content in a real context. They incorporated reflection
to be aware of their learning, understood their mistakes, and tried to improve their level of
preparation for better results. At that time, they took responsibility for all the steps planned in
innovation because they tested their effort and progress in each activity. In addition, the
improvement demonstrated in the results of the evaluation carried out by the teacher with the
rubric in the posttest was significant in the final part of the unit. The self-assessment helped
students take the necessary corrective measures to be more prepared to do speech exercises.
According to the students' perspectives, self-evaluation helped them improve their skills because
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they were able to identify areas of speech that needed to be improved and gradually, could
reinforce their discourse to give better descriptions of places and people.
Keywords: self-assessment, speaking skills, autonomy
RESUMEN
El propósito de este estudio fue determinar el impacto de la autoevaluación en las habilidades
para hablar entre los estudiantes de nivel A2. El análisis de los datos reveló que su uso tiene un
efecto favorable en las habilidades de habla de los estudiantes y demostró que eran capaces de
utilizar el contenido en un contexto real. Incorporaron la reflexión para ser conscientes de su
aprendizaje, entendieron sus errores y trataron de mejorar su nivel de preparación para obtener
mejores resultados. En ese momento, asumieron la responsabilidad de todos los pasos previstos
en la innovación porque pusieron a prueba su esfuerzo y progreso en cada actividad. Además, la
mejora demostrada en los resultados de la evaluación realizada por el profesor con la rúbrica en
el posttest fue significativa en la parte final de la unidad. La autoevaluación ayudó a los
estudiantes a tomar las medidas necesarias y correctivas para estar más preparados para hacer
ejercicios de habla. De acuerdo con las perspectivas de los estudiantes, la autoevaluación les
ayudó a mejorar sus habilidades porque fueron capaces de identificar las áreas de habla que
necesitaban ser mejoradas y poco a poco, podrían reforzar su discurso para dar mejores
descripciones sobre lugares y personas.
Palabras clave: autoevaluación, destrezas orales, autonomía
Todo el contenido de la Revista Científica Internacional Arandu UTIC publicado en este sitio está disponible bajo
licencia Creative Commons Atribution 4.0 International.
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INTRODUCTION
One of the biggest challenges in public institutions is evaluating students' speaking skills
in class (Al Hosni, 2014). To avoid the evaluation of this productive skill, teachers need to
remember to use it or relegate it to the end of the lesson if they have time. Generally, the instructor
is focused on teaching grammar and vocabulary to complete the exercises provided in the
notebook.
Al-Zedjali (2009) mentioned that L2 learners often need opportunities to speak English
outside the classroom since English is not their first language. For many of them, the course book
is the only place where they are familiar with English. Moreover, the notebook needs to include
more tasks designed explicitly for speaking. At this point, the teacher has to be in charge of finding
activities that promote the use of speaking skills.
Zhang (2009) and Santos et al. (2020) affirmed that L2 students face several difficulties
in improving their speaking skills based on three aspects: 1. Inhibition, where students are worried
about making mistakes; 2. having a purpose, there are some moments that students do not feel
motivated to express their ideas because they do not find a real purpose to use the second
language; and 3. mother tongue, students prefer to use their mother language to talk and share
ideas since it is easier to have a conversation with others.
Observations made for this study found that students know grammar and vocabulary.
Still, they do not practice discourse organization or oral production activities since they do not
see a practical need to use L2 in class. Also, the teacher needs to create spaces for interactions to
allow students to use the language for specific purposes because, later, the teacher will need more
time to give reflexive feedback to all of them. Moreover, the large number of students in each
class that goes from 35 to 45 students, as well as the limited period that students receive English,
creates a significant barrier to creating authentic spaces where students can use L2 to
communicate or express needs and reduce the possibility to provide individual feedback on
speaking skills.
To contribute to the learners’ autonomy and enhance their self-awareness of using a
foreign language to communicate, the teacher will use self-assessment to see if there is any impact
on speaking skills in seventh-grade students at the A2 level. In this research, two questions are
considered: 1. Does the implementation of self-assessment impact speaking skills among seventh-
grade students in a public school in an urban area of Quito? and 2. What are students’ points of
view toward using self-assessment to improve their speaking skills?
Literature Review
Self-Assessment
Boud and Falchikov (1989) define self-assessment as the process by which students make
judgments about their learning, particularly their learning outcomes. According to Harris and
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Brown (2013), self-assessment is a teaching method that makes the students’ role more active and
helps them improve their learning consciously. This type of assessment is generally used for
formative assessment objectives to encourage the students’ consideration of their learning process
and results.
Training Students To Self-Assess
According to Goodrich (1996), teachers have to guide students to follow these conditions
to be successful in self-assessment:
● Awareness of the value of self-assessment: The teacher will explain to the students that
self-assessment is about learning from mistakes and improving.
● Access to clear criteria on which to base the assessment: The teacher introduces the rubric.
This rubric will contain valuable information about the task they are going to perform, the
expectations for quality work, and the learning targets.
● A specific task or performance to assess: The teacher explains the activity that will be
performed.
● Models of self-assessment: The teacher will provide examples so students will understand
how to do self-assessment.
● Practice: The students will perform the activity that was planned, then they will start self-
assessing. The teacher will give assistance and guidance during the self-assessment. At the
end, the teacher will give individual feedback on the quality of their self-assessments.
Give students opportunities to revise and improve the task or performance. Students will
gradually increase their level of responsibility for their learning and progress. They will reflect
on their errors and improve the task.
Benefits Of Self-Assessment
Some studies demonstrated the advantages of using this method. Masruria (2021)
indicated that self-assessment assists students in increasing their speaking self-efficacy
(confidence and belief in their ability), communication skills, engagement, and allowing them to
know their strengths and weaknesses. Awwalien (2019), on the other hand, found that self-
assessment done by students can benefit them as they understand the assessment criteria and are
aware of their abilities. Therefore, creating an environment where students do not feel judged by
the results is necessary.
Nikolovska (2015) highlighted that learners have many benefits when they use self-
assessment to improve speaking skills, including developing reflective skills, critical thinking,
and raising learners’ motivation for learning. He also mentioned that besides advantages, self-
assessment might involve problems, such as finding the time to check learners’ self-assessment
checklists and their perception of self-assessment.
Harris (1997) stated that self-assessment is one of the significant new alternative
assessment forms that raises learners’ awareness of their progress and encourages learners to be
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conscious of their learning. Furthermore, Pierce (1999) defined self-assessment as a beneficial
strategy that allows students to be mindful of their progress in foreign language development, and
this would promote their motivation to identify their strengths and weaknesses and raise their
autonomy learning skills.
Studies by Ariafar and Fatemipour (2013) mentioned that students who received self-
assessment practices during the semester had better speaking ability than those who did not.
Moreover, the students expressed a positive perception of self-assessment, as they considered it
worthwhile. Students were motivated to continue doing self-assessments in the future. Asdar
(2017) agreed and reported in his study that there was an increase of 40% in students’ speaking
ability after they practiced self-assessments.
In Imani’s study (2021), she took some sessions to teach students nine speaking
techniques such as show and tell, reporting, picture describing, question and answer, information
gap, interviews, storytelling/story completion, and discussion. Later, she used self-assessment
techniques to make students evaluate themselves by using a checklist. The results were compared
with the teacher's evaluation, and at the end of the treatment period, students improved their
speaking skills and learned how to do a self-assessment.
Disadvantages of self-assessment
According to Heilenman (1990), there is one factor that may affect the process of self-
assessment, and that is the level of proficiency of students. In some cases, less proficient students
tend to overestimate their language abilities, whereas more proficient students tend to
underestimate their abilities (Santos & Ramírez-Ávila, 2022). The incorrect students’ perception
of their limitations and strengths could affect the progress of various skills since they may think
they do not need to improve even if they have to. On the other hand, they could force themselves
to do more than they can.
Speaking
Speaking is a productive skill that helps communicate ideas, reflections, and opinions. It
is expected to think that people know the language when they can produce meaningful sentences,
but the language itself goes beyond that. The speaking skills cover other aspects such as 1.
Mechanics, which includes the correct use of pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary; and 2.
Function, which is based on transaction/interaction. The interlocutor realizes if the receptor
understood the message; if it did not, he clarified the idea of building a solid relationship; 3.
Pragmatic social and cultural rules and norms. It teaches people to consider who is speaking to
whom, under what circumstances, about what, and for what reason. It is not the same language
used when you talk to the high school principal as with a friend. (Kürüm, 2016).
Aspects of teaching speaking
Pakula (2019) summarized some recommendations when teaching speaking: teachers
should consider fluency, formulaic sequences, spoken language, sociolinguistic competence, and
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pragmatic competence. Fluency can be taught using carefully designed fluency-oriented activities
(consciousness-raising and rehearsal/repetition). Formulaic sequences, such as collocations,
phrasal verbs, idioms, and figures of speech, are part of fluent speech and can be taught to improve
speaking skills more naturally. To produce spoken language, students will need to know grammar
and vocabulary. Teaching speaking includes teaching and practicing sociolinguistic competence.
It refers to the appropriate use of language in social situations, for example: (formality and
politeness conventions) Teaching speaking includes teaching and practicing pragmatic
competence. It refers to how language is used to communicate and express in various contexts,
such as conversation, turn-taking, and speech acts.
Role of students in learning speaking
Some categories can be used to show the role of learners in developing speaking skills in
the classroom (Brown, 1994). Intensive—At this point, students prepare to learn and practice
some phonological or grammatical aspects of language. Responsive - It consists of short questions
and answers by the teacher and students. Transactional (dialogue) – Its primary purpose is to
convey or exchange particular information. Interpersonal (dialogue) - Its objective is to maintain
social relationships. Students include a casual register, colloquial language, emotionally charged
language, slang, jokes, and sarcasm in their dialogue. Extensive (monolog) - Here, the register is
more formal and deliberative. It can be planned or improvised.
Innovation
The innovation involved using self-assessment through descriptions of pictures to
improve speaking skills. It was part of a regular learning unit that used all four language skills.
The classes were taught face-to-face.
It lasted eight teaching hours (4 weeks). During the four weeks, the participants were
provided with useful vocabulary and grammar and several opportunities to practice how to do
descriptions. An innovative instructional design was planned for the unit.. All of the activities
presented in the backward design were classified into acquisition, meaning-making, or transfer,
and they were developed to acquire all the necessary content to fulfill the objective. As a part of
the reinforcement, the teacher used resources such as videos, pictures, and worksheets.
Additionally, the teacher applied the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) to create the
students’ sense of engagement, curiosity, and collaboration.
The unit had four lessons, and the teacher used a summative evaluation as a final task.
Every lesson included content that helped students improve their verbal fluency in describing
everyday actions, prepositions of place, adjectives to describe places and people, and possessives.
Additionally, the students studied and practiced the grammar points required for the final task:
Simple Present, there is/there are, and Present Continuous.
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METHODOLOGY
The study used action research since the teacher considered a common problem identified
in the class and tried to find a sustainable solution that could be used by other teachers (Zuber,
2021). According to Ferrance (2000), action research is a set of steps in which the participants
examine their teaching practice in detail using research techniques. In addition, the research
design was mixed since it analyzed quantitative and qualitative data. Moreover, Altricher et al.
(2005) stated that action research is intended to support teachers and groups of teachers in coping
with the challenges and problems of practice and carrying through innovations in a reflective way.
Participants
The present study was carried out with 30 students, 18 of whom were girls and 12 boys.
All of them are in seventh grade at Basic General Education. Their ages ranged between 11 and
12 years old, and they had very similar backgrounds. These students belonged to a public
institution in the South of Quito. There were no special needs students in the sample selection.
There were 2 Venezuelan children and 28 Ecuadorian participants. Most of them have yet to have
additional EFL instruction at English academies.
A diagnostic test at the start of the academic year revealed the participant's English
proficiency level. According to the Common European Framework, 90% of students had an A2
English level, and 10% had an A1. This means that they could describe in simple terms some
pictures of pictures and places that they had not seen before of people and places.
Instruments
Pre and post-test
Data were collected using various instruments, such as pre-and post-tests. To answer the
first research question, does the implementation of self-assessment impact speaking skills among
seventh-grade students in a public school in an urban area of Quito? The pre-and post-tests were
compared. In the pre-test, students had to record a one-minute video describing a picture provided
by the teacher. For the post-test, they had to choose a picture from the Metropolitan Gallery and
make a one-minute video describing the chosen picture.
As Brown and Hudson (1998) mentioned, to examine students' self-assessment accuracy,
the results must be compared with the revision of a capable agent, in this case, the teacher.
Therefore, the teacher re-graded the pre-and post-tests using a rubric. As a result, the pre-and
post-test grades were used as data to examine the development of speaking abilities through self-
evaluation.
The teacher used a speaking rubric adapted from the Cambridge A2 level assessment
scales. The speaking rubric considers three descriptors: vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and
content. Each descriptor was scored over 10 points, and then the results were averaged. It was
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expected to have grades above six at the beginning and then see an improvement of at least one
point above their first speaking task with the implementation of self-assessment.
Quantitative data from the pre-and post-test were graded with a rubric using the content
of a checklist. Due to the age of the students as well as the level, the participants were given a
checklist to assess themselves, and the results were contrasted with the teacher's grades by using
a rubric. This checklist contained the principal abilities that students should be able to do at the
end of each activity.
Interview
To answer the second question, what are students’ points of view toward using self-
assessment to improve their speaking skills? Students were interviewed with three questions
based on their perceptions of the innovation's application and the improvements they noticed in
their speaking skills when using self-assessment. The interview was conducted in Spanish due to
the student's level.
Data Analysis
A paired-sample t-test was conducted to evaluate the impact of self-assessment on
speaking skills among A2. The objective of the paired-sample t-test was to compare pre-test and
post-test scores. The Analytics Tools Pack from Microsoft Excel was used to calculate the
maximum, minimum, mean, standard deviation, and p-value.
To analyze the responses to the research question: What are students’ points of view
toward using self-assessment to improve their speaking skills? The researcher conducted an
individual, face-to-face interview. According to Weiss (1995), the interview has to be planned to
understand the points of view of a particular group. For that reason, a sample of ten interviewees
was considered for participation. The group was homogenous, with five boys and five girls. It
was a purposeful sampling with five students who obtained the best scores and five who got the
worst scores in the final results of the innovation.
Concerning DiCiccoBloom and Crabtree (2006), there is a technical parameter that
researchers have to decide in advance regarding the methods for recording interviews for
documentation and later analysis; that includes videotape recording and note-taking, transcribing
tape-recorded interviews into text, and using computer-assisted software. The technique used in
this research was to videotape and take notes. About this process, Burnard et al. (2008) proposed
compiling the information with the most common responses so that the researcher could
categorize the answers into positive and challenging outlooks.
Ethical Considerations
All participants were informed about the innovation, and 30 parents permitted their
children to participate in its development. The respective authorization of the school's principal
and consent from the student’s parents were needed to implement the innovation. Participants
must be appropriately informed about the research, according to Arifin (2018). This means that
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they will need to understand the information and have the freedom of choice whether to participate
or decline. All these permissions were asked through a written request to keep evidence and give
the parents and students a clear idea about the research.
Participation was voluntary, and student identities were kept private and
anonymous. It was necessary to supply participants’ names with numbers to ensure the objectivity
of the results.
RESULTS
This study aims to know if the implementation of self-assessment impacts speaking skills
among seventh-grade students in a public school in an urban area of Quito. Table 1 portrays the
results between the pre- and post-tests, and clearly states a positive difference after the
intervention. The minimum value in the pre-test was 3.0 while the maximum was 8.00. On the
other hand, the posttest minimum value was 5.00, and the maximum was 10.00. Additionally, the
analysis showed statistically significant improvements in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation,
useful expressions, and comprehensibility. The difference in the scores from the pre-test (M=4.47,
SD=1.548) and post-test (M=7.70, SD=1.208) indicate a noticeable improvement. The results
illustrate that the self-assessment strategy influenced students' speaking skills across various
dimensions.
Table 1
Descriptive Statistics of Speaking Pre-test and Post-test
N
Min
Max
M
SD
p-value
Pretest
30
3.0
8.00
4.47
1.548
0.00
Post-test
30
5.0
10.00
7.70
1.208
Note: N= Sample. Min= Minimum. Max= Maximum. M= Mean. SD= Standard Deviation.
Based on the numerical outcomes the implementation of the innovation positively
impacted students' performance. The p-value indicated is less than 0.05, which means the students
improved their scores after the intervention.
Qualitative data focused on knowing students' points of view toward the use of self-
assessment to improve their speaking skills. Three open-ended questions revealed their feelings
and perceptions before and after the pretest, as well as the improvements they experienced after
the posttest. The most representative answers were written after each question.
Question 1. Did you notice any difference between the first and the last activity?
Most students perceived significant improvements in the last activity. They realized that
their pronunciation was better and that they were more prepared to do complete and organized
descriptions. Some comments support these positive outcomes. For instance, one participant
mentioned, “The first activity was a disaster. I had bad pronunciation. In the last activity, I felt
happy because my pronunciation was better”. Another student affirmed, “In the first activity, I
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could say three sentences of a picture, but in the last activity, I was able to do a one-minute
description without any problem”. Another example was mentioned by a student who said “In
the first activity, I just mentioned simple phrases or words to do the description, and in the last
activity, I was capable of formulating phrases and sentences with coherency, and my description
improved a lot.”
Question 2. Describe how you felt about the self-assessment that you had after each
task?
In terms of feelings, in the first activity, participants experienced fear and nervousness
toward the use of self-assessment. Using self-assessments might not be comfortable for students
who need more practice and exercise. A participant mentioned, “In the first activity, I was afraid
of making mistakes. Then I felt more comfortable because we practiced with different exercises,
and I learned more vocabulary that allowed me to express myself in a better way.” another stated
“It was not easy at the beginning; I felt nervous, but after some practice, I think I improved my
final activity”. Additionally, a learner specified “It is not common to do these exercises. For me,
it was a little bit difficult because I didn’t feel prepared. I felt that I was not doing a good job.
Later, I started to feel confident about my answers.”
Question 3. Did self-assessment help you to take some actions for improving your
speaking in the next task? Was it useful?
Taking time to explain the use of self-assessment was critical to make students
responsible for their learning and progress. Students were seriously engaged in each activity and
learned from their mistakes. Thus, in the last activity they used the checklist to reflect on their
work and have a better performance. The mistakes made in previous activities allowed them to
be seen as opportunities to learn and grow. There were some insights provided by the students
based on the question. One of them manifested “The first activity was a little bit difficult because
I didn't know how to start with the description of the picture. I didn't know how to self-assess”.
Then, in the last activity, I felt comfortable using the checklist”. A second one expressed “In the
first activity, I realized that I made several mistakes; nevertheless, I graded myself with positive
results because I didn't want to decrease my general average. Then, the teacher explained to us
that errors are part of the learning process, and I took my final exercise with more responsibility.
That aspect helped me to see my errors and improve them”. A distinctive comment was made by
another student who said “I liked using self-assessment in class because I learned to understand
my mistakes and solve them. The teacher allowed us to give our points of view about our
weaknesses, and that facilitated my improvement in the last activity. I think that self-assessment
was very useful for understanding our errors”.
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DISCUSSION
The overall results of the present study have relevant implications in teaching EFL
speaking, especially in secondary education. In terms of the analysis of the first quantitative
question. This study matches several insights emerging from the literature review such as the
benefits of self-assessment in promoting reflective thinking and continuous progress among
learners (Anh et al., 2022; Harris, 1997) as well as raising learners' motivation for learning and
improving critical thinking skills (Nikolovska, 2015). This study supports Kumar et al. (2023)
findings regarding the effectiveness of self-assessments in fostering students´ self-regulated
learning in speaking classes. The results of the present study suggest some pedagogical
implications. Self-assessment allows learners to continuously identify and reflect on their
strengths and limitations in their English-speaking abilities.
Santos and Ramirez (2022) conducted an experimental study to verify to what extent a
speaking technique and self-assessment contribute to speaking fluency. The study demonstrated
that students at beginner levels could improve their speaking fluency by using both the speaking
technique and self-assessment. Therefore, self-assessment is of paramount importance in
incorporation with various activities (Alek et al., 2020). Those previous studies support the study
results since the students involved in the intervention had the opportunity to experience diverse
speaking activities and recognize their learning outcomes to improve their spoken production.
The findings of this study are congruent with the one conducted by Pop & Khampirat,
(2019), who provide the advantages of appropriately using self-assessment in language learning.
The effectiveness of self-assessment for introspection and ongoing learning is demonstrated by
the improvements observed in vocabulary grammar, pronunciation, and general presentation
skills. Self-assessment might not only encourage self-reflection on a student´s performance but
also their self-confidence in speaking (Moncayo & Ramirez, 2022). Thus, the study offers fresh
perspectives to the body of knowledge already available on the topic.
The positive outcomes of this study are similar to those of Muñoz and Contreras (2018)
who got positive results by applying transactional communication strategies focusing on the
message more than accuracy. The researchers followed the following stages in carrying out the
activities: reviewing vocabulary to prepare students, modeling, eliciting, and practicing by
assigning students roles. Then, feedback was also provided after their interactions. Students
improved vocabulary, grammar structures, fluency, and motivation. This study used the same
patterns which may have contributed to the gains.
Regarding the second research question, this study showed that self-assessment might
produce an increase in terms of confidence in speaking skills. Students were aware of their
mistakes and could correct them to improve in the subsequent tasks. Similarly, a study by Ariafar
and Fatemipour (2013) mentioned that students who received self-assessment practices during
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the semester demonstrated better speaking ability than those who did not. Additionally,
participants expressed a positive perception of self-assessment and a continuous use of self-
assessments in the future as they considered useful.
Lastly, Mohamed and Razali (2019) suggested that educators must focus their attention
on affective factors. According to Rugel (2020), providing a positive environment and caring for
students' emotions and self-confidence can foster students' motivation and full engagement in
interactions. The researcher emphasized that teachers must consider affective factors to avoid
students' judgments and promote a positive attitude toward achieving their goals.
CONCLUSIONS
This study aimed to determine the impact of self-assessment on speaking skills among
A2 movers’ students. The data analysis revealed that the use of self-assessment has a favorable
effect on the student's speaking abilities. The innovation's implementation allowed students to
complete practical tasks of all kinds. They demonstrated that they could use the content in a real
context. Moreover, students became more confident in their performance every day. They
incorporated the reflection to be conscious of their learning thanks to self-assessment. They
understood their errors and tried to enhance their level of preparation to obtain better results.
Students actively participated in the learning process since they reflected on their
weaknesses and strengths. At that point, they took responsibility for all the steps planned in the
innovation because they tested their effort and progress in each activity. Furthermore, the
significant improvement shown in the results of the evaluation made by the teacher with the rubric
in the pre and post-test demonstrated that students increased their speaking skills in the final part
of the unit.
After seeing the students’ pretest and posttest during the implementation of the self-
assessment technique, students increased their self-confidence when speaking. Self-assessment
helped students take necessary actions and corrective measures to be more prepared for speaking
exercises. In other words, students enhanced capacity building to promote the learners’ autonomy.
According to students’ perspectives, self-assessment helped them improve their speaking
skills because they were able to identify areas of speaking that needed improvement. Little by
little, they could reinforce their speech to give better descriptions of places and people.
Limitations
The only place students practiced the language was in class. Some students did not find
a moment at home to reinforce the learned vocabulary, grammar, or content. In several cases, this
aspect slowed down the learning process because they could not remember important information
needed to perform the task.
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The school did not have an academic platform to store all the recordings or tasks that
were done by students. Also, some children did not have an internet connection in their houses,
so they had to go to a cyber cafe and pay to send the tasks. The use of technology, in this case,
was difficult. The only app that was useful in that situation was WhatsApp, and there were
moments when the teacher had to spend extra time organizing the students' tasks in one folder
and then evaluating them. Additionally, the teacher had to wait until all the children sent the
activity because they mentioned that their parents did not have money to pay for the internet.
Students were not used to doing speaking exercises during English classes; they were just
focused on solving grammar exercises, so, at the beginning of the innovation, they were afraid of
talking and making oral mistakes.
At the beginning of the innovation, students did not know how to self-assess since they
had never practiced the strategy. They were confused and wanted to have good grades. Perhaps
they were not worried about what they needed to improve, but they were interested in having the
best scores.
Recommendations
The teacher should encourage students to study, practice, and reinforce the learned
content using ludic strategies and methods that make the students feel a sense of learning. Students
have to understand and find a purpose for learning so that language will become meaningful for
them.
The teacher should be flexible and comprehensible with students because some economic
and personal situations do not allow the student to accomplish the task at a specific time. The
teacher could probably set up agreements with those students who do not have permanent internet
connections and give them a second chance to fulfill the task.
The teacher should create more opportunities in class to practice speaking using
simulations, group work, or pair work to decrease the level of anxiety that students demonstrate
at the beginning of the innovation.
The teacher should explain to the students the importance of self-assessment and the
benefits that this strategy has for improving speaking skills. Students need to feel confident in
themselves and understand that even if they had bad results at the beginning of the innovation,
they will have more opportunities to overcome their weaknesses and not only improve their grades
but also their knowledge.
For future studies, it is recommended that teachers should analyze different levels of
education to see which groups work better with the implementation of this innovation. Also, to
check if there is a difference in the age of the students, such as young learners and adults.
Furthermore, it is recommended to use this technique with another skill to see its advantage for
the learner.
Vol. 11/ Núm. 2 2024 pág. 523
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