An action research study designed to implement student negotiation to improve speaking classroom practice in Turkey

Abstract

This paper reports the second stage of an action research study designed to improve the effectiveness of speaking classes through negotiating the lesson contents with students. The data were collected through interviews, questionnaires and observations as a way of eliciting students’ views. The research, conducted in an English language teaching department at a university in Turkey, comprised eight weekly-based interventions that involved planning, action, observation, and reflection, in which students were given a voice and classroom activities were designed accordingly. Student negotiation allowed for the identification of both structural and affective factors influencing the quality of speaking classes. The teacher’s roles in activities, the number of students in group work activities, the level of control in speaking activities, and the role of input were found to be issues worth considering in designing speaking classes. Issues such as finding the activity ‘interesting’ and ‘useful’, ‘feeling comfortable’ and ‘being competitive’ also influenced the effectiveness of activities. Involving students in this action research study promoted positive attitudes towards classes since students reported feeling valued and important.

Keywords:

• educational action research
• student negotiation
• teaching speaking
• teaching English as a foreign language
• English-language teaching in Turkey

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the participants of the study, especially to Mary Altay for her cooperation during data collection. They would like to thank Dr Ece Zehir Topkaya who gave so generously of her time and expertise in commenting on the drafts of the article.