Oral communication in the target language : a survey of Chautauqua county language teachers' perceptions of their own successful practices

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers middle and high school language teachers in Chautauqua County face in promoting speaking in the target language. The second goal of this study was to determine which teaching practices these language teachers are using to promote oral communication in the target language in their classrooms and which strategies they have found to be effective. This study used an electronic survey which consisted of a demographics section and ten survey items. The participants included 25 middle and high school language teachers in Chautauqua County schools. Findings determined that the teachers' perspectives were conclusive with prior literature. All participants in this study felt that speaking in the target language is important. Results of this research also revealed that while the majority of teachers found the strategies listed in research to be effective, there were several effective strategies not listed in the research. In addition, results revealed the large role that teachers play in the language classroom. In the conclusion, the study showed that while there are many effective strategies for promoting oral communication, successful practices vary by teacher. At the end of the study, the researcher added some suggestions for further research studies.[from abstract]