THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS
Keywords:
Keywords:Communicative Language Teaching, speaking skills, communicative activities, EFL learners, oral communication, fluency, interaction, language learningAbstract
Abstract. Speaking is one of the most complex language skills because it requires learners to coordinate linguistic knowledge, cognitive processing, pronunciation, fluency, and interactional competence in real time. In foreign language classrooms, learners may possess considerable grammatical and lexical knowledge but still experience difficulties when communicating spontaneously. This article examines the role of communicative activities in developing students’ speaking skills and explores how interaction-based classroom practices can contribute to learners’ fluency, confidence, and communicative competence. The study is based on a qualitative review and theoretical analysis of literature related to Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), second language acquisition, and classroom interaction. Particular attention is given to information-gap activities, role-plays, discussions, problem-solving tasks, simulations, and storytelling. The analysis indicates that communicative activities provide learners with opportunities to produce meaningful language, negotiate meaning, receive feedback, and develop interactional strategies. The findings also suggest that the effectiveness of such activities depends on appropriate task design, learner proficiency, classroom management, and the balance between fluency-oriented and form-focused instruction. The article concludes that communicative activities can serve as an important component of English language teaching when they are systematically planned and supported by appropriate scaffolding and feedback.
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