THE IMPACT OF TEACHING PRACTICE AND COMMUNICATIVE METHODS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Background and purpose: This article examines the impact of communicative language teaching (CLT) and task-based learning (TBL) on the speaking skills, classroom engagement, and motivation of ninth-grade EFL learners in two parallel classes (9“B” and 9“V”) during a seven-month teaching practicum at a secondary gymnasium in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Materials and methods: A qualitative practitioner action research design was employed. Data were collected through structured classroom observation, a reflective practicum diary, supervisory feedback records, and learner questionnaires administered at the start and end of the placement. Sources were triangulated to identify convergent patterns of change. Results: Convergent evidence across all four data sources indicated consistent improvement in learners’ willingness to engage in spontaneous spoken interaction, sustained target-language use during collaborative tasks, and self-reported speaking confidence. These findings are consistent with those of comparable CLT implementation studies in secondary EFL contexts. Conclusion: Sustained and systematically implemented communicative instruction within a pre-service practicum context is associated with meaningful improvements in EFL learners’ speaking behaviour and motivational engagement at the secondary school level. Implications for teacher education programme design are discussed.