The Effectiveness of Fluency-Orientated Strategies on Improving Academic Speaking Performance among Iraqi University Undergraduates in the 'Listening & Speaking' Course

Abstract

This research paper explores how Fluency-Orientated Strategies (FOS) can be used to help Iraqi undergraduate students of the Listening and Speaking course at the university to enhance their academic speaking performance. Based on the quasi-experimental research design coupled with pre-test/ post-test control group design, this study involved 60 Iraqi EFL undergraduates of the University of Baghdad and engaged them in a 12 week intervention study. The experimental group (n=30) was provided with the fluency-based lessons with the use of the 4/3/2 technique, shadowing, and the timed speaking tasks and the control group (n=30) underwent the instruction based on traditional grammar learning. The information had been gathered using speaking performance tests which were quantified in terms of temporal indices such as words per minute (WPM), articulation rate and pause frequency, and holistic fluency ratings. The data was analyzed using independent samples t-tests and paired samples t-tests. The findings showed results that were statistically significant with a difference between the experimental and the control groups in terms of post-test speaking performance (t (58) =4.72, p = 0.001) where the experimental group recorded significantly higher improvements in terms of speech rate (Mean increase = 18.4 WPM) than the control group (Mean increase = 4.2 WPM). The results indicate that fluency-focused approaches are quite productive in promoting academic speaking of the Iraqi EFL students as well as the implementation of such methods in university programs is recommended to bridge the existing gaps in fluency in the case of Iraqi undergraduates' students.