The Effect of Using Authentic Materials on EFL Students’ Speaking Skill.

Abstract

The present study attempts to investigate the effect of the utilization of authentic materials on the students’ speaking skills. It is hypothesized in this research that the use of authentic materials in the EFL classrooms would enhance the students’ speaking skills. To test the aforementioned hypothesis, the researchers have adopted the descriptive method to depict the utility of using authentic materials for ameliorating students’ oral production. Similarly, to examine the research hypothesis two questionnaires were administrated, one for the teachers of Oral Expression, and the second one for the participants. In addition to the questionnaires, a test was designed for the students to obtain information about the effect of using authentic materials on developing the students’ speaking skills. The analysis of the questionnaires and the test revealed that both students and teachers regard authentic materials as important pedagogical tools in enhancing the speaking production. The results proved that the use of authentic materials is effective in developing students’ speaking abilities. Thus, the research hypothesis was successfully confirmed. Consequently, we strongly recommend authentic materials to be implemented in EFL classrooms in order to ameliorate the learners’ speaking skills.