Analysis of English-Speaking Proficiency Using the Information Gap Method Among First-Year and Second-Year BA English Major Students
Abstract
Background and Aims: This study looks into how well students' English-speaking abilities can be improved using the Information Gap Method. It seeks to determine the method's advantages and drawbacks for promoting fluency and practical language use. Thus, the purposes of this study were: 1) to investigate the effectiveness of the Information Gap Method in enhancing the English-speaking proficiency of BA English major students, 2) to assess the potential of Information Gap Methods to learner fluency, vocabulary acquisition, grammatical accuracy, and the ability to express oneself clearly, while also considering any impact on pronunciation, and 3) to compare the speaking development between first-year and second-year students.
Methodology: The research participants were first-year (n=19) and second-year (n=25) BA-English major students of Nakhon Phanom University, Thailand, utilizing cluster random sampling. The information gap method was implemented during a language course, and its impact was assessed through pre-tests and post-tests focusing on speaking skills.
Results: The research found that 1) the Information Gap Method positively and significantly impacted the student’s English-speaking proficiency as both year groups demonstrated significant improvement. First-year students' average scores increased by 61.51% (from 14.16 to 23.58), while second-year students showed a 48.83% improvement (from 15.75 to 23.44). The paired-sample analyses confirmed statistically significant differences (p < .001) for both groups. 2) Furthermore, information gap activities demonstrated a notably greater positive impact on students' ability to express themselves clearly (21%) and fluency (19.2%) as shown by the scores of both first and second years. While other categories also showed improvement, these two areas exhibited the most significant gains. 3) These results indicated that information gap activities may be particularly effective in accelerating the development of speaking proficiency for first-year students as evidenced by their greater percentage improvement between the pre-test and post-test compared to the higher-scoring second-year students.
Conclusion: These findings proved that the information gap method can be valuable for developing English-speaking skills among BA English major students. The study suggested its potential for wider implementation in language education programs targeting speaking proficiency.
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