Using Literature Circles to Promote the English Speaking Skills of Engineering Students in English for Specific Purposes Classrooms

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to study whether the use of literature circles improved the English speaking skills of engineering students in the English for Specific Purposes classroom; and 2) to examine students’ attitudes towards the use of literature circles in teaching English speaking skills. The study sample consisted of 60 third-year electrical engineering students who were enrolled in the English for Specific Course at a public university in Thailand. The instruments used for this study were eight lesson plans using literature circles activities to promote English speaking skills, the English speaking test, criteria for evaluating speaking ability, a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The t-test was used to compare the subjects’ English speaking ability before and after using the literature circles in the English for Specific Purposes classroom. The mean and standard deviation of the questionnaire scores and content analysis were used to explore the students’ attitudes towards the use of the literature circles. This study found that the students’ English speaking ability improved significantly following use of the literature circles and that the students’ held highly positive attitudes towards the use of the literature circles in teaching English speaking skills.