Pair Work to Increase EFL Students’ Oral Production

Abstract

This research study aimed to increase students’ oral production through pair work. A group of fourteen A2 EFL learners, eight females and six males, from a private university in Guayaquil, was considered for the research sample. It implemented an action research design that included quantitative and qualitative instruments. To answer the research questions, the investigator collected data from a pre and post-test, a rubric, three learning logs and field notes. After the implementation of the pedagogical innovation, quantitative results revealed an effect size of 0.67 representing a médium effect size between the pre and post-tests, which means, that working in pairs had a successful impact on students’ oral production. Besides, qualitative results showed an overall positive perception towards pair work. Students cited that when they worked with a partner, they felt confident and comfortable to speak, which demonstrates that their oral production improved. It is concluded that using pair work helps students increase their oral production, so it would be recommendable to apply this pedagogical innovation to other study groups.