The Effectiveness of the Incentive Autonomous Learning Strategies (IALS) Module to Improve Chinese Non-English Major Undergraduates’ EFL Speaking Proficiency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1503.17Keywords:
Chinese non-English major undergraduates, English as a foreign language (EFL), the IALS module, speaking proficiencyAbstract
Very limited research has examined the application of the Incentive Autonomous Learning Strategies (IALS) module to improve the speaking proficiency of English as a foreign language (EFL) among Chinese non-English major undergraduates at a public university in China. Thus, this study attempted to bridge this gap by incorporating autonomous learning with incentive strategies to enhance Chinese non-English major undergraduates’ EFL oral performance. Utilising a quantitative research approach, this study adopted a quasi-experimental design to carry out a 14-week intervention. The participants were purposively sampled with the experimental group undergoing the IALS speaking intervention, while the control group received conventional in-situ teaching approaches. A pretest and post-test were conducted on both groups to examine any changes in their speaking proficiency before and after the intervention. Results obtained from the paired-sample t-test demonstrate a statistically significant increase in the experimental group’s EFL oral performance, rising from a mean score of 50.52 before the intervention to 71.60 after the intervention. The control group’s mean score also improved from a pretest mean score of 51.08 to a mean score of 54.98 in the posttest. These results suggest that the IALS module has proven to be efficacious in improving Chinese non-English major undergraduates’ EFL speaking proficiency. It is hoped that the results of this study might provide insights into the effective strategies to enhance English speaking skills among Chinese non-English major undergraduates in EFL contexts.
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