THE EFFECT OF GROUP WORK ON STUDENTS' SPEAKING CONFIDENCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of group work on students' speaking confidence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Speaking confidently is one of the greatest challenges EFL learners face, and classroom anxiety often prevents students from taking the communicative risks necessary for language development. Using a six-week classroom-based research design with 15 fifth-grade primary school students, this study examined changes in participation rates, speaking frequency, and peer support behaviors before and after the systematic integration of group work into speaking lessons. Results show a dramatic increase in active participation from 27% to 80% of students, alongside a rise in speaking frequency from 1–2 turns per lesson to 4–6 turns. Peer support behaviors emerged as key mechanisms through which group work reduced anxiety and built confidence. The findings confirm that well-structured group work is an effective strategy for improving speaking confidence in primary EFL classrooms.
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