Investigating the Effect of Information Gap Tasks Used as Interventions within CLT Approach on Advanced EFL Learners ‘Speaking Accuracy and Fluency

This study was an attempt to explore the effect of Information Gap tasks implemented as interventions within Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) on Advanced EFL Learners' Speaking Accuracy and Fluency. In order to conduct this quasi-experimental study, participants from two intact classes were selected through convenience sampling. One was assigned to the Experimental Group (n=۱۸) and the second was assigned to the Control Group (n=۱۶). The course book and the regular method of instruction used in both classes for this study were CLT based. However, during speaking skills training, the Experimental Group participants worked with Information Gap tasks as interventions while those in the Control Group continued on with their regular mode of learning speaking. Pretest and Posttests, to seek increases/if any, in learners’ speaking accuracy and fluency were administered. Also, in order to triangulate the results obtained from these tests, the participants in the experimental group, were asked to answer two questions to gain learner perception, prior and subsequent to the intervention program. The dependent variables were assessed based on The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) descriptors/scale for the Qualitative aspects of spoken language use. Initial results of the descriptive data analysis showed that the speaking accuracy and fluency scores of both groups had increased from pretest to posttest. However, the results of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) showed significant differences in speaking accuracy and fluency gain scores between the two groups, with large effect sizes (partial eta squared) of ۰.۱۵۷ and ۰.۳۹, respectively. Also, since descriptive data analysis showed that the Experimental Group’s mean speaking fluency gain scores was higher than that of their accuracy gain scores, an independent sample t-test on the gain scores was run to see if this difference was significant. The results showed that the difference was indeed statistically significant (t (۳۴) = ۲.۹, p = .۰۰۷, Cohen’s d = .۹۹, representing a large effect size). Therefore, the study concluded that though the implemented CLT approach could improve the EFL Learners' Speaking Accuracy and Fluency, the complementary use of Information Gap Tasks was evidently, more effective. The study also concluded that the intervention program was comparatively more effective in improving participants’ speaking fluency than their speaking accuracy. The analysis of the data collected through questionnaires provided significant evidence to substantiate these results. Thus, this study has contributed to existing literature on Information Gap tasks by providing empirical evidence on its effectiveness on the two variables studied. This study could be useful for teachers interested in Information Gap Tasks and using them as interventions as it provides samples to demonstrate how these tasks could be integrated into regular CLT based speaking skill teaching/learning classes.