The Contributory Role of Eye Contact in Iranian Female Intermediate EFL Learners' Speaking Ability

One aspect of nonverbal communication is eye contact which can convey messages. Eye contact is a powerful tool for teachers and learners in language learning settings. This study examined the effect of eye contact on Iranian female intermediate EFL learners’ speaking ability. To conduct the study, ۶۱ learners were selected by employing the speaking section of PET as a pretest to ensure students were homogeneous and at the same level concerning their speaking skills. Then, they were randomly divided into two groups; the experimental group (۳۱ students) and the control group (۳۰ students). Pretest and posttest scores of participants’ speaking ability were calculated before and after the treatment phase and then analysed. The data analysis through the independent sample t-test indicated a statistically significant difference in the speaking ability of the experimental group, who experienced speaking practice through eye contact but the control group received speaking instruction conventionally. The EG outperformed the CG. As a result, it could be concluded that eye contact significantly affected Iranian female intermediate EFL learners’ speaking ability. The results of this study could help Iranian EFL teachers and learners pay more attention to the use of appropriate eye contact to facilitate speaking. It could also suggest syllabus designers and policymakers to emphasize such features in their TTC courses.