The Development of Thai EFL Students’ English Speaking Skills  Using Task-Based Learning

Ditthawat Thongsook; Sukanya Kaowiwattanakul

doi:10.69650/jcdrhs.2026.1834

Authors

Ditthawat Thongsook That Phanom College, Nakhon Phanom University, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
Sukanya Kaowiwattanakul School of Liberal Arts, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69650/jcdrhs.2026.1834

Keywords:

English Speaking Skills, Task-Based Learning, Thai EFL Students

Abstract

The development of English speaking skills has been regarded as a major problem for Thai EFL students at all levels of education, including the tertiary level. Many students have not been able to communicate fluently, confidently, and willingly in English. This quasi-experimental research was carried out to investigate the development of Thai EFL students’ English speaking skills through Task-Based Learning (TBL) and to survey their opinions on this learning approach. The participants were 23 undergraduates taking an English for Communication course at That Phanom College, Nakhon Phanom University. They were selected through purposive sampling. Quantitative data were collected by means of a pre-test, a post-test, and a questionnaire; these were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and a paired-sample t-test. Qualitative data collected from students’ journals were analyzed by content analysis. Results showed that students’ English speaking skills improved significantly after learning through TBL at a significant level of .05. The findings also indicated that students had positive opinions toward TBL in terms of motivation, confidence in speaking English, learning collaboration, and development in English speaking ability. Additionally, the results from students’ journals revealed that this learning approach stimulated active participation, increased self-confidence, and nurtured responsibility for learning; therefore, such a learning approach would be effective for developing their ability to speak English.

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