Strategies to foster the use of English in the EFL classroom: the role of information gap activities

Abstract

Speaking has been regarded as a priority in language teaching for a considerable period of time. This is why educators and researchers are constantly looking for alternative ways to build this skill in students. The present research article aimed to study the impact of information gap activities on students’ willingness to use the target language to communicate in the classroom, and measure whether students improved their oral skills after using information gap activities. This was done to analyze whether this strategy was a viable alternative to the traditional textbook activities that often discourage students from learning due to their monotony. The study was conducted in a private institution in Cuenca, Ecuador. The participants were a group of 20 teenagers with an age range of 16-17 years old. The study followed a mixed methods approach; the quantitative data was collected through a pre-test and post-test and the Attitude Motivation Test Battery. The qualitative data was collected through an open-ended questionnaire, and classroom observation. The results of this project showed that information gap activities were beneficial for both developing the students’ speaking skills as well as improving their attitudes and perceptions towards language learning.