Playful strategies to strengthen communicative skills in basic education students.

Abstract

The development of oral expression in basic education English classes is regularly affected by the limited oral practice of young learners, as they do not find the enjoyment of learning. This study determines the contribution of playful strategies to strengthening communicative skills among basic education students at institución educative publica de Chone, province of Manabí, Ecuador. Under a mixed approach with a convenience sample of 19 students and two English teachers, the study combined a teacher diagnosis, oral evaluations before and after the intervention, and classroom observation records in sessions based on play strategies. The statistical data of the t-test for related samples indicate a significant increase in oral communication scores between the pretest (M = 1.63, SD = 0.68) and the posttest (M = 3.68, SD = 0.58; t (18) = -12.43, p < .001), accompanied by a reduction in intragroup variance. Regarding the qualitative data, it was determined that the playful strategies used in the intervention reduced the affective filter by reducing dependence on translation into Spanish and shifted the attention of the classroom from fear of error to communicative intention. The results suggest that structured play activities provide a viable pedagogical framework to activate oral production at basic education levels.