Effectiveness of EFL Learners’ Attitudes towards Participating in English Club to Enhance their Speaking Skills: Muti Secondary School Grade 9 Students in focus

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of EFL learners’ attitudes towards participating in English clubs to enhance EFL learners’ speaking skills. To achieve this objective, an experimental research design was used. Pre and post-tests were the main instruments used to collect data from the participants to check the effectiveness of EFL learners’ attitudes towards participating in English clubs to enhance EFL learners’ speaking skills. In addition, a questionnaire was used to gather the data for the study to check the effectiveness of EFL learners’ participation in English clubs to enhance their attitudes. Out of one section of grade 9 students, all students were selected by a total or whole sampling technique. Next, the students were grouped into two as control and experimental groups by using randomization. The dependent variables of this study were students’ attitudes and students’ speaking skills whereas an independent variable was the English club. To analyze the data, quantitative method was used. The result of the study revealed that EFL learners who participated in the English club performed better than EFL learners who did not participate in the English club. Thus, EFL learners, who were unable to introduce themselves in front of their classmates without feeling fear before intervention, could able to introduce themselves using important expressions, and right intonations. In addition, students who mispronounced words and phrases before treatment were able to pronounce words and phrases correctly. On the other hand, the result from the questionnaire indicated that EFL learners had positive attitudes towards participating in English clubs after the intervention. Based on the findings, it was recommended that to enhance EFL learners’ attitudes and speaking skills, English clubs in all schools including elementary and secondary schools within the Zone level should be established as one of an extracurricular program. In addition, EFL teachers should create rules and regulations to manage the English club effectively. Moreover, the concerned bodies such as the school principals, supervisors, Woreda education office expertise, and Zone education department expertise should give special attention to establishing the English club and give continuous support and feedback to make the English club meaningful and effective. Furthermore, EFL teachers have to create awareness of learners towards participating in English clubs in the school.