Enhancing Speaking Skills of Learners in Group Activities through the Use of Group, Individual, Leader (Gil) Rubric

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Teaching English language has aimed to master the different macro skills of language; listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing. From these macro skills, speaking is the most direct and useful forms of communication that help learners to gain competence and even confidence in expressing ideas using the 2nd language. This skill is interrelated with the mandate of cooperative learning approach in teaching to encourage learners’ active participation. Yet, group work has its own drawbacks, those good in speaking become better and best due to constant practice and those who need improvement remain to their levels due to lack of confidence and fear to fail teachers’ expectations. Hence, rubric is an important tool for assessment to address these needs.

METHODS

The study employed quantitative approach to determine any increase or decrease in the students' performance. Likewise, non-experimental research design was used since the MPS for two grading periods in the students' oral performance were used to measure the results. It was aided with triangulation method in which responses from the interviews were coded for interpretation. Purposive sampling was utilized using the class with the lowest MPS as respondents.

RESULTS

The use of teacher-created Group, Individual, Leader (GIL) Rubric fairly enhanced the speaking skills of learners in terms of grammar and content. Motivation, task distribution, and transparency were good factors to enhance learners' confidence to speak. Specific guidelines and instructions were very useful for the leaders to assess fairly each member's contribution. The score from the teacher on individual performance was very effective to encourage the learners to give their best. Score for the group performance motivated all the members to work as one.

DISCUSSIONS

A rubric is a set of standards of a performance for a defined population. With rubrics, communication with students on their expectations and how they will be graded becomes easy for teachers. The teacher-made GIL rubric brings out scores from the teacher for the whole group performance and individual performance during the actual presentation and scores from the leader for each member based on contribution during the preparation. It provides guidelines for how students are supposed to do certain tasks appropriately. A structured methodology and effective approaches will progressively encourage group members' participation especially in oral presentation. The more active and participative the learners are in such activities; the more speaking skills will be enhanced.