Developing listening and speaking skills of 6th grade primary school students by using student-centred activities: Burdur Gazi Primary School sample

This study aimed at understanding whether primary school 6th grade students? listening and speaking skills? achievements can be increased by using student-centred activities, and in this way, take them out from a state of passive to active learners. The study was carried on over 16 weeks during 2010-2011 fall and spring terms as two 8-week parts. In the first 8-week part in the fall term, listening skills, and in the second 8-week part in the spring term, speaking skills were dealt with. 48 students of 6th grade from Burdur Gazi Primary School participated. In the study, since the aim is to investigate data obtained by evaluating student achievements, quantitative research techniques were preferred. This study was applied as an experimental one with a pretest-posttest control group design. Students were chosen randomly. In the first part that listening skills were practiced, there were 24 students in each group, and in the second part that speaking skills were practiced, there were 22 students in both experimental and control groups. Experimental and control groups had pretests containing listening and speaking achievement tests in the first weeks of each period, and it was decided that there was no statistically significant difference between groups. With students in experimental group, for both parts of the study starting from the second week, listening and speaking lessons enhanced with student-centred activities were studied as completing tools to the subjects they studied from their coursebooks in one lesson time through 6 weeks. Control group, on the other hand, continued to have their lessons with usual techniques. In each part, in the weeks following 6 practice weeks, posttests containing listening and speaking achievement tests were given. Data gained from pretests and posttests were analysed by using Independent Samples T-test, Paired Samples T-test, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) via SPSS 16.0 statistical package program. In respect of the results evaluated, it was observed that there was a statistically significant difference between experimental and control groups in terms of listening skills? achievements of young adolescent learners, on the other hand, although both experimental and control groups had an increase in their achievement in speaking skills? achievements, the effect size of experimental groups? increase was higher than control groups?. In the light of these results, it was understood that in developing young adolescent learners? listening and speaking skills, lessons enriched with student-centred activities were effective in increasing achievement levels of students in those skills. Keywords: young learners, teaching language skills, developing listening skills, developing speaking skills, learner-centred activities