Effects of Socio–affective Strategies Training on Speaking Ability and Anxiety Reduction among

Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners

ByMehrdad Moloudi, PhD

Parisa Haji Mohamad EbrahimIslamic Azad University, Karaj Branch (Iran)

Background of the Study:What are Socio-affective Strategies?

What are Socio-affective

Strategies

Cooperating with others

Asking for questions

Empathizing with others

Lowering your anxiety

Taking your emotional

temperature

Encouraging yourself

Background of the Study:Why Socio-affective Strategies?

Problems associated

with traditional way

of teaching

Acknowledged benefits of

socio-affective strategies

Socio-Affective Strategies

Statement of the Problem:Current Problems in Research and

Practice in Iranian Context

Lack of effective strategies

Learners’ anxiety

Lack of motivation

Objectives of the Study

To investigate the effects of socio-affective strategies training on speaking ability of Iranian intermediate EFL learners

To investigate the effects of socio-affective strategies training on anxiety reduction of Iranian intermediate EFL learners

Methodology:Research Design and Procedure

Number of Sessions ActivitiesSession1 Proficiency testSession2 PretestsSession3-19 TreatmentSession20 Posttests

Design: quasi-experimentalApproach: quantitative method

Variables

Variables

Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Socio-affective

Strategies

Speaking ability

Anxiety reduction

Proportion of the Target Populationto the Accessible Participants

tSample

Target Population

All intermediate learners enrolled in fall semester in 2013 in English Language Institute (N=80)

Intermediate learners who were accepted to take part in the study after proficiency test (N=44)

Sampling Technique:Nonprobability convenient sampling

Instrumentation

Pretests

Treatment

Posttests

Speaking section of TOEFL IBTAnxiety questionnaireSocio-affective questionnaire

Socio-affective strategies practice

Speaking section of TOEFL IBTAnxiety questionnaireSocio-affective questionnaire

Data CollectionWeek Treatment (half an hour) and data collection

X1 X21 TOEFL PBT TOEFL PBT

2 TOEFL IBT (Speaking), Anxiety and Socio-affective questionnaires

TOEFL IBT (Speaking), Anxiety and Socio-affective questionnaires

3 SAS NSAS4 SAS NSAS5 SAS NSAS6 SAS NSAS7 SAS NSAS8 SAS NSAS

9 SAS NSAS10 SAS NSAS11 SAS NSAS12 SAS NSAS13 SAS NSAS14 SAS NSAS15 SAS NSAS16 SAS NSAS17 SAS NSAS18 SAS NSAS19 SAS NSAS20 TOEFL IBT (Speaking),

Anxiety and Socio-affective questionnaires

TOEFL IBT (Speaking), Anxiety and Socio-affective questionnaires

Data Analysis

RQ1 (quantitative)

Mixed within-between groups ANOVA

RQ2 (quantitative)

Wilcoxin test and Man-whitney U test

1. Socio-affective strategies improved the speaking ability of Iranian intermediate EFL learners.

Mean Std. Deviation

N

Experimental Pretest Posttest TotalControl Pretest Posttest Total

1.68183.40912.54551.79552.15911.9773

.45107

.683761.04447.64842.80750.74673

222244222244

In line with the literature:Ikala.R.(2010); Hamzah, M., Shamshiri, K., & Noordin , N. (2009) ; Habte-Gabr.E (2008)

2. Socio-affective strategies reduced the anxiety of Iranian intermediate EFL learners

Group N Mean Rank Sum of Ranks

12

2222

15.9829.2

351.50638.50

anxietyMann-Whitney UWilcoxin WZAsymp. Sig.(2-tailed)

98.500351.500-3.374.001

In line with the literature:Saeidi, M., Khaliliaqdam,S. (2013); Phillips, E.M. (1992).

Result of Socio-affective Strategies Questionnaire

Group N Mean Rank Sum of Ranks

12

2222

30.2514.75

665.50324.50

AnxietyMann-Whitney UWilcoxin WZAsymp. Sig.(2-tailed)

71.500324.500-4.014.000

Pedagogical Implications

Help identify effective language learning strategies and materials or reflect the curriculum that is actually being implemented in the classroom.

Help learners to develop their group work activity. In another words, they can share their experiences, cooperate with each other, asking for clarification, and encouraging each other before start speaking in front of the teacher and other students.

Help learners to control and reduce their anxiety by practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, making positive statement, and discussing their feeling to someone else.

Provide information on the strength and weaknesses of each individual student.

Suggestions

First

Second

Fourth

Third

Focusing on another strategy such as cognitive or metacognitive.

Focusing on another skill such as listening or reading.

Focusing on another affective factor such as motivation and self-steem.

Focusing on gender, proficiency level and age of the students.

Thanks For Your Attentiondr.moloudi@yahoo.com

ebrahimy_parisa@yahoo.com