Evaluating The Effectiveness of The 'Guess Who/What' Game in Improving EFL Students' Speaking Skills

Authors

  • Nurul Masyithah Rery Universitas Riau
  • Hikmah Zalifah Putri Universitas Riau
  • Aulia Agustiani Universitas Riau

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31004/innovative.v5i1.17562

Keywords:

speaking, descriptive text, quantitative, game

Abstract

Speaking is a critical skill in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, yet many learners face challenges in fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, and pronunciation. This study investigates the effectiveness of the "Guess Who/What" game in improving the speaking performance of junior high school EFL students, focusing on descriptive texts. Using a quasi-experimental design, pre-test and post-test scores from 32 students were analyzed quantitatively. Two trained raters assessed performance using a standardized rubric across four criteria. Inter-rater reliability was calculated with Cohen's Kappa (κ = 0.88 for the pre-test and κ = 0.92 for the post-test). Results indicated significant improvements in all criteria, with the greatest gains in vocabulary (+15.6 points). A paired-sample t-test confirmed the statistical significance of the improvement (t = 13.45, p < 0.001). The findings highlight the potential of interactive games to enhance EFL speaking performance and provide practical insights for classroom implementation.

References

Derakhshan, A., Khalili, A., & Beheshti, F. (2016). Developing EFL learner’s speaking ability, accuracy, and fluency. English Language and Literature Studies, 6(2), 177-186. https://doi.org/10.5539/ells.v6n2p177

Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139858656

Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative language teaching today. Cambridge University Press.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2014). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (7th ed.). Pearson Education.

Wright, A., Betteridge, D., & Buckby, M. (2005). Games for language learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

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Published

2025-01-21

How to Cite

Rery, N. M., Putri, H. Z., & Agustiani, A. (2025). Evaluating The Effectiveness of The ’Guess Who/What’ Game in Improving EFL Students’ Speaking Skills. Innovative: Journal Of Social Science Research, 5(1), 2492–2500. https://doi.org/10.31004/innovative.v5i1.17562

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