A Competence-Based, Technology-Mediated Speaking Intervention in Vietnamese EFL Classrooms: a Comparative Study of Collaborative and Expert-Novice Dyads

Vu Tran; Kwanjira Chatpunnarangsee

doi:10.66947/pasaa.v72i1.3172

Authors

Tran Anh Vu Thu Dau Mot University
Kwanjira Chatpunnarangsee Thammasat University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66947/pasaa.v72i1.3172

Keywords:

expert-novice dyad, collaborative dyad, CBLT, mobile social networking site, speaking performance

Abstract

This study investigates speaking development during participation in a speaking instructional model combining Competence-Based Language Teaching (CBLT), dyadic interaction, and mobile social networking site (Zalo)-based speaking practice for secondary EFL learners in Vietnam, where students have few opportunities for authentic oral communication despite years of studying English. Two classes of seventy-two Grade 8 learners (36 in each class) participated in a 12-week program. Both classes followed the same CBLT and Zalo-based speaking curriculum but worked in different dyads: collaborative peer pairs or expert–novice pairs with English-major university buddies. Data included pre- and post-speaking tests, focus group interviews, and weekly Zalo speaking recordings. Quantitative results of pre- and post-test scores suggested that the model was associated with significant improvements in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and interactive communication for both dyads, with expert–novice dyads showing larger gains in accuracy-related areas. Qualitative data, analyzed via thematic analysis, showed that the three components operated as an interdependent ecology: CBLT provided the pedagogical structure, dyadic interaction functioned as the mechanism for linguistic development, and Zalo served as the low-pressure delivery environment. These findings offer promising evidence regarding the feasibility of this instructional ecology for supporting speaking development in resource-limited contexts.

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