The Impact of Using Task-Based Activities on Iranian EFL Learners’ Speaking Skill

: This study explored the impacts of task-based activities on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ speaking skill. To do the current study, the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was given to 75 students and 50 intermediate participants whose scores were between 40 and 47 were selected. Then, the participants were randomly divided into two groups; one experimental group and one control group. Then they were given three topics to talk about in two minutes as a speaking pre-test. Afterwards, the experimental group received the treatment through task-based activities while the control group received a traditional instruction. The whole instruction lasted eight sessions. In the first two sessions, the OQPT and the pre-test were administered, respectively; in five sessions, the participants received the treatment, and in the eighth session, the post-test of speaking was given to the participants of both groups to measure the effects of the treatment on their speaking improvement. The collected data were analyzed through independent and paired samples t-tests and the results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group on the posttest. In other words, there was a significant difference between the speaking post-test of the two groups. The implications, the conclusions, the limitations, and the suggestions of the research were explained.


Introduction
Speaking, among the four major skills, seems mostly favored as every English language learner aspires to be effective in communication with others in oral mode. The importance of teaching speaking skill is that the language is acquired through speaking and listening before one learns reading and writing (Brown & Yule, 1983). Speaking is perceived as measurement of people's language mastery. Speaking is also the most important language skill that needs to be controlled, and they assess learning achievement based on mastery of speaking skills (Burnkart, 1998;Namaziandost et al., 2021b). People who know the language are referred to as "speaker" of that language, as if speaking included all other kinds of knowing; learners regard speaking as the criteria for knowing a language and progress is assessed in terms of success in spoken communication. Therefore, it is important if teachers teach students how to speak strategically for effective communication. One approach to teach speaking is Task-based language teaching (TBLT) approach which provides many advantages for teachers who make the students enthusiastic because TBLT approach offers the language experience in the classroom. TBLT focuses on learners using language naturally in pairs or group work and allowing them to share ideas (Nunan, 2004;Namaziandost, Shafiee, & Ziafar, 2020). It encourages them to be actively involved in the learning process.
TBLT is one of the most effective and meaningful language teaching approaches in recent years, which emphasizes on learning by doing and performing with language (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). Communicative language teaching advocates taskbased language instruction. Teachers can provide their students with task-based activities, which will make any syllabus more effective by making it student-centered, relevant and motivating. TBLT offers an effective means to motivate students to learn and gives them confidence to succeed (Larsen-Freeman, 2000;Namaziandost, Sawalmeh, & Izadpanah Soltanabadi, 2020). A task-based approach for teaching speaking tries to encounter learners with a natural authentic context. One of the best practices to provide interaction opportunities for learners is their group work to complete a task, as they must interact with each other, understand each other, express their own ideas, check their own comprehension, seek clarification, and assimilate the language that they listen and may be beyond their present ability (Larsen-Freeman, 2000).

Statement of the Problem
Some of Iranian EFL learners have lots of problems when they speak with their interlocutors in the target language. Many Iranian EFL learners are grammatically proficient and also, they know abundant English vocabulary items but they fail to communicate fluently. In addition, after studying English for some years, numerous EFL learners are not satisfied with their speaking proficiency level and become demotivated gradually.
In Iranian EFL context, few studies have been carried out to examine the effects of task-based speaking activities on speaking skill in general and on speaking fluency in specific (Hashemifardnia,

Objectives and Significance of the Study
The aim of the current study was to help Iranian EFL learners to improve their speaking skill through using task-based activities. Therefore, one main objective was followed in this study; this study investigated the effects of using task-based activities

Research Question and Null Hypothesis
This study aimed to answer the following research question:

Review of the Literature 2.1 Theoretical Background
Because task-based work involves holistic language processing, it can generate a rich range of learning processes (Long, 2009). One is the process of relating the language user's intention to meaning, and meaning to linguistic form. That is, in order to achieve task goals, during task communication, students identify relevant meanings, and try to map them to relevant words and phrases; indeed, much learning occurs by association, simply through exposure to language input that has not been disarticulated from context, content, and purpose (i.e., the holistic task). This leads learners to explore relationships between words and meanings, interrelating meanings and appropriate language, and learning how to do things with words (Long, 2009 Task work can also help develop learners' fluency, complexity, accuracy, and appropriacy of language use. Research (Robinson, 2011;Skehan, 2014) showed that learners' attention can be drawn differentially to fluency, complexity, or accuracy in their performance with language by varying the kinds of task. Certain kinds of relatively simple tasks may tend to prioritize accuracy and fluency in performance, while more complex tasks (e.g., containing unstructured content or multiple elements to deal with) may lead to more grammatically complex, less fluent, and less accurate language, thereby helping to push interlanguage development (Robinson, 2011). Task conditions are also influential: pre-task planning time can lead to greater complexity and fluency, but less accuracy, whereas lack of time pressure results in greater accuracy.
The two factors which could determine the success of English language learners according to BBC British council are speaking accuracy and fluency. In second and foreign language teaching, speaking accuracy refers to the ability to produce grammatically correct sentences (Richards & Schmidt, 2002). However, Harmer (2000) pointed that accuracy involves the correct use of vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, which are considered by Thornbury (2000) as three criteria that most teachers have reliance on concerning the assessment of learner's command of the linguistic systems.
Therefore, to be accurate in oral production, to be understood and to gain interest of their interlocutors; learners should pay attention to correctness and completeness of the language form; they should be knowledgeable and master the use of: According to Thornbery (2000), fluency is the "capability to produce language in real time without undue pausing or hesitation" (p. 3). In other words, speaking fluently is the faculty of using the language spontaneously and confidently while communicating one's thought, ideas or opinions in several contexts.
It implies talking without making a lot of stops to think too much about what one's is saying and without worrying too much about errors (accuracy) until it becomes unnatural speech.
As pointed by Richards and Schmidt (2002) fluency is "the features which give speech the qualities of being natural and normal, including native-like use of pausing, rhythm, intonation, stress, rate of speaking, and use of interjections and interruptions

Experimental Background
Regarding the effectiveness of TBLT and taskbased activities, some experimental studies were conducted. Gunawan (2016)  pre-test of speaking was administered to measure the participants' English speaking. Afterwards, the treatment was started; in the first session of the treatment, the task of "buying" was given to the participants to be performed in a near authentic context. The researchers provided the context in which the participants could buy things such as pens, notebooks, and pencil cases. In the second, the third, and the fourth sessions of the treatment, the task of "ordering food", "ordering a bus ticket", and "visiting a doctor" were given to the participants, respectively. Though some experimental studies were conducted to examine the effects of task-based activities on language learning, little attention has been paid to

Instruments
The first instrument which was used in the learners whose scores were 0 to 10 were considered as beginners; the learners whose scores were 10 to 29 were elementary; those learners whose scores were 30 to 39 were pre-intermediate; the students whose scores were 40 to 47 were intermediate; the learners whose scores were 48 to 54 were considered as the advanced learners and those whose scores were 55 to The fourth instrument was the speaking checklist (Hughes, 2003). It was used to aid the raters score the participants' speech. The raters scored the participants' speech based on the mentioned speaking checklist.

Data Collection Procedure
To do this study, first, the OQPT was administered in order to manifest the participants' homogeneity in terms of English language proficiency. Fifty participants out of 75 were selected for the target population of the current study. The participants were then randomly divided into two equal groups-one experimental and one control.
Afterwards, the groups were pretested by a speaking pre-test. Then, the participants of the experimental group received the treatment based on the task-based activities.
In each session, the experimental group was given a topic to be discussed in the group. For example, in the first session of the treatment, the task of "buying a ticket" was given to the students to do it in a near authentic context. The researchers provided the context in which the students could buy a ticket.
Five topics were worked in the similar way. The topics were "buying a ticket, buying clothes, making food, ordering food in a restaurant, and going to a picnic." The control group on the other hand was taught through a traditional instruction. They were required to do the activities individually without cooperation with their classmates. At the end of the treatment, a post-test of speaking was administered to both groups in order to determine the effects of task-based instruction on their speaking skill.
The whole instruction toke eight sessions. In the first two sessions, the OQPT and the pre-test were administered, respectively; in five sessions, the participants received the treatment, and in the eighth session, the post-test of speaking was given to the participants of both groups to determine the impacts of the treatment on their speaking skill.

Data Analysis Procedure
The gathered data were analyzed through using SPSS software, version 22. Firstly, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test was used to check the quality of data normality. Secondly, descriptive statistics was calculated. Thirdly, paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test were run to measure the effects of the treatment on the students' speaking skill.

Results of the Study
In this part, both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the gathered data. K-S test was used to check the normality of the pre and post-tests scores. Descriptive statistics were calculated and compared. Values such as means and standard deviations were computed to summarize the participants' scores on the tests. Details are presented below.   In table 2, the descriptive statistics of both groups is presented. The control group's mean score is 13.08 and the experimental group's mean score is 13.56. This means that the both groups were at almost the same level before receiving the treatment. In Table 3, an independent samples t-test was used to show the scores of both groups on the pretest. Since the Sig (.509) is greater than 0.05, the difference between the groups is not significant at (p<0.05). In fact, both groups had equal performances on the pre-test.   Table 5 indicates that the difference between the both groups is significant at (p<0.05) since Sig (.000) is less than 0.05. In fact, the experimental group had better performance than the control group on the post-test. Based on the descriptive statistics in the above  is greater than 0.05, while the difference between the post-test and the pre-test of the experimental group is significant since Sig (.000) is less than 0.05.

Discussion of the Results
In order to answer the research question, the researchers compared the scores of two groups on the pre and post-tests. After analyzing the data, the results showed that there was not a significant difference between the performances of both groups on the pre-test, but in contrast there was a significant difference between the performances of the two groups on the post-tests. Since the experimental group outperformed the control group, teaching through using task-based activities is supposed to improve the speaking skill of Iranian EFL learners.
Task-based activities enabled EFL learners to improve their speaking skill successfully. Doing tasks can involve the students in learning process.
Also, task-based learning can provide students with opportunities to use language creatively. The findings gained highlight the potential benefits of task-based activities in language classes which can positively affect language improvement among EFL learners.
The results of the present study are in line with Gunawan (2016) who investigated the effect of using task-based language teaching approach in developing students' speaking skill and to explore students' attitude toward the use of task-based language teaching approach in teaching English speaking. The result of the research showed that the use of task-based language teaching approach in teaching speaking significantly improved the students' speaking skill.
The findings of the present study are supported by Namazian Dost (2017)

Conclusion
With reference to the results of the study, it can be concluded that Iranian EFL learners can benefit from task-based activities in speaking skill.
Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that the use of task-based activities in teaching and learning can produce positive results because they could improve students' speaking skill.
The positive effects of using task-based activities became obvious after six sessions. Those students who were taught through task-based activities could speak more accurately and fluently after the treatment. Here, it can be claimed that receiving instruction through using task-based activities can facilitate English learning. The findings of the present study proved the benefits of incorporating task-based activities both in teaching and learning. As a result, it is recommended that teachers and students use taskbased activities for better teaching and learning.

Implications of the Study
This study has some implications for teachers and students. Through tasks, teachers can encourage cooperative learning among the students. The results of the study are beneficial for the students. Doing task-based activities can help the students to be involved in learning process. Students tend to be active and participate with great motivation towards tasks and activities in a class environment. Tasks offer a platform for students to display their skills through their efforts and develops them further.
Language learners work and co-operate with each other in groups which builds bonds between them.
When working in groups they are able to display and produce meaningful interaction on a given topic.
Also, the class work together and assess the whole outcome of the lesson. Material developers can incorporate task-based activities and exercises in the English textbooks.

Study
Like any other study, this study also has a number of limitations, some of which could influence the findings and restrict the generalizability of the results.
Firstly, in the present study, the number of the Thirdly, only female students were included in this study, therefore; the results may not be generalizable to the male students. Fourthly, only 14 to 17 years old students were included in this study.
Next studies are needed to verify the current study results and to continue exploring the impacts of task-based activities on other skills and sub-skills.
The future research should also extend the amount of time to determine maintenance of treatment effects.