Collaborative Oral Presentations as a Strategy to Evaluate English in Mexican High Schoolers

Abstract

This study took place in a Mexican high school that faces difficulties to evaluate speaking skills. Therefore, the investigation’s purpose was to describe how collaborative oral presentations for evaluation improve foreign language educational experience. A qualitative approach was embarked on following an action research design since such methodology is applied when addressing education problems in a systematic, cycled, and self-reflective manner. Data analysis was conducted by coding and categorizing information collected through participant observation and documents from educational practice. Results revealed how collaborative presentations allowed a transformative speaking skill evaluation, plus they also contributed to improve the English language teaching-learning experience. In conclusion, oral presentations fulfilled the absence of an institutionalized evaluation, a reason for which other teachers are welcomed to undertake this strategy; however, findings may vary according to their contexts.