Speaker
Description
This classroom study investigates the impact of personalised, handwritten homework on learner engagement and speaking fluency in two A2–B1 university classes. Students completed eight 100-word texts on self-chosen topics and used them to prepare for mingling tasks focused on different CEFR mediation criteria. The presentation will show findings indicate higher homework completion, increased confidence, and perceived fluency gains, while highlighting motivational differences between classes and a learner preference for greater scaffolding alongside free choice.
Short summary
This classroom study investigates the impact of personalised, handwritten homework on learner engagement and speaking fluency in two A2–B1 university classes. Students completed eight 100-word texts on self-chosen topics and used them to prepare for mingling tasks focused on different CEFR mediation criteria. The presentation will show findings indicate higher homework completion, increased confidence, and perceived fluency gains, while highlighting motivational differences between classes and a learner preference for greater scaffolding alongside free choice.
Special scheduling requests
I hope to do an unvetted presentation for the Critical Thinking SIG, so as long as it wouldn't clash with that.
Keywords
CEFR
Mediation
Speaking Fluency
Autonomy
Abstract
This exploratory classroom study investigates the impact of personalised, handwritten homework on learner engagement and speaking fluency in two A2–B1 university EFL classes. The action research responds to challenges observed in my Japanese university classes, such as limited motivation to complete homework, topic unfamiliarity, and learner shyness. It also addresses the observation that small talk, often practised only at the beginning of courses through “getting-to-know-you” activities, is rarely revisited later despite its centrality in real-world communication.
Over eight iterations at the end of a semester, students completed 100-word handwritten texts on self-chosen topics, which were used as preparation for in-class mingling activities. Each session encouraged a different mediation-related criterion from the CEFR Companion Volume (Council of Europe, 2020), focusing on managing interaction, adding detail, and adapting meaning for different interlocutors. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining homework completion data, a post-study questionnaire, and teacher reflection.
This presentation shares findings indicating higher completion rates for the personalised handwritten task than for other homework types, with sustained engagement throughout the intervention. Quantitative data suggest perceived improvements in speaking fluency and confidence, as well as greater interest compared to textbook-based discussion topics. Qualitative responses indicate that written preparation supported idea generation and confidence during informal interaction, which may reduce processing pressure during speaking (Segalowitz, 2010). Despite similar proficiency levels, differences emerged between the two classes in motivation and confidence, and several students expressed a preference for increased scaffolding alongside learner choice, which this presentation will discuss in terms of practical task design.
References
Council of Europe. (2020). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume. Council of Europe Publishing. https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages Segalowitz, N. (2010). The cognitive bases of second language fluency. Routledge.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday or Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | Personalised handwritten homework for CEFR mediation and speaking fluency |