A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF L2 SPEAKING PROFICIENCY AMONG PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN
Keywords:
L2 Speaking Proficiency, Public Schools, Private Schools, Teaching Methodologies, Medium of Instruction, English Language Learning.Abstract
This study investigates the factors that influence L2 speaking proficiency in 9th and 10th grade students at public and private secondary schools in Lahore, Pakistan. The study focuses on the effect of schooling type and the role of teaching methodologies and the medium of instruction in developing students' English-speaking proficiency. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research design was employed. The sample comprised 80 students, including 40 students from public schools and 40 students from private schools. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, while an Independent Samples t-test and Simple Linear Regression Analysis were employed to examine the research objectives. The findings revealed that private school students demonstrated comparatively higher L2 speaking proficiency than public school students. The results further indicated that teaching methodologies and the medium of instruction significantly influenced students' speaking proficiency. Greater exposure to communicative teaching practices and English-medium classroom interaction contributed positively to oral language development, whereas traditional teaching methods and frequent use of Urdu limited opportunities for effective English communication. The study concludes that improving communicative teaching practices, strengthening English language exposure, and providing continuous teacher professional development can enhance students' L2 speaking proficiency at the secondary school level.
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