The Use of Memory Strategies Training in Enhancing Speaking Skill among Year 6 ESL Learners

Abstract

Speaking skill is an intrinsic part of communication among humankind. Undeniably, speaking fluently requires people to have a vast amount of vocabulary as it is important for message interpretation and communication as a whole. In Malaysia, it is undoubtable that learners are able to achieve high proficiency in English in spite of being non-native speakers but the same does not apply to all. The number of learners that struggle to acquire English certainly outnumbers high proficiency level learners. The fundamental problem to this situation leads to the very basics itself, lack of vocabulary knowledge, thus hindering learners from speaking English efficiently. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether Memory Strategies Training (MST) could help Year 6 ESL learners in speaking skill by enhancing their vocabulary. A quantitative approach was carried out with the participation of 40 Year 6 learners from a primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. The 15 speaking strategy items questionnaire were adapted from Cohen & Oxford's Young Learners' Language Strategy Use Survey. The outcome of this study shows that this memory learning strategy is crucial in raising the learner's competency to an ideal level. Henceforth, the study was able to identify an appropriate language learning strategy for improving the Year 6 learners’ speaking skill thus aids in elevating their confidence in using English in their daily conversation