Teaching foreign language speaking skills through peer-tutoring

Introduction. Teaching foreign language speaking skills to students of the same academic group having different levels of language proficiency within a restricted time period is an urgent problem for non-linguistic universities. Its solution requires an interdisciplinary approach and the integration of modern pedagogical, psychological and linguistic knowledge. The aim of the study is to prove experimentally the effectiveness of peer assisted learning organized within the regular classroom settings. Materials and Methods. The study is concerned with a peer assisted learning strategy aimed at the development of EFL speaking skills of low-skilled students. Unlike international practice of extra-curricular peer tutoring the given strategy is used among well-acquainted students within the regular classroom settings. Peer assisted learning is based on both qualitative and quantitative methods such as data collection of both foreign and Russian teachers, linguists and psychologists, analysis and generalizations along with the communicative language teaching method, experiment and observation. Results. As a result, the criteria for selection of peer tutors were formulated, a new structural component of peer assisted learning was developed and implemented, stages of teaching EFL speaking skills were pointed out, vocabulary and exercises appropriate to students' knowledge and experience were selected. The researched model of peer assisted learning made it possible to integrate basic principles of the communicative method. Discussion and Conclusions. Through peer assisted learning tutees benefit by developing and practicing communicative skills, increasing motivation. All tutors and tutees are actively engaged in work, develop responsibility and collaboration, and improve academic achievements. The effectiveness is provided by systematic peer assisted learning, coordinated work of students in pairs/threes, taking top-down and bottom-up approaches to teaching speaking, proper selection of vocabulary and exercises. The obtained results contribute to the study of problems of teaching speaking and motivate further study of peer tutoring and making additional experiments.