Developing English-Speaking Proficiency in Pre and Post Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenology

Abstract

While several research studies have been conducted, there is a scarcity of studies examining changes in students’ English-speaking proficiency during both the pre-pandemic and post- pandemic periods through in-depth interviews. This research aims to address this gap by exploring the experiences of BAEL-4 students in developing English speaking proficiency through a qualitative design, specifically the interpretative phenomenological method. Ten informants were purposively selected for in-depth interviews. The qualitative data collected from the interviews were transcribed and encoded using a word document to organize codes and identify emerging themes. The study revealed five themes before the pandemic: “Language Instruction and Audio- visual Methods, Enhancing English communication and proficiency with confidence, Enhancing English elocution through diverse communicative experiences, Self-led Study and Deliberate Teaching Practice Online, Improving English language acquisition through self-reflective digital resource use. And five themes after the pandemic: “Virtual Education and Digital Media Resources, Heightening and Deteriorating Spoken English Proficiency Amidst Social Distancing, Enhancing online speaking skills due to reduced physical social interaction, Varieties of language- learning activities, Blended Learning Approach” These findings contribute to the existing literature on language learning and provide recommendations for educators and policymakers to enhance English language education in similar crisis situations.