Pedagogical Approaches and Effective Digital Tools to Develop Speaking Skills of ESP Learners

Аннотация

This article is more about integrating digitalization into English classes to enhance speaking COPYRIGHT skills of ESP learners, and this concern is discussed as an © 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms important pedagogical problem. This paper indicates of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License. more about the impact of digital tools to improve English language, specifically, speaking skills. In this work, challenges while ESP students are learning English to develop their communication skills for their own purposes, and proper ways and theoretical approaches to get engaged in learning faster and in productive ways are stated clearly. Keywords: Digitalization, English classes, speaking skills, communication, Flipgrid, pedagogy, problems, challenges, digital tools, technology, professors, students, ESP (English for specific problems), Technology-Enhanced Speaking Development (TESD), virtual reality (VR), ADEPT (Assistive Design for English Phonetic Tools), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning), development, ELSA Speak, Google scholar, approaches, traditional, alternative, methods. Introduction: In today's world, digital technologies are deeply penetrating all areas of education. This is especially true in the field of foreign language learning and teaching in ESP (English for specific purposes), where modern tools make the process more efficient, engaging, and accessible. The influence of digital technologies is particularly significant in the acquisition and development of students' language skills. Among these skills, speaking or oral communication is considered a crucial and somewhat complex aspect of foreign language learning. As Bygate (2009) points out, among four main language European International Journal of Pedagogics 40 https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijp European International Journal of Pedagogics skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), conducted numerous observational and practice-based speaking remains the most difficult to master in second studies but have also carried out meta-analyses, language acquisition. Speaking is a "productive skill" a reviews, and syntheses (Blake, 2016; Payne, 2020). skill that produces language output, which makes it However, only a limited portion of this body of research especially important to enhance it rapidly and has placed the concept of improving oral effectively through digital technologies. This communication skills through digital technologies as a represents one of the key current challenges in distinct and systematically central focus. Therefore, a pedagogy. comprehensive analysis of TESD applications can help clearly determine the role of available technological According to Shahini and Shahamirian (2017), the tools in the development of speaking proficiency, development of oral (speaking) skills in second ultimately assisting learners in selecting the most language, learning through digital technologies is a appropriate resources. widely discussed academic issue. Students who aim to learn a foreign language often seek methods and Research findings also indicate that different types of approaches to improve their speaking skills in tasks exert varying effects on the enhancement of the interesting, fast, and effective ways (Liao, 2009). This second language speaking skills (Chau, 2021), which pursuit encourages the advancement of technologies suggests that educators must make well-informed designed to enhance oral communication (Alrasheedi, choices when selecting activities for TESD. Moreover, 2020). the outcomes of TESD-focused studies still remain underexplored in many respects. While certain scholars, Acquiring speaking skills is recognized as a highly such as Blake (2016) and others, have highlighted the complex process. It requires deep knowledge, the overall positive impacts of TESD, some—such as Lim et development and refinement of cognitive frameworks, al. (2022)—have expressed more critical perspectives. and the coordination of complex cognitive operations (Alimohamadi & Poordaryiaenejad, 2015; Umaira, A thorough analysis of the existing empirical studies on 2020). Considering the importance of learning oral the digital enhancement of speaking skills is essential for communication in a foreign language and the addressing these conflicting viewpoints. Such an difficulties involved, analyzing and exploring the analysis would also help reinforce confidence in the use necessary and effective activities, methods, of TESD technologies among both academic and techniques, and resources has become one of the most practical stakeholders. As previously emphasized, pressing educational tasks today. engaging in communication in a second language is a cognitively demanding activity. It involves both top- Since the early 2000s, researchers have been down processes those that rely on prior knowledge and developing the concept of Technology-Enhanced existing language sk