Action Research for Implementing Task-Based Language Teaching and Enhancing Speaking Skills in a Class of 12<sup>th</sup> Grade English Students in an Angolan School

This study evaluated the use of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) to enhance the speaking skills of Grade 12 EFL students at Escola de Magistério Secundário No. 135 “Comandante Liberdade” in Lubango, Angola. The research was prompted by observations of students’ lack of speaking confidence, confirmed through informal interviews. Using an action research approach, the study included diagnostic and intervention phases, with data collected through pre- and post-tests, questionnaires, and observations. SPSS was used to analyse the data, with results compared using t-tests. The research involved 58 students, with 27 in the experimental group and 31 in the control group. Initial findings revealed challenges such as limited exposure to English, anxiety and motivation, pronunciation and the influence of their L1. TBLT tasks, including role-plays, problem-solving, creative task and group discussions, led to improvements in fluency, coherence, and accuracy, with the experimental group’s mean score increasing from 2.81 to 4.27. Post-intervention questionnaires showed reduced anxiety and increased confidence.