EVALUATING THE ROLE OF ROLE-PLAY AND SIMULATION IN DEVELOPING ESP SPEAKING COMPETENCE
Abstract
In the context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), particularly for students in technical and professional fields, the development of oral communication skills remains a significant pedagogical challenge. Traditional ESP instruction often relies heavily on grammar-based and translation-focused methods, which fail to provide learners with the necessary interactional competence required for real-life professional settings. This study explores the effectiveness of role-play and simulation activities in enhancing the speaking competence of university students studying in architecture-related programs.
Drawing on communicative language teaching principles and task-based learning theory, the study implemented a series of interactive role-play and simulation scenarios that reflected authentic architectural contexts—such as client consultations, project presentations, and technical discussions. A quasi-experimental design was applied, with pre- and post-assessments used to evaluate improvements in fluency, accuracy, vocabulary range, and communicative confidence.
The findings indicate that the integration of role-play and simulation significantly contributed to students’ speaking performance, increasing their motivation, willingness to speak, and ability to handle ESP-specific tasks with greater confidence. These results suggest that incorporating such interactive strategies can effectively bridge the gap between academic English and workplace communication demands.
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