ABSTRACT
Research into pupils’ perceptions of speaking in the foreign language presents us with something of a paradox. Anecdotal evidence suggests that most learners feel that being able to communicate orally is an important goal in foreign language learning. It is something that many learners see as enjoyable (Chambers, 1999). Yet it is also the skill in which learners at the end of Key Stage 4 feel they have had the least success (Graham, 2002). OFSTED (2004) reports that many pupils lack confidence in speaking at length or with fluency, with few showing the ability to use the target language independently.
