Use of Interactive Techniques in Teaching English Spoken Language in Primary Schools

Interactive activities are paramount in the teaching of speaking skills. This is because the learners are actively involved in the lesson. This study sought to investigate techniques used in teaching English spoken language in primary schools Standard One in Mwea East District, Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: establish the nature of teaching techniques used by teachers during English speaking skills lessons in standard one, and to identify the challenges teachers of English face in the teaching of speaking skills in standard one. The theory that guided this study was the social learning theory as advanced by Vygotsky. A descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The sample was selected using stratified sampling techniques and random sampling technique. The respondents were: Standard one teachers. The data was collected by use of questionnaire which was administered to the standard one teachers in the sample and observation schedule were used in observing standard one teachers during the oral English lessons Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The data was then presented descriptively and summarized as frequencies and percentages in tables and graphs. The study found out that most standard one teachers did not use the interactive techniques as stipulated in the syllabus. The teachers also found difficulties in involving the learners in the suggested interactive activities during the lessons. The study also identified some of the challenges faced by standard one teachers that hindered the teaching of oral skills The study recommends that teachers prepare for the oral lessons, use interactive activities and teaching and learning resources to enhance dialogue among the learners. Keywords: Interactive Techniques, Teaching, Spoken Languag