Abstract:

It has been noticed that ESL students at Qatari Schools lack the opportunities to practice speaking. Therefore, the aim of this project is to improve the speaking skill of primary students in English Language, and increase students’ involvement, attention and interest, through using puppetry “Finger Puppet” in classroom and home in Qatar.

The examination of literature revealed the effectiveness of using puppetry as a teaching strategy to enhance speaking for schoolchildren applied in different countries. By using this method in ESL classes, students will have the chance of communication with each other in an innovative, stimulating and attractive way. Improving speaking skills for the ESL learners takes a lot of classroom practice, motivation to speak, and skill. Puppetry was found as an incredible method that takes into account the different learning styles which makes it real and practical technique that can be applied everywhere (at school and at home as well as relating the presentation to the language standards and other aspects of practical life). Moreover, the review confirmed that puppetry “Finger Puppet” generates a sense of liminality as it carries ideas and concepts and enables a participant to “absorb” ideas and thoughts around abstract or distant concepts. Literature review was a useful aid in being able to select an appropriate project approach.

“Finger Puppet” was applied in ten primary classrooms with six primary teachers from one school in Qatar. The project included three phases: before, during, and after. Before starting the project, teachers conducted a speaking test and designed a rubric for speaking. The test was applied by teachers on ten classes with the author supervision. The during phase consisted of real practice using “Finger Puppet” in combination between the classroom and home (family members). The last phase involved re-testing the classes using the same test. The test was checked and marked according to the rubric. In addition, a questionnaire was designed and sent to families in order to express their opinions towards the applied strategy. It was filled by teachers as well. Results have shown that many students were stimulated by their finger puppets to spend time at home caring about them and willing to practice what they have learned during the school day. The next day, students returned to class with video clips as they have been asked to film themselves while practicing. Further, an increase in the test results was observed. On the other hand, puppets enhanced the communication between both teacher to students and students to students because of the comfortable atmosphere that was created. It is recommended that this project approach will be applied to other Qatar Schools to improve students’ involvement, attention and interest, through implementing (finger puppets).