Approach to learning of oral communication in Adult Secondary Education: A case study

Abstract

The students of Adult Secondary Education generally are, due to their features and personal circumstances, closer to get to the job market. Therefore, educational programs must include those skills which allow to reach a higher level of employability. There is no doubt that, these days, skills in oral communication are one of the requirements more requested by companies. This research aims to identify the main problems that the students of Adult Secondary Education face while preparing a formal speech. This study follows a qualitative methodology based on the case study, where direct observation, participant observation and semi-structured interview are the techniques used. The production process, the psychological factors and the influence of technology are included in the interview’s questionnaire. Results show that the way that student process and organize the information and the lack of oral activities during the scholar year are the main problems that they found to develop their skills in oral communication in formal situations.