Improving Efl Learner's Communicative Competence Through Simulations

Résumé: This dissertation is concerned with the use of simulation as a communicative technique in language classes and its advantages in enhancing foreign language learners' communicative competence. The present quasi-experimental study explores the use of simulation with the aim of transforming the traditional authority of the teacher in the language class to a more realistic, communicative and student-centred class and, at the same time, enhancing learners' communicative competence. A pretest-posttest research design is used. The sample population constitutes of two classes of first year LMD students of english at the university of Oum-El-Bouaghi. A total of fifty two students are involved in this study. Th experimental group was taught with the Simulation treatment for one semester; the control group was taught in the traditional way of teaching with no Simulation. Data are collected from two oral tasks and the statistical tool of the Independent Samples Test is used to determine whether there are significant inter-group differences. The results of the study show that the experimental group outperforms the control group significantly (p < .05). Simulation is thus recommended to be integrated, as a technique, into the English instruction as part of the curriculum. The present study ends with some suggestions for future research, limitations, and pedagogical implications of the study are presented.

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