USING A TASK-BASED APPROACH AND AUTHENTIC MATERIALS TO ENHANCE FLUENTLY ENGLISH PROFICIENCY OF THAI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS STUDYING ENGLISH AS A SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN MARIE UPATHAM SCHOOL, NAKHONPATHOM, THAILAND
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Abstract
The objectives of this study were to compare the mean scores of students' English proficiency tests before and after receiving instruction using the task-based approach and authentic materials, and to study students' attitudes toward the instructional method. This study employed a pre-experimental design (one-group pretest-posttest). The sample comprised 50 eleventh-grade students from Marie Upatham School during the first semester of the 2024 academic year, selected through purposive sampling. The instruments used for this study were: 1) the 24 periods of lesson plans using the task-based approach and authentic materials, 2) the pre-post English proficiency tests, and 3) the questionnaire on students' attitudes toward the task-based approach and authentic materials. The data were analyzed by paired sample t-test, mean, and standard deviation. The results revealed that the mean score of students' English proficiency tests after learning with the task-based approach and authentic materials was higher than before at the 0.05 level of significance, and the students’ attitudes toward the task-based approach and authentic materials were highly positive. This study provided insights into improving English proficiency through the task-based approach and authentic materials, offering innovative perspectives for educators and researchers to optimize pedagogical practices and educational outcomes.
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