Methodology for the Formation of Speech Competence of Primary School Students Based on An Integrative Approach

Abstract

This article presents an in-depth analysis of the foundations of the methodology of developing speech competence in elementary school students through an integrative approach. The integrative teaching approach combines different areas of study, creating a holistic learning environment that enhances students' linguistic, communicative, and cognitive abilities. By connecting language learning with subjects such as reading literacy, environmental studies, visual arts, and technology, an integrative approach strengthens students' motivation and supports the development of natural speech. The quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design involved 48 fourth-graders (24 experimental groups and 24 control groups) from two secondary schools, as well as 6 practitioner teachers. The findings showed that the integrative approach significantly improved students' speaking activity, coherence, grammatical accuracy, and cultural awareness, with a vocabulary gain of 28.1% in the experimental group compared to the control. The qualitative method reveals an increase in the frequency of discussion between students and the use of spontaneous vocabulary in an authentic context. The results of the study confirm Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and Piaget's constructivism, as well as strengthen the international evidence on the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology. This research contributes to filling the research gap between the recognized pedagogical value of integrative approaches and methodologies that have been empirically tested in the context of Uzbekistan. The practical implications emphasize the need for teacher training and ongoing support for successful implementation. In conclusion, the integrative approach represents a robust science-based methodology for basic education, enabling teachers to foster students' speaking competence more effectively through the integration of language teaching in meaningful cross-subject curriculum content.