Enhancing EFL speaking competence through literature-based instructional materials: evidence from a quasi-experimental study with Chinese undergraduates

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of literature-based instructional materials in improving English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ speaking fluency and accuracy. Using a quasi-experimental design, 160 first-year Chinese non-English majors were assigned to an experimental group (literature-based tasks) or a control group (conventional textbook instruction) for 16 weeks. Results showed that while both groups improved, the experimental group made significantly greater gains in fluency and accuracy with large effect sizes. Questionnaire responses also revealed higher levels of interest, engagement, perceived usefulness, and speaking confidence among experimental group learners. These findings suggest that integrating literary texts with task-based speaking activities within a structured input-interaction-output framework can effectively enhance both linguistic and affective aspects of speaking development.