Effects of Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication and Face-to-Face Interaction on Speaking Skill Development of Iranian EFL Learners

The traditional form of teaching speaking skill has been via face-to-face (FTF) interaction in the classroom setting. Today in the computer age, the on-line forum can provide a virtual environment for differential communication. The pedagogical system benefits from such technology improvement for teaching foreign languages. This quasiexperimental research aimed at comparing the effects of two instructional strategies: synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and FTF interaction. For this purpose, 60 EFL learners were selected from a private language institute as the control (n=30) and experimental (n=30) groups. A speaking test, designed by Hughes (2003), was administered as pretest and after a 12-session treatment the same test was administered as the posttest. The result obtained showed that participants taught based on SCMC fared better than those that were taught according to FTF interaction. Based on the findings of the current study, it is recommended that EFL teachers incorporate computermediated communication into their pedagogical procedures.