Abstract

The present study explored the effectiveness of VoiceThread (VT), an asynchronous, cloud-based, audio-video recording platform, in improving EFL Turkish students’ speaking skills. Forty-nine college-level students, who were registered in a speaking and listening course, engaged in a series of weekly asynchronous interactions by posting audio comments on given speaking prompts. Further, they were asked to listen and comment on their peers’ recordings to create a sense of in-class discussion. At the end of the 3-month VT use period, the students completed a survey regarding their experiences with VT and the effectiveness of VT in improving L2 oral skills. Results showed that the students had largely positive experiences with VT and indicated that VT can be an effective tool to continue learner-learner interaction outside the classroom. Most learners enjoyed using the playback and record features of VT when leaving comments on their peers’ recordings. Some students also reported that VT helped them overcome their speaking anxiety. However, a few students stated that they occasionally had some technical issues such as the difficulty of listening to peer recordings due to poor Internet connection. Despite such minor technical problems, VT can promote effective language learning interactions outside the classroom.

Keywords: Asynchronous Interaction, Speaking Skills, VoiceThread