Promoting English Listening and Speaking Skills for Business Communication Using Reflective-Thinking Activities
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Abstract
This study investigates the use of reflective-thinking activities to enhance English listening and speaking skills among Business English major students enrolled in English for Business Conversation 2. at a public university in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Although the course is designed to develop students’ communicative abilities for professional settings, past performance and classroom observations revealed that many learners struggled with oral proficiency and lacked confidence in real-life communication tasks. To address these issues, the researcher implemented reflective-thinking strategies, encouraging students to record their learning experiences, assess their performance, and develop personal improvement plans.
The study applied a reflective practice framework to guide the instructional design. Selected four structured lessons incorporating reflective tasks were reported by the students, including journal writing, self-assessment, and peer collaboration. Data collection involved classroom observations and analysis of student reflections. Findings revealed that students progressively adapted to structured learning, became more responsible for their own development, and demonstrated increased confidence in oral communication. Peer interaction further enhanced their speaking and listening skills, while reflective tasks supported deeper metacognitive engagement.
Feedback from students confirmed the usefulness of the lessons in terms of clarity, structure, and real-world relevance. Learners reported improvements in vocabulary usage, pronunciation, grammar accuracy, and presentation techniques. However, challenges remained in group dynamics, script dependence, and language fluency, indicating the need for continued support and practice. Overall, the study highlights the value of integrating reflective-thinking activities into communicative English instruction, offering an effective pedagogical approach to support skill development and learner autonomy in EFL contexts.
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