Enhancing Speaking Skills in Uzbekistan Schools: Challenges and Solutions

This paper examines the key challenges and potential solutions for enhancing speaking proficiency among 5th and 6th-grade students in Uzbekistan, who often struggle to meet the expected A2 level in English. Significant barriers identified include limited language exposure outside the classroom, insufficient interactive activities, and inadequate feedback mechanisms. Drawing on research and successful case studies from various educational contexts, this study proposes using interactive methods such as role-playing, storytelling, and group discussions to address these challenges. These methods, grounded in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), aim to foster engagement, boost students' confidence, and improve fluency by simulating real-life scenarios. The proposed activities not only build foundational conversational skills but also promote critical thinking and collaboration, equipping students with essential language skills for both academic and real-world communication. Highlights: Limited exposure, lack of interactivity, insufficient feedback. Role-playing, storytelling, group discussions via CLT methods. Improved fluency, confidence, and collaboration in real-life scenarios. Keywords: speaking skills, interactive teaching methods, role-play, storytelling, group discussions, Uzbekistan, language proficiency, Communicative Language Teaching