2012-10-06

Abstract This is a small scale piece of research that has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the speaking teaching materials that are used in a particular language organization in Kurdistan region/Iraq. The participants of the study were (20) students enrolled in the organization and their practitioner. This study collected a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data via employing three effective instruments. The instruments employed were; observation, semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Therefore, it is obvious that a methodological triangulation strategy was utilised in this piece of research. This was done in an attempt to find answers to the three research aims which are: (1) How are the speaking materials adapted by the practitioner of the language organization?, (2) Do the materials used effectively promote the students’ proficiency level? And (3) what sort of problems do students face when they study the materials adapted? The major outcomes that emerged from this research study were very positive. It was found that the adaptation of the speaking materials by the practitioner of the language course was fruitful. The choice of materials was worthy and fit the context where they were used. The way of dealing with the materials was also found to be worthwhile as well as the methods employed in teaching them. The findings also indicated that the content of the materials and the tasks employed were influential in terms of promoting students’ speaking skills and their overall proficiency skills. However, as far as the third aim of the study is concerned, the difficulties that students faced when they were studying the materials adapted were found to be the colourless and the unappealing pictures included in the materials adapted by the practitioner. Moreover, the instructions given by the practitioner were found to be confusing for the students as well.