Effectiveness of Oral Proficiency in English for Secondary Schools (OPS-English) Programme - Speaking Proficiency and Vocabulary Improvement Study

Oct 15, 2026

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Speaking is a critical communication skill, yet secondary school students in Malaysia show low English speaking ability due to factors such as insufficient vocabulary, weak pronunciation, limited grammar, and poor fluency. This study uses the Oral Proficiency in English for Secondary Schools (OPS-English) Programme to improve speaking through vocabulary-based activities. Using an experimental pretest-posttest control group design with 70 students over 8 weeks, quantitative pre- and post-test analysis shows measurable improvement in vocabulary and supporting gains in speaking.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Statement of Problem

Purpose of the Study

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 Vol. 6 No. 6; December 2015 Australian International Academic Centre, Australia | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Flourishing Creativity & Literacy | | | Effectiveness of Oral Proficiency in English for Secondary Schools (OPS-English) Programme in Improving English Language Vocabulary among Secondary School Students Manesha Kaur Rajendra Singh Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Patrick, Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia [E-mail: manesha_pretti@hotmail.com](E-mail: manesha_pretti@hotmail.com) Manjet Kaur Mehar Singh (Corresponding author) School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, Universiti Sains Malaysia [E-mail: manjeet@usm.my](E-mail: manjeet@usm.my) Lin Siew Eng School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia E-mail: [selin@usm.my](selin@usm.my) Doi:10 .7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.6p.201 URL: [http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.6p.201](http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.6n.6p.201) Received: 09/08/2015 Accepted: 15/10/2015 Abstract Speaking is an important skill that needs to be mastered as it is the best way to communicate with other people in order to deliver opinions and express ideas, but the fact is that secondary school students’ ability in speaking English is low in Malaysia. It is caused by several factors such as lack of vocabulary, poor pronunciation, weak grammar and poor fluency that hinders the mastery of English language. In this research, Oral Proficiency in English for Secondary Schools (OPS-English) Programme was employed to improve students’ speaking skill by engaging them in vocabulary based activities. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the effectiveness of OPS-English in improving the students speaking skills and increasing their vocabulary count. This is an experimental pretest-posttest control group design study which involved 70 students from a school located in one of the districts in Kedah, Malaysia. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. The data collection was done using pre-test and post-test. The data from the pre-test and posttest was analysed quantitatively using independent sample test. The findings of this study show that OPS-English can improve students’vocabulary. This is proven by experimental group’s students’ test score that showed improvement in the post-test. OPS-English is a suitable programme that should be used to improve students’vocabulary. The result of this study provides useful insights for English language teachers in teaching speaking. Keywords: OPS-English, speaking ability, secondary school students, vocabulary activities 1. Introduction Vocabulary is an essential component of language teaching. According to Nation (2001),“vocabulary is not a goal in itself, it is done to help learner listen, speak, read or write more effectively.”Without having sufficient vocabulary corpus, students find it difficult to communicate in any language, irrespective of the communication skill used or productive writing. Furthermore, in the context of speaking, more often learners always find difficulties in speaking English due to lack of vocabularies. The crucial problems faced by the students make it hard for them to speak with their limited vocabulary. Limited vocabulary has been a constant setback for students and continues to be a plaguing problem worldwide and specifically in Malaysia as indicated by a number of local studies (Naginder, 2012; Norzanita Othamn, 2009; Rosemala Ismail, 2008; Tengku Intan Suzila Tengku Sharif, Mohd Yusri Mohamad Noor & Harlina Yunus, 2008; Zaira Abu Hassan Shaari, 2008) . Therefore, this study would specifically like to determine if Oral Proficiency in English for Secondary Schools Programme (OPS English), a developed series of lessons dedicated and specific to teaching vocabulary can enhance speaking proficiency among Form One secondary school students in the district of Kulim, Kedah. 1.1 Statement of Problem Based on pr

FAQs

What problem does the study address regarding English speaking in Malaysian secondary schools?

The study addresses low speaking proficiency, linked to limited vocabulary and related issues such as poor pronunciation, weak grammar, and low fluency that hinder communication.

How does the OPS-English Programme aim to improve students' speaking?

It engages students in vocabulary-based activities as part of the OPS-English Programme to strengthen speaking ability.

What research design and duration were used in the study?

The research used an experimental pretest-posttest control group design involving 70 students, conducted over 8 weeks with pre-tests and post-tests analyzed quantitatively.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Terk