Influence of joining English Conversation Club on Students’ Speaking Ability in Rwanda Public Secondary Schools: A Case of Kabutare Secondary School, Huye District

Ally Majaliwa – Rwanda Polytechnic (Huye College)
Nadege Kwizera – Rwanda Polytechnic (Huye College)
Ernest Mateso – Rwanda Polytechnic (Huye College)
Jacques Twahirwa – Rwanda Polytechnic (Huye College)
Patrick Ujwiga Anguru – College of Education, University of Rwanda
Email: majaliwaally@gmail.com

Abstract: In Rwanda’s public schools, speaking English as a foreign language has always been a topic of debate due to the dominant national language, Kinyarwanda, the mother tongue of Rwandans which they find easy to use in every communication with interlocutors. This research paper aimed to investigate the impact of joining the English Conversation Club on students’ speaking abilities in public secondary schools in Huye District. Specifically, the study’s objective was to examine the relationship between joining the English Club and speaking abilities of students in Kabutare secondary school. A sample size of 125 participants, including students and teachers, were involved in the study. Besides, a questionnaire and interview guided this study in the collection of reliable data. Thereof, data screening was performed by applying descriptive statistics of means, standard deviation, and regression analysis. Thus, the results show that, there is a strong correlation between joining the English Club and students’ speaking abilities in secondary schools of Huye District, with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.868 and the p-value standing at 0.001. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis reveals that joining the English Club contributes to 67.9% of the variation of performance in speaking English, indicating a significant role in enhancing students’ speaking abilities. Therefore, using techniques such as debate and public speaking exercises to promote oral skills should be used to encourage positive attitudes towards speaking English. Therefore, these techniques can benefit students with many job opportunities outside the school environment. Teachers of English language should consider implementing such techniques to motivate students and improve their speaking abilities.