Using Dilemma Scenarios in English Education to Enhance Undergraduate Students’ Speaking Skills and Perceptions

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of using dilemma scenarios in the
English education curriculum for improving undergraduate students' speaking abilities and
perceptions of English learning. 45 undergraduate students from a public university in northern
Thailand took "Listening and Speaking in Daily Life" in the first semester. A pretest-posttest
design was used in the study, which was supplemented by a twenty-item questionnaire. The
findings demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in speaking proficiency, as seen
by post-test scores that increased from an average of 17.80 to 23.07. The questionnaire reply
emphasized the pupils' strong impressions even further, with an average perception level of
4.23 on a five-point Likert scale. The capacity of the scenarios to effectively portray real-life
situations earned the most favourable evaluation, with an average score of 4.51. Furthermore,
students reported greater vocabulary learning, enhanced critical thinking abilities, and a
preference for the dilemma scenario methodology over traditional educational approaches. In
conclusion, this study indicates the educational importance of employing dilemma situations
in English instruction, emphasizing its ability to develop abilities and foster positive learning
perspectives among students. Dilemma scenarios are used in this study to provide students with
scenarios that call for serious thought and decision-making between possibilities. The purpose
of these scenarios is to imitate real-world circumstances where definitive answers are
frequently unavailable. This forces students to think more deeply and analytically while
expressing their reasoning in English. According to the study's findings, using dilemma
scenarios can help Thai undergraduate students improve their speaking abilities considerably
and give them a more engaging and hands-on English language education that is in line with
the needs of international communication.