Fergana state university philology and teaching languages

CHAPTER II. THE IMPACT OF QUESTIONING STRATEGIES ON SPEAKING SKILLS
2.1 Theoretical framework of speaking skills
Speaking is one of the four language skills that enables people to communicate their thoughts, feelings, opinions and intentions orally. It is a complex and dynamic process that involves the production and reception of spoken language in a specific context and for a specific purpose. Speaking skills are essential for academic, professional and social success, as they allow people to interact with others, express themselves and achieve their goals.
However, speaking is also one of the most challenging skills to master, especially for second or foreign language learners. It requires not only linguistic competence, such as vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, but also pragmatic competence, such as appropriateness, coherence and fluency. Moreover, speaking involves cognitive and affective factors, such as planning, memory, attention, motivation and anxiety.
Therefore, developing speaking skills requires effective teaching methods and strategies that can help learners overcome their difficulties and improve their performance. One of the most widely used and influential strategies in language teaching is questioning. Questioning is a technique that involves asking and answering questions to elicit, check or extend learners' knowledge, understanding and participation. Questioning can have various functions and effects on speaking skills, such as stimulating interest, activating prior knowledge, fostering interaction, promoting critical thinking, providing feedback and enhancing fluency.⁵
Speaking is one of the four language skills that learners need to master in order to communicate effectively in various contexts. Speaking skills involve the ability to produce oral messages that are coherent, accurate, fluent, and appropriate for the purpose and audience. Speaking skills also require the ability to listen and respond to the messages of others, as well as to use various strategies to overcome communication breakdowns.
According to Brown (2007), speaking skills can be divided into two types: micro-skills and macro-skills. Micro-skills are the smaller components of speaking, such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and discourse markers. Macro-skills are the larger aspects of speaking, such as organization, coherence, cohesion, and pragmatics. Both types of skills are essential for effective oral communication.
One of the factors that can influence the development of speaking skills is the type of questions that teachers use in the classroom. Questions are a common way of eliciting oral responses from learners and stimulating interaction and discussion. However, not all questions are equally effective in promoting speaking skills. Some questions may be too easy or too difficult for the learners, or may not elicit meaningful or extended responses. Therefore, teachers need to be aware of the different types of questions and their impact on speaking skills.
According to Brown (1994), speaking is "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts" (p. 257). He also identifies five components of speaking competence: discourse competence, linguistic competence, actional competence, sociocultural competence, and strategic competence.
Discourse competence refers to the ability to produce and understand coherent and cohesive texts that are appropriate for the genre and situation. For example, a speaker should be able to organize his or her ideas logically and use connectors and transitions to link them.
Linguistic competence refers to the knowledge and use of the linguistic system, such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. For example, a speaker should be able to pronounce words correctly, use correct grammar and word choice, and convey the intended meaning.
Actional competence refers to the ability to perform communicative functions or speech acts according to the social norms and expectations. For example, a speaker should be able to make requests politely, express opinions tactfully, and respond appropriately to compliments.
Sociocultural competence refers to the awareness and understanding of the social and cultural context of communication, such as the roles, relationships, values, beliefs, and conventions of the interlocutors. For example, a speaker should be able to use formal or informal language depending on the degree of familiarity and respect between the participants.⁶
Strategic competence refers to the ability to use verbal and non-verbal strategies to enhance communication or overcome communication breakdowns. For example, a speaker should be able to use gestures, facial expressions, paraphrasing, repetition, clarification requests, etc., to convey or check meaning.
In order to develop speaking skills effectively, learners need to have opportunities to practice speaking in meaningful and authentic situations that reflect their needs and interests. They also need to receive feedback on their performance and guidance on how to improve it. One of the ways that teachers can facilitate this process is by using questioning strategies that stimulate learners' thinking and interaction.