PAIR AND GROUP WORK AS A FACTOR IN DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AMONG STUDENTS OF HIGHER MEDICAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of classroom interaction type – pair work versus group work – on the speaking fluency of medical English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learners. The relevance of the study is determined by the increasing demands on the communicative competence of future medical professionals. Effective oral professional communication is a key component of medical practice, particularly in the context of international professional interaction and intercultural communication. The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of pair and group work as factors in the development of oral speech productivity among medical students, as well as to determine their didactic potential within the framework of teaching English for Specific Purposes. Sixty medical students were assigned to two groups of 30. The students completed specialised communicative tasks incorporating professional medical terminology, role-play activities, and simulations of typical clinical situations closely approximating real professional practice. Students’ oral productivity was assessed using both quantitative and qualitative indicators, including words per minute, pause frequency, level of speech fluency, as well as measures of accuracy, coherence, and appropriateness of professional vocabulary use. The results indicate that group work promotes higher levels of oral productivity and more effective task performance as a result of active discussion and interaction among students. At the same time, it is demonstrated that pair work creates a more controlled and psychologically comfortable learning environment, which facilitates accurate and confident use of professional vocabulary, reduces cognitive load, and ensures stable oral speech production. The findings have significant practical implications for the development and improvement of didactic strategies in the course English for Specific Purposes, as they provide a sound basis for the effective integration of pair and group work in order to enhance students’ oral speech productivity and to foster the development of professional communicative competence in a specialised professional context.