Enhancing English-Speaking Readiness Through Community Engagement: Evidence from a Malaysian Secondary School

Abstract

English speaking proficiency is increasingly important for Malaysian secondary school students preparing for higher education and future employment, yet many face barriers such as limited vocabulary, weak grammatical control, and communication anxiety. This study examined the effectiveness of a community-engaged English-Speaking and Communication Program conducted through a collaboration between a local university and a secondary school in Melaka. The program, facilitated by university lecturers, emphasized interactive activities, including role-plays, debates, group discussions, and storytelling, to create supportive opportunities for communication. Using a quantitative pre–post survey design, 82 Form 4 students (aged 16) completed structured questionnaires measuring readiness, communication anxiety, speaking practices, and program evaluation. Reliability analysis showed acceptable to high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .73–.88). Findings revealed significant improvements across key domains: readiness and confidence increased (Δ = +0.64, Cohen’s d = 0.65), communication anxiety decreased (Δ = 0.61, Cohen’s d = 0.61), and speaking practices improved (Δ = +0.47, Cohen’s d = 0.50). Students also expressed strong approval of the program, highlighting the value of interactive tasks and the supportive learning environment. These results suggest that short-term community-based interventions can reduce affective barriers and encourage willingness to communicate in English. Despite limitations such as the absence of a control group, a small sample size, and reliance on self-reported data, the study underscores the potential of university–school partnerships to complement classroom instruction. Such initiatives align with national education priorities and demonstrate how community engagement can strengthen students’ confidence and communicative competence in academic and real-world contexts.