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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL Number 11 . July 2025 Pp. 5-19
Department of English
Faculty of Languages, Arts, and Human Sciences
Hassan I University - Settat, Morocco
Department of Philology, Perm State University
Perm, Russia
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
King’s College London, UK
Teaching through analysis of feature films is key in bolstering productive and receptive communication skills, particularly listening and speaking. This article investigates the extent to which exposure to feature films can improve ESP students’ speaking performance, focusing on four criteria: discourse management, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, and interactive communication. The study uses the Cambridge Speaking Assessment Rubric as a reference. Data were collected from psychology and philosophy students at Perm University using a pretest–posttest experimental design. The treatment consisted of five intensive classes integrating feature films through structured activities divided into three parts: scaffolding, listening, and speaking. The control group, in contrast, did not receive the treatment. Findings reveal a significant improvement in the experimental group’s speaking skills compared to the control group. The p-value obtained from the t-test administered upon completion of the treatment indicates statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the two groups. The article concludes that using feature films in teaching speaking and listening is effective in developing learners’ communicative competence. It recommends adopting this approach—particularly the scaffolded activities implemented in this study—as a pedagogical tool to enhance students’ discourse management, interactive communication, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
Boulahnane, S., Abramova, V. S., & Haddi, L. (2025). Using Feature Films in The ESP Classroom to Improve Speaking Communication Criteria: A Pretest-Posttest Design. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL (11): 5-19.
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Dr. Saad Boulahnane is an Assistant Professor of English at Hassan I University, Settat, Morocco, where he coordinates the Department of Transversal Skills and Foreign Languages. He oversees pedagogical training and assessment for Power Skills and Foreign Languages modules. A Fulbright Alumnus (2014–2015), he was an FLTA at Colorado State University and later served as a Visiting Scholar at Kennesaw State University in 2024, delivering lectures on Travel Writing, Literature, Orientalism, and ESL teaching. Since 2018, he has worked as a copyeditor for Scopus- and WoS-indexed journals, refining his expertise in academic publishing. ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9658-1692
Dr. Viktoriia S. Abramova holds a Ph.D. in Philology from Perm State University, where she is currently an Associate Professor. She teaches English for academic, professional, and general purposes, as well as pedagogical disciplines for international students. A Fulbright FLTA alumna (2014–2015), she has over 15 years of experience teaching Russian and English in Russia, the USA, UK, Morocco, and China. Dr. Abramova has published 65 academic papers in Scopus and Web of Science journals, focusing on literature, language teaching, ESP, CLIL, EMI, and cultural studies. She has also authored four teaching manuals and developed several English language courses.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8535-2827
Dr. Loubna Haddi earned a Ph.D in comparative literature from King’s College London. She taught at the Faculty of Science Ben M’Sik, Hassan II University, Casablanca in the department of languages and communication for over a decade. She is now an instructor of English at Lycée Français International Louis-Massignon with over 15 years of experience in the field of education. She specializes in translation, interpreting, editing, and academic English. Her work focuses on bridging language theory and practice in both academic and professional contexts. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5101-3131