Utilizing an Integrative Tasks Based Strategy to Develop the TOEFL iBT Candidates’ Language Skills Required for the Speaking Test

The purpose of this research is to develop the TOEFL iBT candidates’ language skills required for the speaking test by utilizing an integrative tasks strategy based. The concerned language skills are listening, reading and speaking ones. The participants of the study included 30 students who were randomly chosen and divided into groups: treatment (N=15) and non-treatment (N=15). The treatment group received instruction using the integrative tasks based strategy with its three phases: pre task, on task, and post task.  The tasks employed were listing, ordering and sorting, comparing, problem solving, and sharing personal experiences. Also, the objectives, time allowed, instructor’s role, and learners’ roles were determined within each section while administering the integrative strategy. On the other hand, the non-treatment group received their regular instruction. The instruments of the study were; achievement reading, listening and speaking tests, TOEFL iBT speaking test sample, and rubrics for scoring the independent and integrative speaking tasks for TOEFL iBT speaking test. Data were collected and t-test was used for the statistical analysis. Results indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the treatment and non-treatment groups in the achievement reading, listening, and speaking test as well as the whole TOEFL iBT speaking test sample favoring the treatment group. It was concluded that the present research provided evidence for the effect of the integrative strategy based on tasks on developing the language skills required for the TOEFL iBT speaking test.