Abstract
Background: This study aims to develop pilot a contextually appropriate speaking assessment and to identify effective pedagogical strategies for fostering oral communication skills in EFL classrooms. Methods: A quantitative pilot study was conducted involving 55 students from three 5th grade classes. Participants completed two comparable speaking assignments. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to examine score consistency and the reliability of the rubric across tasks. Results: The results demonstrated that students’ performance across the two tasks was relatively stable, with similar mean scores and moderate variability. A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.65) was observed between Task 1 and Task 2, indicating acceptable reliability of the rubric in the pilot phase. However, some individual score fluctuations emphasized potential task-related variability and highlighted the importance of using multiple tasks in speaking assessment. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that integrating assessment with instructional speaking strategies significantly enhances learners’ fluency, confidence, and communicative effectiveness. The study contributes to the field of language assessment by providing a locally developed rubric that integrates psychometric principles with practical classroom application. The proposed rubric and strategies offer valuable implications for teachers aiming to enhance oral communication skills in EFL contexts.