Recommendations for Teachers

Several practical suggestions for future WTC-oriented teaching can be drawn from this study. The following points focus on task design, activity sequencing, and interactive formats that may help support young learners' participation in speaking lessons.

One practical solution implemented in this study was the use of Generative AI (GenAI) to design specialized worksheets and self-study plans. These materials aimed to make speaking, reading, and vocabulary tasks more accessible, particularly for hesitant pupils like Student C and Student D. By providing guided task entry and visual prompts, the AI-assisted worksheets encouraged students to engage in proactive self-study and extra practice at home.

However, these materials should not be used automatically; teachers still need to select, simplify, and adapt them to learners' age, level, and classroom needs. This is consistent with Dörnyei's view that classroom tasks should be clear, realistic, and within learners' capabilities (Dörnyei, 2001, pp. 82–84), and with Harmer's argument that students may become reluctant when tasks are beyond their current ability (Harmer, 2007, pp. 96–97). The specific prompts used to design these worksheets are available in Appendix G.

A second suggestion is that teachers should combine structured and communicative speaking activities rather than rely on only one type. In the present study, PT and TT appeared to support safer entry into speaking, while IG and RP seemed to encourage stronger peer interaction later.

Figure 11 highlighted that all four learners achieved much higher total participation scores in the strong-growth lesson on 25/02 than at baseline. This suggests that communicative tasks may work better after some routine and support have already been established. Therefore, young learners may benefit from a gradual movement from more guided speaking to more communicative speaking, supported by clear task design and manageable challenge (Cameron, 2001, pp. 1–2; Harmer, 2007, pp. 345–353).

A third suggestion is that teachers may use more interactive formats, such as board games, to support participation in young learner speaking lessons. In the present study, the later-stage data raised the possibility that a more playful format helped some learners return to speaking more easily after interruption or heavier language demands.

As shown in Figure 12, Student C and Student D recorded stronger participation in the later stage. Although this does not prove a direct effect of the board-game format, it still suggests that playful interaction may support recovery in participation.

For young learners, however, board games are likely to be more effective when they include clear turn-taking, simple language prompts, familiar vocabulary, and visible speaking support. This is in accordance with Cameron's emphasis on accessible tasks for children (Cameron, 2001, pp. 1–2) and Harmer's discussion of communication games and role-play as motivating speaking activities (Harmer, 2007, pp. 389, 393).

These three recommendations share one underlying principle: WTC in young EFL learners is not a hidden trait waiting to be discovered — it is a classroom condition that teachers can actively design for. AI-assisted scaffolding, a thoughtful activity continuum, and playful interactive formats together form a coherent approach that respects both the psychology of 7–8-year-olds and the realities of a low-exposure EFL classroom.