Developing a prototype speaking game for engineering students at Polytechnic in Malaysia

Proficiency  in  English  speaking  skills  in  the  engineering  profession  has  become  an   unspoken concern among employers lately. Students of engineering who sit for the Malaysian University  English Test (MUET) often face anxiety due to their inability to perform well in the speaking  component. The objective of this study is  to develop a prototype speaking game incorporating MUET  speaking skills as a novel strategy to assist the engineering students  in improving their speaking  skills. The study also looks at the benefits engineering students gained while using the prototype  developed to improve their speaking skills. A survey design was employed to carry out the study.  The findings of this study revealed a significant agreement from the students on using the   prototype  which  helped  them  to  improve  in  terms  of  using  new  words,  grammar  and  vocabulary. Thus, it can be concluded that polytechnic engineering students need guidance in the  form  of  a  prototype  speaking  game  to  assist  them  to  practice  their  speaking  skills  in   order  to perform in the MUET. As a result, a novel strategy in the form of a prototype speaking  game which includes all the sub-skills of speaking skill should be introduced to the polytechnic  curriculum in Malaysian polytechnics.