IMPACT OF PERSONALIZED ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (PELT) ON SPEAKING SKILLS IN GRADE 5 ESL CLASSROOMS: A STUDY IN A PAKISTANI EDUCATIONAL SETTING

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the impact of Personalized English Language Teaching (PELT) on the speaking skills of Grade 5 ESL learners in public primary schools in Punjab, Pakistan, and identifies the effective strategies underpinning this approach. Grounded in an interpretivist paradigm, it employs a phenomenological methodology to explore the lived experiences of 20 purposively sampled ESL teachers through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the data, facilitated by NVivo software, bring in two core findings aligned with the research objectives. First, teachers perceived PELT as significantly enhancing students’ speaking skills, noting dual benefits in linguistic competence (e.g., contextualized vocabulary, improved fluency) and psycho-social development (e.g., increased confidence, reduced anxiety). Second, the study delineates a scaffolded framework of effective PELT strategies, progressing from diagnostic and interest-based grouping, through differentiated interaction and feedback, to fostering student agency and reflective practice. The conclusion establishes PELT as a potent pedagogy for this context, while simultaneously highlighting the moderating constraint of large class sizes, which necessitates pragmatic adaptation. The study contributes actionable insights for teacher training, curriculum design, and classroom practice, advocating for the integration of personalized, student-centred methodologies. It recommends future research employing mixed-methods and longitudinal designs to quantitatively measure PELT's impact and test the transferability of its strategic framework.