Exploring the Role of Peer Interaction in Enhancing English Speaking Fluency among Year 2 TESL Undergraduates at a Malaysian Private University

Abstract

Developing spoken English fluency continues to be a major challenge for many English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in Malaysian higher education. This issue is particularly important for Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) undergraduates, whose future careers require them to communicate confidently and effectively in English. Recognising the importance of collaborative learning, this study explored how peer interaction contributes to improving English speaking fluency among Year 2 TESL undergraduates at a private university in Malaysia. Grounded in Sociocultural Theory, the study focused on three aspects of peer interaction interaction frequency, interaction quality, and peer feedback and examined how these factors relate to students' self-perceived speaking fluency. In addition, the study compared students' perceptions of structured and unstructured peer interaction activities in supporting fluency development. A quantitative correlational approach was employed. Data were collected from 147 TESL undergraduates using a validated 30-item online questionnaire. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, normality testing, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression through SPSS. The findings revealed that all three dimensions of peer interaction were positively and significantly associated with students' speaking fluency. Among the three, interaction quality demonstrated the strongest relationship with fluency (r = .58, p < .001). The regression analysis further showed that the three predictors collectively explained 44.9% of the variance in speaking fluency. Interaction quality emerged as the strongest predictor (β = .45), followed by peer feedback (β = .39) and interaction frequency (β = .31). Students also perceived structured peer activities to be more beneficial than unstructured interactions for improving spoken English. Furthermore, participants believed that engaging with peers helped reduce speaking anxiety, increased confidence, and encouraged them to take greater communicative risks when using English. Overall, the findings highlight the important role of well-designed peer interaction in supporting the development of speaking fluency among TESL undergraduates. The study suggests that incorporating structured, feedback-oriented peer learning activities into TESL programmes can strengthen students' oral communication skills while creating a more supportive and engaging learning environment. These findings also offer useful insights for teacher educators, curriculum developers, and higher education policymakers seeking to enhance English language teaching in multilingual university settings.