USING SPEAKING TESTS AS A MOTIVATIONAL TOOL FOR THE FIRST CYCLE LEARNERS AT CEG 1 NATITINGOU, REPUBLIC OF BENIN

This research study is focused on investigating the motivational effects that speaking-skill testing can produce on first-cycle students at CEG1 Natitingou.To gather data, a mixed-method approach was implemented, using questionnaires filled out by the 173 EFL learners, 10 EFL teachers, and a group discussion with the teachers during the school year of 2023-2024. The results show that most of the interviewed teachers (70 %) report a deficit of motivation among their learners during speaking exercises. They further recognise that speaking tests can help in motivating learners to take a positive attitude towards oral practice and participate actively during classroom speaking sessions. The fact that 85.54% of learners said they are not interested in speaking activities because of assessment formats that fail to test oral competencies confirms this perception. Moreover, 86 % of students reported making more effort to speak English when their speech was graded. Such findings indicate that the inclusion of speaking tests in formative and summative assessments may positively affect the motivation and engagement of learners. To enhance communicative competence, practical recommendations have been offered to revise the format and procedures of English language assessment in Beninese secondary schools.