VietTESOL International Convention 2026

English clubs are widely recognized as valuable extracurricular environments for promoting students’ communicative competence. However, in many Vietnamese high schools, English club activities are often organized informally and lack clear pedagogical direction, which may limit their effectiveness in improving students’ speaking skills. This study investigates how cultural and event-based English club activities can enhance high school students’ speaking skills, drawing on a case study at Khoai Chau High School.
Adopting a qualitative, practice-based approach, the study examines a series of English club sessions organized around annual events and cultural themes, such as holiday celebrations, cultural exchange activities, and school-wide English-speaking campaigns. These activities were designed to encourage active participation and authentic communication among students. Data were collected through observations of English club sessions, students’ participation, and reflective teaching practices.
The findings indicate that integrating cultural and event-based activities significantly enhances students’ motivation, engagement, and speaking confidence. Students were more willing to participate in communicative tasks when activities were meaningful and contextually relevant. However, challenges such as uneven participation and differences in proficiency levels were also identified.
Based on these findings, the study proposes practical strategies for organizing effective English club activities. The study contributes to language education by providing pedagogically grounded insights into the role of culturally meaningful extracurricular activities in improving students’ speaking skills.
Keywords:English Clubs, Speaking Skills, Communicative Competence, Cultural Activities ,High School Students