The modern world has changed under the circumstances of the pandemic Covid 19. The most changes have taken place in the sphere of education. Traditional teaching and learning process needed to shift to distance and online learning processes because of the situation related to pandemic (Dhawan, 2020). According to Kotrikadze and Zharkova (2021), distance learning undoubtedly has a lot of advantages in terms of replacing the traditional teaching and learning process in the current situation. Distance learning can improve learners’ self-development in terms of technology use, self-regulation, self-study of their own learning, time management and communication. However there are disadvantages as well. Maldondao and De Witte (2020) state that learners’ knowledge in mathematics and language learning was suffered significantly as their test results have weakened in comparison with the previous results. Particularly, learners’ speaking skill is worsened because of a lack of interaction, communication and time (only 20 minutes for one lesson) during the distance learning. The mentioned problem was also identified in NIS language teaching and learning practice. Students’ level of speaking skill, motivation and engagement were decreased during online lessons. Thus, teachers started to look for solutions to improve the situation. Ghazwan (2021) has identified in his research that “language learning is fundamentally different from other classroom learning experiences and if teachers can enable learning strategy to enhance speaking skill use amongst the learners, suitable learning opportunities can be created for the learners”(p.130). Consequently, analyzing many scientific studies in order to solve the problem concerning the speaking skill, differentiated tasks were chosen as one of the effective solution in NIS teaching and learning experience. As a result, considering the learners’ learning styles, abilities, needs and strengths, it was identified that the use of differentiated tasks, tiered by content via providing less able learners with supporting words in order to answer the questions; by process, through grouping more able and most able students to do speaking activities; and by product, particularly, interacting with each other during the production of the speaking task, are likely to tackle with the speaking issue during distance learning (Lockhart, 2019). Therefore, literature articles were reviewed and identified the research question: “How is speaking skill improved through differentiated tasks during the distance learning?”

The purpose of the research: The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of differentiated tasks on the improvement of learners’ speaking skill during distance learning. Differentiated tasks such as providing with supporting words, mentoring and interacting with critical friends during speaking process were chosen to be used in order to improve the given skill during distance learning. These techniques were likely to provide learners with support in the process of ongoing speaking task and create conditions for improving the level of speaking skill and to reduce the process of ineffective time management of learners. Our aim was to assist in producing effective speech in the language learning process and help learners to increase their confidence, motivation and self-esteem in their production. Systemic support for speaking via differentiated tasks allows to improve learners’ speaking skill, increase effective time management and to guide learners to produce fear free speech.

The research design of the given study was based on the mixed method of data collection during the teaching and learning practice of language learning lessons. The 9th grades students were chosen to be participants of the study as all three teachers have the same parallel classes on the given grade. Three types of differentiated tasks were determined to be used in the given study: content, process and product. However, there were many activities based on each type. Therefore, providing less able learners with supporting words in order to answer the questions was chosen for adjusting content, for process adjustment, grouping more able and most able students to do speaking activities like mentoring each other and for product adjustment, interacting with each other during the production of the speaking task as a critical friend to each other were selected in this study. The research was based on the form of Action research where teachers planned collaboratively the lessons before the implementation of the differentiated tasks. Further the implementation was observed by team members and analyzed during the process of the lesson. Changes according to students’ abilities and needs were made. Finally, results of the study, observations, online lesson videos (qualitative analysis) and summative assessment for the unit (SAU) and summative assessment for the term (SAT) (quantitative analysis), were discussed in the basis of Action research. As qualitative analysis, lesson observations and analysis of online lesson videos were collected to find out the results of the study. Thus, twenty lesson videos as well as lesson observations were analyzed and discussed by research team members. At the planning stage, specific criteria were created to assess the impact of tools (differentiated tasks) on speaking skill level. SAU and SAT results were collected and analyzed as quantitative method in order to find out the number of students who improved their speaking skill. To track students’ progress in the mentioned skill criteria of SAU and SAT speaking were used and shown in percentage.

Results of mixed method in the form of Action research assessed by specific criteria revealed that learners speaking skill level was noticeably improved. According to SAU and SAT results of two terms, it was found out that there was a progress in speaking skill production. Although the differentiated tasks have a positive effect on the speaking skill, some drawbacks were identified during use of differentiated tasks in the teaching experience. Strengths: - Learners’ engagement was increased - Motivation was slightly improved - Level of speaking skill was reached almost all the points of criteria - Students produced fear free speech. - The range of active vocabulary was enlarged Weaknesses: - The tools (differentiated tasks) are still time-consuming. - Students’ self -regulation still needs to be improved. - Impossible to monitor all students interaction at the same time Overall, differentiated tasks facilitate to the gradual improvement of speaking skill. Research tools impact on engagement, motivation and reduction of fear to make mistakes. However the chosen way to deal with speaking problems needs time to gain effective results as two-term implementation is not enough to evaluate the full image of the differentiated tasks role in terms of speaking. Students’ needs, abilities, possibilities and well-being should be considered in any time of the online lessons as well as during the tools’ application at the lessons. The repeated use of differentiated tasks might improve the weaknesses identified during the study by enhancing student’s self-regulation. As a result, self-regulation improvement may correlate with the speaking boost.

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