Even in ELT departments, Turkish students perform poorly, especially in productive skills like speaking, despite receiving formal English instruction since elementary school (British Council & TEPAV, 2014; Dağtan & Cabaroğlu, 2021; Education First, 2015). Classroom activities tend to focus on reading and listening, which limits opportunities for authentic speaking practice (Hyland, 2004; Muñoz, 2012; Reva, 2017; Şahin-Kızıl, 2007; Yıldız, 2015, 2016).

There are various differences in how students are motivated, how their attitudes towards language learning are shaped, and how their skills can develop through different language learning activities. For example, some students are motivated by in-class activities, while others prefer extracurricular activities. Additionally, their attitudes towards foreign language learning are largely determined by their previous experiences, awareness of the need to speak a foreign language, and their knowledge of how to use the language in authentic ways. Both students and teachers have concerns regarding the effectiveness of different teaching methods and techniques, as well as the outcomes of using web tools. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how participation in language-focused ECAs such as creative writing workshops, English drama club, and conversation groups affects 7th-grade students' attitudes and productive language skills. Participants were 80 seventh-grade students from a public middle school in Mamak, Ankara, selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups utilizing a Solomon Four-Group Design.

In this regard, this study is guided by the following research questions:

1: What is the effect of ECAs on 7^th grade students’ writing achievement?

1. 1. Is there a significant effect of ECAs on 7th-grade students’ writing achievement, as compared to a control group?

1. 2. Is there a significant effect of ECAs on 7th-grade students’ writing achievement, regardless of the influence of a pre-test?

1.3. Does engaging in ECAs significantly affect 7th-grade students’ writing

scores from pre-test to post-test?

2: What is the effect of ECAs on 7th grade students’ speaking achievement?

2.1. Is there a significant effect of ECAs on 7th-grade students’ speaking achievement, as compared to a control group?

2.2. Is there a significant effect of ECAs on 7th-grade students’ speaking

achievement, regardless of the influence of a pre-test?

2.3. Does engaging in ECAs significantly affect 7th-grade students’ speaking scores from pre-test to post-test?

3: What is the effect of ECAs on 7th grade students’ attitude towards English?

3.1.: Is there a significant effect of ECAs on 7th-grade students’ attitude towards English, as compared to a control group?

3.2. Is there a significant effect of ECAs on 7th-grade students’ attitude towards English, regardless of the influence of a pre-test?

3.3. Does engaging in ECAs significantly affect 7th-grade students’ attitude scores from pre-test to post-test?

This study aligns with School Engagement Theory emphasizing the strong connection between student engagement and academic success (Fredricks et al., 2004). Engaged students tend to be more motivated, participate actively, and perform better academically. This theory helps explain how extracurricular activities (ECAs) that are both interesting and engaging can promote positive attitudes towards language learning and improve productive skills (Fredricks & Eccles, 2002). In the context of today's fast-paced global economy, the demand for skilled individuals who can analyze, think critically, and solve problems has increased. Although school attendance is mandatory, students must commit to their learning in order to benefit fully from what schools offer and develop the skills needed for future success. ECAs, which are voluntary, well-planned, and based on students' interests and abilities, can increase engagement with school and learning. While traditional schooling has its role, well-designed ECAs offer an opportunity for deeper involvement, fostering both a passion for learning and the development of key skills.

Experimental designs are widely used in education to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions (Gribbon & Herman, 1996). Among these methods, the Solomon Four-Group Design stands out due to the advantages it offers in terms of internal and external validity (Leedy, 1993). In particular, its ability to control for threats to external validity, such as pretest sensitivity, makes it a valuable approach (Holdnak et al., 1990). This study employed a true experimental design to investigate the impact of language-focused extracurricular activities on the English language skills of 7th-grade students. The Solomon Four-Group Design addresses internal validity threats, such as bias, which can be controlled in standard two-group experimental designs. Additionally, it deals with other internal and external validity concerns, such as pretest sensitivity, which standard experimental designs cannot fully control. In this study, pre- and post-achievement tests, attitude scale, and readiness tests are used to collect quantitative data. Two separate readiness tests focusing on speaking and writing prepared by the researcher were applied. These tests assessed the students' readiness and basic abilities in these language areas. Similarly, two separate achievement tests, one for writing skills and the other for speaking skills, were conducted. These tests measured the students' performance and progress in writing and speaking before and after ten-week ECAs implementation. To investigate students' attitudes toward English and language learning, a Turkish attitude scale developed by Ok and Kaya (2022) was used. In summary, this comprehensive set of data collection tools allowed for a detailed examination of the participants' language skills and attitudes. Eighty students who were allocated at random to the study took part in a variety of language-oriented ECAs that the researcher had created and put into practice. These students come from families facing various socioeconomic challenges and have limited access to additional English language support beyond the general English curriculum. Due to practical constraints, this non-probability study employed a convenience sampling approach. Since it was not feasible to collect data from all public middle school students in Turkey, the accessible population was defined as seventh-grade students in a public middle school in Mamak, Ankara. The experimental and control groups were formed through a random assignment process, ensuring equivalence between groups. To eliminate pretest effects, two groups received a pretest, while the other two did not. In summary, this study adopted a practical yet scientifically rigorous approach by carefully selecting participants and implementing a random assignment method.

Findings Writing Achievement Mann-Whitney U test results showed that students in the ECA groups (A and B) exhibited significant improvement in writing skills compared to the control groups (C and D) (p < .001). No significant difference was found between the post-test scores of experimental groups with or without a pre-test (p > .05), indicating that ECAs were equally effective regardless of pre-test participation. Significant improvements in writing were observed in the ECA groups (A and B) compared to the control groups (C and D) (p < .001), supporting the positive impact of ECAs on students' writing skills. Speaking Achievement ECAs significantly improved speaking skills in the experimental groups (p < .001), supporting the positive impact of ECAs on speaking. No significant difference was found between the groups with or without a pre-test (p = .093), indicating pre-test participation does not affect ECA effectiveness. Significant improvements in speaking were observed in the ECA group (p < .001), while no improvements were found in the control group (p > .05), suggesting ECAs effectively enhance speaking skills. Attitudes Towards English This section examines the effects of ECAs on 7th-grade students' attitudes towards English. Mann-Whitney U test results showed inconsistent effects of ECAs on students' attitudes towards English: a positive effect was observed only in the group that did not receive a pre-test (EG B), suggesting that pre-test participation may influence the impact of ECAs on attitudes. However, further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions. No significant difference was found in attitudes between experimental groups with or without a pre-test (p = .807), indicating that pre-test participation does not directly affect students' attitudes towards English after participating in ECAs.

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