This paper reports the second stage of an action research study designed to
improve the effectiveness of speaking classes through negotiating the lesson contents
with students. The data were collected through interviews, questionnaires
and observations as a way of eliciting students’ views. The research, conducted
in an English language teaching department at a university in Turkey, comprised
eight weekly-based interventions that involved planning, action, observation, and
reflection, in which students were given a voice and classroom activities were
designed accordingly. Student negotiation allowed for the identification of both
structural and affective factors influencing the quality of speaking classes. The
teacher’s roles in activities, the number of students in group work activities, the
level of control in speaking activities, and the role of input were found to be
issues worth considering in designing speaking classes. Issues such as finding
the activity ‘interesting’ and ‘useful’, ‘feeling comfortable’ and ‘being competitive’
also influenced the effectiveness of activities. Involving students in this
action research study promoted positive attitudes towards classes since students
reported feeling valued and important.