The Role of Phonological Awareness in Developing Speaking Skills: A Focused Literature Review

Abstract

Phonological awareness is the ability to identify and understand sounds of language, a critical skill for early literacy growth. Although a vast amount of research has confirmed the importance of phonological awareness in learning to read and spell, interaction with speaking abilities has been insufficiently studied. This literature review presents a synthesis of both early and latest researchers ranging from the 1930s – 2024 to explain the link between phonological awareness and speaking skills. The study provides an overview of theoretical models, research results and pedagogical practices showing the links between phonological awareness along with pronunciation, fluency and speaking accuracy in general. Although the crucial role of phonological awareness in reading is well recognized, there has been small research devoted specifically to how phonological awareness helps attain proficiency as a speaker. This gap highlights the need for research into how phonological awareness contributes to oral language proficiency through specific pathways. This highlights the need for educators and policymakers to incorporate phonological awareness play-based learning activities into language instruction in order to develop communication skills across diverse student groups.