The Attitudes of Saudi Intermediate Students towards English Speaking Tasks in Flipped Learning via an Online Learning Community

This paper investigates Saudi intermediate students’ attitudes towards using flipped learning via an online learning community to enhance their speaking skill at a Saudi female’s public-school number 186. The writer observed and analysed the effect of using flipped learning in an online community on the development and engagement of students in speaking tasks. The study uses a quantitative quasi-experimental method to describe and analyse the student’s attitudes and development of the speaking skill among Arabic-speaking students in the public-school number 186 in Saudi Arabia during the academic year 2019-2020. The researcher applied a questionnaire and an observation checklist as the main instrument to achieve the study goal. The findings of the study were not statistically significant regarding the effect of flipped learning via an Online Learning Community (OLC) on the development of students’ speaking skill. However, there was a slight difference in the mean scores in favor to the post-test of the experimental group. The students’ attitudes were positive towards the flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks.

of its speaking skills (Bashir, Azeem, & Dogar, 2011). "Language is basically speech" and speaking is known as producing meaningful expressions by pronunciation of words from the mouth (Bashir, Azeem, & Dogar, 2011). This skill requires safe classroom environment as well as acceptance and encouragement to enhance student's engagement with speaking tasks (Arnold & Paulus, 2010).
English Language learning and development through e-learning systems has been widely discussed and investigated among educators of the language (AL-Khataybeh & AL- Awasa, 2016;Alqahtani, 2016;Nguyen, Hwang, Pham, & Ma, 2018). The flipped classroom is one of the recent investigated e-learning methods of teaching (Hsieh, Huang, & Wu, 2017;Chen Hsieh, Wu, & Marek, 2017). In a flipped classroom the delivery of the materials and the learning process happen at home via a certain electronic device or a platform, and the homework or the tasks given are discussed during school classes (Educause Learning Initiative, 2012). Online Learning Communities (OLC) can be a form of flipped learning, both materials delivery and task discussion and submission happen online (Wu, Hsieh, & Yang, 2017). The positive outcomes researchers have showed regarding online learning include high order thinking, reflective learning, interactive learning, higher achievement, practical competence and personal and social development (Chen, Lambert, & Guidry, 2010). Students can wisely use online platforms to suit their needs. Therefore, extending the classroom experience into the online space might encourage students' engagement and aid teaching practices (Arnold & Paulus, 2010).
Many researchers investigated the effect of flipped classrooms on the development of the language skills (Lin & Hwang, 2018;Ahmed, 2016;Al-Harbi & Alshumaimeri, 2016). Teaching the speaking skill in the Saudi educational context is mostly inactivated and opportunities for practicing this skill are usually limited (Abu-ghararah, 2014). Hence, attention is ought to be given on the development of student's oral proficiency in ESL classes.

Research Objectives
The aim of this research is to have a better understanding of Saudi secondary students' attitudes towards English speaking tasks in flipped learning via an OLC instead of conventional classroom tasks and instruction. This is a proposed solution to the issue of time constrains in the English periods in Saudi public schools. Also, it may help teachers who are struggling with the demand to cover the textbook content entirely in prespecified timetables (Al-Seghayer, 2014).

Research Questions
The research aims to explore whether the participants had a negative or a positive attitude towards the implementation of speaking tasks via OLC as well as identifying the level of their satisfaction and their development in the speaking skill.

1.
What positive/negative effect flipped learning via OLC can offer for speaking tasks?

2.
What is the degree of the participants' overall satisfaction after being involved in flipped learning via OLC as a teaching strategy to enhance their speaking proficiency in English?

3.
Is there any significant development in the participants' speaking skill after being involved in flipped learning via OLC as a teaching strategy?

Flipped Learning
The flipped learning instructional model has been underexplored by many instructors recently (Lee, 2017). Two chemistry teachers first established it in an attempt to reduce the hours spent on reteaching absent students. Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams in 2007 were considered the founders of flipped learning. The model of flipped learning is a teaching strategy where the content is being delivered through network platforms such as websites or social network phone applications. Students study the content given and during class time a discussion, and several activities are being applied (Bergmann & Sams, 2012).
Another similar term to flipped learning is online Learning Communities (OLC), and the two terms can intertwine in some cases. Teaching using OLC differs in that the whole learning process occurs online, which include content delivery, discussion, tasks, and submission (Wu, Hsieh, & Yang, 2017).
Language teaching recently has been integrating several technological aids to enhance the learning experience. There are relatable concepts to flipped learning which involve the integration of language teaching and technology such as Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL).
After the emergent of the flipped learning strategy in teaching, scholars attempted to set the foundation of this strategy of teaching. According to Chen, Wang, Kinshuk and Chen (2014), there is a basic model that includes the essential pillars of flipped learning. The pillars are derived from the letters in the word FLIPPED, as each letter represents a single feature. The letter F represents a Flexible environment, L for learning culture, I for intentional content, P for professional educators, P for progressive activities, E for engaging experiences, and D for diversified Platforms. The model presented by these scholars illustrates the possible benefits of flipped learning. It might provide a student-centered autonomous learning process that includes interactive, collaborative participation.  (Hsieh, Huang, & Wu, 2017). The latter was used in the current study to establish a flipped learning experience by creating an online learning community that follows the pillars of the FLIPPED model.

Flipped Learning in EFL Courses
Previous studies have utilized different technology applications and tools to facilitate language learning.
One of which is the adoption of flipped instruction over conventional classroom instruction. For instance, Al-Fahad (2010) explored the students' satisfaction towards online e-learning. The research was conducted in the College of Applied Studies and Community Service, King Saud University. The made sure that the participants owned personal computers and are involved in e-learning courses. The students engaged in multiple different courses; every course contains approximately 30-60 students.
The data were collected through a distributed questionnaire. Students' comments were highly positive bring to light their satisfaction with the e-learning experience. The results of this research indicate the students' acceptance of engaging themselves in an e-learning environment.
In other research, additional variables were taken into consideration. For example, Alsowat (2016) implemented an EFL flipped classroom to discover the effects on English language higher-order thinking skills, student engagement, and satisfaction. The participants were 67 female students at Taif University; they were divided randomly into two groups a control group and an experimental group.
The experimental group used flipped classroom instruction, and the control group used the usual method of instruction. The researcher used higher-order thinking skills tests, student engagement scale, and satisfaction scale to collect the data. The results showed that flipped classroom learning is effective in increasing higher-order thinking skills, engagement, and satisfaction.
Recently EFL research studies involved language skills in the flipped learning effects and attitudes investigation. For instance, Karimi and Hamzavi (2017) investigated the effect of flipped classes on EFL reading comprehension and identified students' attitudes towards classroom flipping. The participants were 60 EFL learners from a private language institute in Isfahan. The study included two groups an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were given a reading pre-test before the experiment and a post-test afterward. Also, a questionnaire was used to identify students' attitudes.
The findings showed improvement in the reading comprehension ability due to the use of flipped learning. Students' attitudes were highly positive towards the implementation of flipped learning. The results of this research indicate that flipped learning may hold positive effects on language learning and students' attitudes.
Moreover, Ahmed (2016) investigated another language skill through the implementation of flipped classroom instruction. The study investigated the effect of a flipped classroom on EFL writing skills and identified the students' attitudes towards classroom flipping. The participants were from Qassim University. Two levels of four English classes were chosen randomly. One class represented the control group, and the other represented the experimental group. The control group was taught with traditional methods, and the experimental group used classroom flipping. The findings indicated improvement in the writing skill as well as the overall attitudes towards writing. The results of this study indicate that the flipped classroom may boost students' motivation and engagement towards language learning.
Grammar was also introduced utilizing flipped classrooms. Al-Harbi and Alshumaimeri (2016) investigated the flipped classroom impact in grammar classes on EFL Saudi secondary school students' performance and attitudes. The participants were 43 female secondary private school students. The study included an experiment on two groups a control group and an experimental group. The control group was taught using the traditional grammar teaching strategy, and the experimental group used the flipped classroom strategy. A placement test was implemented for both groups before the experiment, and a post-test after the experiment to determine the proficiency level in grammar. A questionnaire was distributed afterward to explore the students' attitudes towards classroom flipping. There was no significant difference in the students' proficiency level in grammar. However, Students had positive attitudes towards classroom flipping and pointed out that it provided opportunities to communicate in English and developed their pronunciation. The results of this research and researches indicate that flipped learning may provide opportunities to improve language skills.

Oral Proficiency and E-learning
Language learning is an active process where the learners build new knowledge based on the transcription of analyzed and self-organized input (O'Grady, 2005). The social environment affects language learning greatly. Learning a second language requires input and output exchange of the target language. Social interactions provide such input and output for the learners. The sociocultural theory by Vygotsky highlights the need for proper social interaction to develop language proficiency (Lantolf, 2000). Therefore, it is vital to explore creative and innovative methods of teaching that allow both acquisition and production of the target language to enhance the learners speaking abilities.
According to Bailey and Nunan (2005), speaking involves many linguistic elements, or they also can be called sub-skills. For linguistic analysis, the elements were divided into four areas (phonology, morphology, syntax, and discourse). Each area includes certain elements, and some of the elements intertwine with other areas. The following figure illustrates the areas and the elements (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Linguistic Elements or Sub-skills of Speaking
The elements text and utterance at the bottom of the pyramid of the area discourse refers to the utterances of the spoken language, which sometimes do not require the production of grammatically accurate sentences. The next elements of the syntax area contain a clause which refers to sentences that include a verb that determines the tense of the sentence, and phrase which do not require the existence of the verb such as prepositional phrases and infinitive phrases. The area of morphology contains the elements of word and morpheme; they are referred to as language units that carry meaning. The top area of the pyramid contains phonology and the element phoneme, which deals with the sounds of the language and its properties. Teachers ought to recognize each element in their student's speaking. This www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/selt Studies in English Language Teaching Vol. 8, No. 3, 2020 might aid them in finding weaknesses or the areas of difficulties they face and focus on overcoming them in their teaching.
The development of language skills requires overcoming several difficulties, especially speaking skill.
Learners of ESL or EFL usually face difficulties related to the context. In the ESL and EFL countries, the English language is not present in everyday life interactions. The primary language spoken in these countries minimizes the opportunities for English learners to practice what they have learned or gain more input. According to second language acquisition theories, the amount of exposure and practice of the target language is crucial for the development of the learners' oral proficiency (Zhang, 2009).
Teaching speaking to Arabic-speaking learners comes with its challenges. The universal challenging phenomenon regarding teaching speaking is speaking anxiety. The learners in several contexts around the world have faced this phenomenon, and the literature has shown a great deal of evidence about this obstacle in teaching speaking (Alrabai, 2014). Gardner and MacIntyre (1993) have introduced a definition for language anxiety as "the apprehension experienced when a situation requires the use of a second language with which the individual is not fully proficient" (p. 5). Furthermore, Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1986) have provided a more precise definition for language anxiety that is described as "a distinct complex of self-perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors related to classroom language learning arising from the uniqueness of the language learning process" (p. 128).
In Saudi Arabia, Rafada and Madini (2017) illustrated that for Saudi learners speaking is considered the most difficult skill among the other language skills. They revealed embarrassment and low confidence during situations that require speaking the second language. These feelings correlate with the presence of speaking anxiety. The researchers recommended several solutions among them was providing new teaching approaches that offer a student-centered autonomous learning experience, and the flipped learning approach has been mentioned as one. To this end, recent technology might be of great help to these challenges or difficulties in teaching speaking.
E-learning in language teaching might offer several benefits and potentials. It is important to highlight how language interactions hold great importance for learners. The learner's involvement in contextualized, authentic materials, and tasks might help learners to be self-directed and develop study skills and organization on their own. Learning in an e-learning environment provides independency and comfortable, free space for learners' development (Askov, Johnston, Petty, & Young, 2003). Speaking tasks in flipped learning via OLC offers interactional chances and fosters communication in the target language among learners (Wu, Hsieh, & Yang, 2017). Also, speaking tasks in flipped learning via OLC includes the communicative language teaching approach (CLT). CLT aims to develop students' communicative skills through communicative tasks and meaningful drills (Richards & Rodgers, 2014).

Research Design
The current study follows a quantitative approach to collect data about students' attitudes towards www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/selt Studies in English Language Teaching Vol. 8, No. 3, 2020 adopting flipped learning via online learning communities as a teaching method for speaking tasks.
Aliga and Gunderson (2000) defined quantitative research as: "explaining phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analysed using mathematically based methods (in particular statistics)" (as cited in Muijs, 2011, p. 1).
Accordingly, quantitative research tests common assumptions then determine if there is a significant result that can be generalizable (Newman, Benz, & Ridenour, 1998). The experimental design is ought to be applied as it helps in exploring the effect or the impact caused by a certain implemented program.
However, the researcher used nonequivalent, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design due to difficulty in controlling certain variables regarding the sample selection. The sample selection is fixed by the school therefore it is not feasible to apply random assignment (Gribbons & Herman, 1997).

The Sample of the Study
The sample of this study contained 64 female English as a Foreign Language learners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The learners were from a public school who were in their third year of intermediate school.
The selection of the sample was related to the convenience of the school location as it is located near the researcher's residence. Also, the students were taught by a teacher that was applying presentations during her speaking classes. The reason behind this selection is to seek significant results regarding the speaking skill. Therefore, the participants did not need preparation or adjustments in teaching methods.
In addition, the teacher was also familiar with recent classroom strategies and willing to apply it. Both classes were taught by the same teacher and used the same syllabus and textbook, the textbook used is Full Blast 5. The two classes were assigned to a control group and the other class as an experimental group. There were 33 students in the experimental group and 31 students in the control group. The participants were 15-16 years old. Agreement forms were distributed and then collected after the parent's approval of their daughter's participation in the research.

Setting
The research was conducted in a public school in Shubra neighborhood, Riyadh. The school's building and the classroom environment is the same as in any Saudi public school. The physical setting is a classroom that contain a number from 30 to almost 45 students. The class assigned for the control group is in the second floor and the other class of the experimental group is in the first floor of the school. The research was conducted in the first semester of the year 2019-2020. The duration of the research is one semester and the duration of the actual experiment is four weeks. During the experiment there was an interruption due to midterm exams. The experiment was paused and then continued after two weeks. The tasks given to the students in the telegram group did not follow a specific schedule.
The teacher was responsible for choosing the tasks and the time of applying them.

Pre-test and Post-tests
The pre-test and the post-test each consist of four chosen topics from the textbook along with several vocabularies related to each topic to assist the students during the speaking test. Also, five pictures related to the same topics of each test were presented to the students to choose from and provide explanation or description of the chosen picture (see Appendix A). The students speaking level were assessed using the foreign services institute (FSI) analytic rating scale where the maximum score for this scale is 6. The post-test that was held five weeks later follows the same design but with different topics to measure the effectiveness of flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks as a teaching strategy (O'Sullivan, 2008) (see Figure 2). 5 Understands everything in normal conversation except for the very low colloquial or low frequency items, or exceptionally rapid or slurred speech. 6 Understands everything in both formal and colloquial speech to be expected of a native speaker.

Questionnaire
The experimental group received a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire at the end of the experiment to evaluate the students' attitudes and perceptions towards using flipped learning via online learning communities for speaking tasks. The questionnaire was previously used by Alshumaimeri and Al-Harbi (2016) on the flipped classroom impact in grammar class on EFL Saudi secondary school students' performances and attitudes. There were some adjustments in the questionnaire items regarding the desired language skill. The previous questionnaire focused on the grammar skill and have been changed for the speaking skill to suit the purpose of the study. The quantitative section was consisted of 11 close-ended items, which were scored using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly agreeagree -neutraldisagree -strongly disagree). The qualitative section was consisted of one semi-closed question and two open-ended questions.
The aim of the questionnaire is to explore the student's perceptions of the feasibility of applying speaking tasks in an online learning community, as well as their attitudes towards the flipped classroom strategy. The general purpose of the questionnaire is to determine if the attitudes of the students were positive or negative and seek information regarding the acceptance of this method particularly for speaking tasks (see Appendix B).

Procedures of the Study
The current study was conducted through the following six stages. The first stage of this study was concerned with obtaining the approval forms needed from the ministry of education to get access into the school. After getting access to the school, parents approval forms were given to the principle of the school and afterwards were collected from the students (see Appendix C).
The second stage of the research was concerned with meeting the teacher responsible for the classes involved in the experiment. The meeting was conducted on 1 st of October 2019 and the purpose and the procedure of the study was explained to the teacher. After applying the experiment for a week, a follow up meeting with the teacher was conducted on 29 th of October 2019 to discuss the process and give her notes about the experiment and if there are any needed adjustments.
The third stage of the study was concerned with applying the pre-test on both classes. The process required three days visits to the school in order to test the 64 participants. The visits were on the 3 rd , 5 th and 6 th of November 2019, each participant needed approximately from 5 to 7 minutes to finish the test.
The fourth stage was concerned with applying the experiment on the experimental group. The experiment was to apply speaking tasks in a Telegram group that involves the researcher, the teacher and the students as members. The teacher sends the task in writing afterwards the students submit their assignment in voice notes. The teacher provides feedback if needed. The scheduled duration of the experiment is four school weeks. There was a delay needed for process adjustments and discussion with the teacher. Also, there was two weeks interruption for midterm exams. However, the total in the end of the experiment was 21 days which covered four school weeks as scheduled (see Appendix D).
The fifth stage was concerned with applying the post-test on both classes. The experimental group was given a questionnaire regarding their attitudes and perceptions towards flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks. The process requires two to three days visits to the school in order to test the 64 participants. The visits to the school were on 17, 22 and 23 of December 2019 after finishing the experiment.
The sixth stage is concerned with collecting the needed data from the research instruments the pre-test, post-test and the questionnaire. The process of the data coding and input took two days and was on 23 and 24 of December 2019. The analysis of the data will be explained in the next section of the paper.

Data Collection and Analysis
The current study employed a quantitative approach that included a questionnaire, pre-test and a post-test. Those data instruments focused on gathering information regarding the students speaking level and their attitudes and perceptions towards the experiment. The questionnaire items or questions are designed for the purpose of obtaining specific measurable information related to the variable identified in advance (Newing, 2010).
The identification of students' attitudes and perceptions is for the purpose of determining the feasibility of applying the teaching strategy in the future. The data will be coded and will be inserted and analysed using a program specified for social sciences statistical analysis called (SPSS) version number 23. The pre-test and the post-test are aimed to compare between the two groups for identifying any differences in the students' speaking level before and after the experiment (Gribbons & Herman, 1997).

Validity and Reliability of the Instruments
The questionnaire reliability is calculated using Cronbach's Alpha to measure stability of the study's instrument. The result of reliability coefficient ranges between 0 to 1, and the acceptable number for instrument reliability is from 0.7 and higher.
The reliability of the pre-test and the post-test are calculated using a Cronbach's Alpha statistical test.
The pre-test and the post-test validity were established through face validity, where two educators have provided revision and approval on the content validity of the instruments (Heale & Twycross, 2015).
The Cronbach's alpha reliability test for the control group's pre-test scored a result of .936 which is considered a high reliability degree (see Table 1). The item statistics showed consistency between the test items which indicate that every item in the test is consistent with the rest of the items (see Table 2).
The mean score is 14.2581 and the standard deviation of the test is SD=4.47190 (see Table 3).  As for the pre-test of the experimental group reliability test the score was .963 which is considered a high reliability degree (see Table 4). The item statistics showed consistency between the test items which indicate that every item in the test is consistent with the rest of the items (see Table 5). The mean score is 14.3030 and the standard deviation of the test is SD=5.34722 (see Table 6). The Cronbach's alpha reliability test for the control group's post-test scored a result of .947 which is considered a high reliability degree (see Table 7). The item statistics showed consistency between the test items which indicate that every item in the test is consistent with the rest of the items (see Table 8).
The mean score is 15.9032 and the standard deviation of the test is SD=4.13404 (see Table 9).

Table7. Reliability Statistics for the Control Group's Post-test
Cronbach's Alpha N of Items .947 5 As for the post-test of the experimental group reliability test the score was .950 which is considered a high reliability degree (see Table 10). The item statistics showed consistency between the test items which indicate that every item in the test is consistent with the rest of the items (see Table 11). The mean score is 14.6667 and the standard deviation of the test is SD=4.41352 (see Table 12).  The following statistical methods are used to calculate the needed results from the collected data: 1-A Cronbach's Alpha statistical test is used to establish the reliability of the questionnaire.

2-
A Cronbach's Alpha statistical test is used to establish the reliability of the pre-test and the post-test.

3-
The mean score statistical analysis of the questionnaire is calculated as well as the standard deviation of the responses.

4-
An independent sample T-test is used to calculate the mean score of the pre-test between the control group and the experimental group.

5-An independent sample T-test is used to calculate the mean score of the post-test between
the control group and the experimental group.
6-Paired sample T-test is used to calculate the mean score of the experimental group pre-test and post-test.

Results of the First Question of the Study
The first question of the study is (What positive/negative effect flipped learning via OLC can offer for speaking tasks?), and two open-ended questions in the questionnaire collected the answers to this question. Many comments were related to the development of the students' independent learning and abundant time at home for practicing speaking skills freely. The first open-ended question was, "What other aspects of this experiment have helped improve your learning during the last given speaking tasks?". All 33 students answered the question, and the most frequent answers were: The instant response from the teacher, developing autonomy, the comfort of practicing speaking through voice messages, and the boundless time for practice. The responses indicated that the students felt at ease practicing the language online rather than face-to-face interactions. The online community provided a comfortable environment for the students to engage with the tasks without hesitation of nervousness.
Moreover, two responses mentioned learning new vocabulary, and one response mentioned practicing listening skill another response mentioned the collaboration between the students (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. The Aspects of Flipped Learning via OLC Students' Think Helped Them Develop Their
Learning The second open-ended question was, "Please provide suggestions for how to improve the flipped classroom experience or any other general comments about the course". The students provided suggestions and recommendations, mainly around three elements. These elements included learning with technology, teaching methods, and the tasks given (see Figure 4).

Results of the Second Question of the Study
The second question of the study is (What is the degree of the participants' overall satisfaction after  Vol. 8, No. 3, 2020 being involved in flipped learning via OLC as a teaching strategy to enhance their speaking proficiency in English? A Likert scale collected the answers to this question: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree (see Appendix B). The students' opinions towards the flipped learning via OLC were mostly positive. The 33 questionnaire responses were analysed using the SPSS application through descriptive statistics to identify the frequencies of the Likert scale responses.
The first two items in the questionnaire included a question regarding whether the students interacted a lot with the teacher and with their classmates. The responses of these two questions demonstrated that they agreed that flipped learning via OLC enhanced their interaction with the teacher as well as with their classmates.
The third statement targeted students' autonomy as they were asked if they had to work hard by themselves to learn. The responses to this statement were mostly strongly agree and agree, and no responses of disagreement. Similar responses were collected from statement 7, as it was asking about exploring self-learning strategies. The responses indicated that flipped learning via OLC encouraged students' autonomy.
The statements 4, 5 and 6 asked about if the students have applied what they have learned outside the classroom during the given speaking tasks. The responses to statement 4 included no disagreements, and the responses mostly were strongly agree and agree. In statement 5, the responses mostly strongly agree and agree, and one disagreement. In statement 6, the responses included strongly agree and agree, and no disagreement. The responses indicated that most students have applied out of class knowledge during their speaking tasks.
Students' attitudes were targeted in statement 8 and 9 to determine their attitudes towards adopting flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks. In statement 8, students were asked if they needed technical assistance to complete speaking tasks on Telegram. The responses mostly were strongly agreeing, and only six disagreement responses. The responses indicated that they needed technical support to use the application and participate in speaking tasks. In statement 9, students were asked if access to technical support and online resources have improved their learning. The responses included 30 agreements and three neutral responses. The responses indicated that the students improved their learning by using technical support and online resources.
The last two statements 10 and 11 targeted students' positive attitudes towards flipped learning via the OLC strategy. The students in statement 10 were asked whether they wanted to use this strategy of self-learning again. The responses included many agreements, two disagreements, and three neutral responses. In statement 11, students were asked if they liked the routine of working on speaking tasks at home and communicating with classmates and the teacher instantly. The responses included 30 agreements and three neutral responses. The responses indicated that the students have positive attitudes towards flipped learning via the OLC strategy for speaking tasks.
In question 12, students were asked to identify the factors that considerably helped in improving their learning during the experience. Twenty-six out of thirty-three selected working on the tasks by myself at home and twenty of the student's selected ease of use of the web environment (Telegram). Also, sixteen students valued the factor availability and access to online content and course materials.
Moreover, the rest of the given factors were less rated by the students. The factor evaluation and feedback collected seven responses, online group discussion collected five responses, and group collaboration collected ten responses (see Figure 5).

Results of the Third Question of the Study
The third question of the study is (Is there any significant development in the participants' speaking skill after being involved in flipped learning via OLC as a teaching strategy?), and the answers for this question was collected by using pre-test and post-test.

1) Comparison of the Experimental and the Control Groups in Speaking Proficiency
The pre-test results of the independent sample t-test revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in the pre-test scores for the control group (M=14.2581, SD=4.47190) and experimental group (M=14.3030, SD=5.34722), t (62) = .036, p = .971. The experimental group is slightly higher than the control group but the difference in not statistically significant. The post-test results of the independent sample t-test revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in the post-test scores for the control group (M=15.9032, SD=4.13404) and experimental group (M=14.6667, SD=4.41352), t (62) = -1.155-, p = .253.

Table 14. Independent Sample t-test Results for Groups Differences in the Post-test
The results were not statistically significant, and comparing the mean scores for the groups shows that the control group is higher than the experimental group. This result indicates that there is no conclusive result on the effect of flipped learning via OLC on students speaking proficiency as a teaching strategy.

2) Comparison of the Experimental Pre-test and Post-test in Speaking Proficiency
The pre-test and the post-test comparison results of the paired samples t-test revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in the experimental group scores for the pre-test (M=14.3030, SD=5.34722) and post-test (M=14.6667, SD=4.41352), t (32) = -.748-, p = .460. The results were not statistically significant and comparing the mean scores for the pre-test and the post-test shows that the post-test is higher than the pre-test. This result indicates that there is a slight improvement in the students speaking proficiency after being involved in flipped learning via OLC. However, the result did not reach the level of statistical significance, but it did influence the means.

Discussion and Recommendations
In the current study, the researcher investigated if flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks would enhance students' level in speaking and explored students' attitudes towards the strategy. To identify any difference between the experimental group and the control group, a pre-test and a post-test were administered. In the pre-test, the mean scores were almost the same, which indicates that there is no difference in their speaking level. Though the results of the tests were not statistically significant, the mean scores between the groups in the post-test were higher for the control group than that of the experimental group. However, in the comparison between the experimental group pre-test and post-test, the mean score for the post-test is higher than that of the pre-test. The control group was using presentations during their classes; this might indicate that each group has developed their speaking skills through different teaching strategies. The results are consistent with studies from different contexts such as Abdullah, Hussin and Ismail (2019), and Amiryousefi (2017), whose studies concluded that the flipped learning environment plays a role in the development of the learners speaking skill as it provides opportunities for practice and self-learning.
Bashir, Azeem and Dogar (2011) stated many factors affecting students' speaking skills and would be considered challenges for the students. In the Saudi context, students have faced many problems with speaking activities, and their speaking level is mostly considered inadequate for interaction in different situations, according to Abu-ghararah (2014) and Al-Seghayer (2014) and ur Rahman and Alhaisoni (2013). These challenges might be solved by adopting flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks.
Unlike the passive role that the students take during traditional speaking classes in flipped learning, students seemed more interested and motivated. In the responses to the open-ended questions, the students stated that in flipped learning via OLC, they felt more comfortable and confident to participate in speaking tasks. Also, they stated that learning with technology is more fun and activating, and they have requested more integration of technology in their future speaking classes.
In addition, students' responses to the questionnaire have shown that they have experienced independent learning, development in interpersonal skills, and problem-solving strategies. Accordingly, these responses referred to many advantages flipped learning via OLC can offer, specifically students' engagement and the active role they have demonstrated during the experience. Al-Seghayer (2015) argued that in the Saudi context, the teachers mostly focus majorly on linguistics and formal English neglecting the communicative skills of speaking and listening. Many teachers justify this negligence to the limited time for instruction as they have only 45 minutes per class 4 classes per week to teach language skills and cover the textbook chapters (Al-Sghayer, 2014). Therefore, Saudi instructors ought to consider using flipped learning via OLC as it may help enhance the students' oral communication.
Also, it may compensate for the time problem in which instructors have clarified that it prevents the proper practice of communication skills during the classroom period.
In respect to students' attitudes and opinions on the effectiveness of flipped learning via OLC, the general attitudes of the students towards the experiment were positive as the responses were mostly agree that they were interested and liked the flipped learning via OLC routine. Students also agreed to participate again in flipped learning, and most of their suggestions were related to using cellphones or ipads for learning. Many recent studies have shared the same positive results towards flipped learning from different contexts such as Alsowat (2016), Unal and Unal (2017), Li and Suwanthep (2017), and Lin and Hwang (2018). Regarding the effectiveness of flipped learning via OLC for fostering www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/selt Studies in English Language Teaching Vol. 8, No. 3, 2020 autonomous learning and improving learning students' selected working on the tasks at home by myself.
It was clear that the students have been motivated to learn and work on the tasks on their own. Also, the choice of interactive tasks is critical for learners to engage more and practice language skills. In the responses, few students suggested watching movies at home and doing tasks on them and using tasks that involve challenges or games. These suggestions indicate that the students are not much interested in topics in their textbook.
Furthermore, Al-Hamlan and Baniabdelrahman (2015) stated that the students' desire to learn English is mainly to communicate fluently in different situations and to assist them after graduation in getting a job. Also, they showed interest in using technology for learning and online resources other than the school's textbook. In the responses of the open-ended questions, most of the students shared the same ideas. For example, one of the responses suggested a free choice of topics for speaking tasks. It appears that the students are demonstrating a need for alternative teaching strategies and free materials for learning. This is consistent with Han (2015), where he has proved that flipping classrooms along with different resources and material to use and learn from can foster learners' autonomy.
There are a few possible causes for the non-significant results of the current study, such as the short period of application and interruptions during the experiment. Future researchers must consider the length of the experiment and implementing evaluation strategies after tasks to make sure students have understood and applied the assignment accurately. Finally, it is necessary to keep exploring the impact of flipped learning on language learning. Particularly for the communication skills as it is the goal for every EFL learner to prefect fluency during interactions with English speakers. The results of this study might aid future studies to build on and obtain more tangible and significant results.
In summary, the communicative skills are of great importance, and the EFL learners need practical teaching strategies that aid both the teacher and the student. The current study has suggested a teaching strategy that might be beneficial for teaching speaking tasks, especially for the Saudi EFL context and for the EFL education in general. Flipped learning via OLC maximizes the scarce opportunities students have to practice speaking skills during the class time. More research on the practical teaching strategies that integrate technology will add to the educators' knowledge and the research bulk, help develop EFL education, and raise students' performances.

Limitations
The study is limited to investigating Saudi intermediate students' attitudes towards flipped learning via an online learning community for speaking tasks. The program used to apply the experiment was Telegram, and the location of the experiment is in Riyadh. The time limitation for this study is one semester. There was an interruption while applying the experiment due to midterm exams. The data collection was delayed due to the inadequate assistance provided by the school and the teacher. The post-test data were collected in the final weeks during the students' final exams. Also, the experiment took only four weeks from the whole semester, two weeks in October, and two weeks in December.

Conclusion
The current study aimed to highlight specific issues and provide insights for educators and curriculum developers. This study might provide a practical solution for the obstacles in speaking classes faced by both EFL Saudi teachers and learners. These obstacles include the limited time of instruction hence scarce opportunities for practicing speaking and low proficiency level as well as teacher-centered instruction. The flipped classroom is a new teaching strategy that can replace traditional teaching for speaking skills as it occurs at home and provide enough time for practice and development. Therefore, this study investigated intermediate students' attitudes towards flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks.
The findings of this study indicate that the students' level in speaking was not statically significance.
There is a slight difference between the mean scores of the groups; the result for the control group was higher than the experimental group. However, the results of the comparison between the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental group indicated that the post-test holds a higher mean score though it was not statically significant. Also, the students' attitudes were positive towards flipped learning via OLC for speaking tasks where they have experienced self-learning, had an opportunity to practice speaking, and were confident and comfortable to work on the tasks at their own pace. The general perception from the students' responses that the experience has improved their learning, and their suggestions indicated that they valued the integration of technology into their learning experience.
Finally, implementing flipped learning into Saudi EFL classes can shift the traditional instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction. The learners in this century need to acquire as many skills as possible during their learning journey to be prepared to face real-life problems. 21st-century skills such as autonomy and problem-solving can be developed through student-centered strategies and flipped learning as one of them. The researcher recommends implementing flipped learning in the Saudi EFL context and exploring the many potentials this strategy may hold for teaching the English language.

Pre-test and Post-test
The pre-test: Dear student, This questionnaire aims to evaluate your opinion regarding using online communities rather than the traditional classroom for speaking tasks to help you develop your speaking skills.
Please answer the following questions carefully and honestly.