THE ROLE OF SPEAKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND CEFR STANDARDS

Speaking is one of the core productive skills in English Language Teaching (ELT) and plays a decisive role in developing learners’ communicative competence. Within the framework of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), speaking is viewed not merely as the ability to produce grammatically correct utterances, but as the capacity to interact meaningfully, appropriately, and effectively in real-life communicative situations. This article examines the role of speaking skills in ELT through the lens of CEFR standards. It analyzes the theoretical foundations of speaking competence, explores CEFR descriptors related to spoken production and interaction, and discusses pedagogical implications for classroom practice. The study highlights the necessity of aligning speaking instruction with CEFR levels in order to ensure systematic development of learners’ oral proficiency.