http://wjel.sciedupress.com World Journal of English Language Vol. 12, No. 1; 2022 Published by Sciedu Press 313 ISSN 1925-0703 E-ISSN 1925-0711 How Do EFL Learners Interact and Learn English Communication Skills during a Role-Play Strategy? Dr. Rashed Alghamdy 1 1 Al-Baha University, College of Education Correspondence: Rashed Alghamdy, Al-Baha University, College of Education, Saudi Arabia. Received: February 10, 2022 Accepted: March 10, 2022 Online Published: March 11, 2022 doi:10.5430/wjel.v12n1p313 URL: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n1p313 Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effectiveness of a role-play strategy vs. traditional learning methods in the achievement of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to gain proficiency in communication skills. This paper reports results of an investigation on the effects of a role-play strategy in enhancing EFL students’ English communication skills when learning English as a foreign language. The current study took 2 months and used the English Achievement test and an observation timetable of communication skills with a sample of elementary school students in Saudi Arabia. The sample included 43 male pupils aged 10-13 years, at level five in an elementary government school in Al-Baha City. The results of the study show the existence of significant statistical variances between the pre- and posttest average scores of the EFL students who used role play for learning English skills, as well as those who did not use role play, hence learning English via traditional methods. The results favor the participants who used role play for learning the English language. The findings also show favorable variances for the experimental group while the pretest scores show no statistical variances among the EFL learners in the initial group and the other groups in their English skills achievement. Moreover, on the determination of the effectiveness of the role-play strategy on the improvement of the EFL learners’ communication skills, the results note a significant difference between the control and experimental conditions in terms of improving communication skills such as confirmation, repetition, imitation, and responding to other people by giving them examples, which was not available for learners in the control group. On the other hand, the participants in the control group improved their communication skills in areas such as clarification, explanation, and making statements during the application of the role-play strategy compared to their peers in the experimental group. Keywords: applied linguistics, teaching English as a foreign language, role-play strategy, Saudi Arabia 1. Introduction As one of the critical components of language skills, speaking is a core tool of instruction that must be given the attention it deserves solely because it is considered a natural way to communicate (Alzboun et al., 2017). According to McCarthy (1998), mastery of speaking ability is a cornerstone to the effective acquisition of a second (L2) or foreign language, and this ability supersedes any other ability. Speaking is generally regarded as a system of symbols in which verbal and nonverbal cues converge to make meaning as dictated by context. As a result, speaking is central to not only language learning but also teaching. Previously, learners have relied on recall and memorization in learning, but today, communicative competence is very important. Language in context has taken a center stage in learning, and therefore, a student should understand social and cultural rules as guided by context. Alzboun et al. (2017) opined that speaking is an active use of language to communicate meaning. They further stated that the spoken language is a critical means by which an L2 or foreign language is learned, practiced, and understood; and that lack of communicative competence hinders effective communication with others. Spoken and written languages have various differences. Specifically, spoken language has features that make it a more difficult task to perform than written language. This is seen in the fact that when an utterance has been made, there is no time to take it back, correct it, or look over what has been said, as is the case in written language. This is a view supported by Krebt (2017) in the proposition that while speaking, a speaker is generally under pressure; this scenario is absent in written language. According to Lewis (2011), these features can be leveraged as supportive strategies during teaching and learning, especially as a way of meeting every learner’s individual learning needs. As a result, these features need to