Introduction. Oral communication is perhaps the most important skill while learning a foreign language. The conventional English teaching method that is applied at the different educational levels based on grammar and writing, does not allow the development of the necessary communication skills. The communicative teaching of language has been the subject of this research, in which its effectiveness has been treated using different resources and skills. Objective. This research aims to apply communicative language teaching activities to determine its effectiveness in the development of the speaking skill, in the second-year of Bachelor Education in a secondary institution in Riobamba, Ecuador. Methodology. A field, descriptive, prospective, longitudinal, quasi-experimental and quantitative research was carried out. The universe was made up of 94 students at that level. The sample equivalent to the universe was organized into two groups, one experimental and one control, with 47 students each. A diagnostic examination and a final test were applied for both groups, which during the time between both tests, followed different teaching-learning approaches. In the control group the traditional method was applied and in the experimental group, the communicative approach to language teaching. Results. The results showed that although both groups improved their performance in speaking, in the experimental group the increase in speaking ability was greater than in the control group. Conclusion. It was concluded that the application of communicative language teaching activities was effective in development of the speaking skill.