This study was designed to investigate the spoken communication difficulties encountered by the fourth year EFL (English as a foreign language) students of some rural faculties of Aden University and the factors that might negatively contribute to their poor acquisition of spoken communication proficiency during their learning of English in these faculties. The goal is to reach some suggestions and solutions that may help in changing the current situation and enabling the concerned EFL programs to produce proficient speakers of English. The data were collected through varied instruments, namely students’ questionnaire (n = 120), teachers’ questionnaire (n = 23), students’ interviews (n = 30), speaking skill teachers’ interviews (n = 4), students’ spoken communication proficiency assessment rubric (n = 42), classroom observations (n = 6), and an assessment of speaking skill syllabi. The collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS 21st version and manually. The results revealed that the majority of students encounter fluency and automaticity related difficulties and lack of communication strategies. Moreover, some students also share one or more difficulties with these two major ones, such as phonological difficulties, comprehension difficulties, sociocultural difficulties, lack of discourse knowledge, affective difficulties, and lexical and grammatical difficulties, respectively. Though most students seem to have mastered a somehow sufficient level of grammar and vocabulary, many of them cannot put their lexical and grammatical knowledge into use orally.
Table of Contents
1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.0. Introduction
1.1. English as an international language
1.2. Status of English in Yemen
1.3. University of Aden
1.4. Statement of the problem
1.5. Aims of the study
1.6. Questions of the study
1.7. Hypotheses of the study
1.8. Significance of the research
1.9. Research design
1.10. Scope and limitations of the study
1.11. Definitions of the main terms of the study
1.12. Outline of the study
2. LITERATUE REVIEW
2.0. Introduction
2.1. What is communication?
2.1.1. Elements of communication process
2.1.2. Types of communication
2.1.2.1. Non-verbal communication
2.1.2.2. Verbal communication
2.1.2.2.1. Written communication
2.1.2.2.2. Spoken communication
2.2. Spoken communication skills
2.2.1. Speaking skill
2.2.1.1. Widdowson’s view of speaking
2.2.1.2. Bygate’s view of speaking
2.2.1.3. Levelt’s view of speaking
2.2.1.4. Harmer’s view of speaking skills
2.2.2. Listening skill
2.3. Communicative competence
2.4. Spoken communication proficiency
2.5. Second/ foreign language learning
2.5.1. Language learning versus language acquisition
2.5.2. Theoretical background of second/ foreign language learning
2.6. Factors affecting learners’ acquisition of their target foreign language
2.6.1. Traditional teaching settings
2.6.2. Affective factors
2.6.3. Lack of language learning strategies
2.6.4. Student’s age
2.6.5. Environmental factors (Lack of exposure to the target language)
2.6.6. The influence of mother tongue
2.7. Spoken communication in EFL classroom
2.7.1. Natural communication vs. classroom communication
2.7.2. Pedagogical perspectives of spoken communication in classroom
2.7.2.1. Harmer’s view of ‘What is communicative?’
2.7.2.2. Canale’s pedagogical model of communication
2.7.2.3. Littlewood’s pedagogical view of communication
2.7.2.4. Nunan’s view of communication and CLT in classroom
2.7.2.5. Kumaravadivelu’s strategic framework of communicative classroom
2.7.2.6. Thornbury’s view of communicative classroom
2.7.3. Classroom activities for developing spoken communication proficiency
2.7.3.1. Communicative activities vs. non communicative activities
2.7.3.2. Classroom tasks
2.7.3.3. Types of classroom tasks and activities
2.8. Spoken communication skills in FL/SL teaching methodology
2.8.1. Grammar translation method
2.8.2. The direct method
2.8.3. The reading approach
2.8.4. Situational approach/ oral approach
2.8.5. Audio-lingual method
2.8.6. Communicative language teaching
2.8.7. Task-based language teaching and learning approach
2.9. Previous studies on EFL students’ spoken communication proficiency
3. Research Design
3.0. Introduction
3.1. Statement of the research problem
3.2. Sample design
3.3. Data collection instruments
3.3.1. Questionnaires
3.3.1.1. Students’ questionnaire
3.3.1.1.1. Validity of students’ questionnaire
3.3.1.1.2. Reliability of student’s questionnaire
3.3.1.1.3. Administration of students’ questionnaire
3.3.1.2. Teachers’ questionnaire
3.3.1.2.1. Validity of the teachers’ questionnaire
3.3.1.2.2. Reliability of the teachers’ questionnaire
3.3.1.2.3. Administration of the teachers’ questionnaire
3.3.2. Spoken communication proficiency assessment rubric
3.3.2.1. Validity of the spoken communication proficiency rubric
3.3.2.2. Administration of the spoken communication proficiency rubric
3.3.3. Interviews
3.3.3.1. Students’ interview
3.3.3.2. Teachers’ interview
3.3.3.3. Validity of the interview
3.3.4. Classroom observation
3.3.4.1. Observation checklist design
3.3.4.2. Validity of the observation checklist
3.3.4.3. Administration of the observation
3.3.5. An assessment of the speaking skill syllabi
3.4. Statistical procedures
3.5. Thesis writing and formatting
4. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
4.0. Introduction
4.1. Students’ questionnaire
4.1.1. General details (demographic information) about the Participants
4.1.2. Fourth-year EFL students’ spoken communication difficulties
4.1.3. Possible factors behind students’ graduation with low spoken communication proficiency
4.1.3.1. Factors related to students themselves
4.1.3.1.1. Students’ perceptions of oral skills and competencies
4.1.3.1.2. Students’ attitudes and motivation towards English and English learning
4.1.3.1.3. Students’ learning strategies to develop their spoken skills
4.1.3.2. Students’ past experience with English
4.1.3.3. Environmental factors
4.1.3.4. Classroom teaching and learning associated factors
4.1.3.5. Factors related to the curriculum
4.1.4. Students’ responses to the open-ended questions
4.2. Students’ interviews
4.3. Students’ spoken communication proficiency assessment rubric
4.3.1. Students’ fluency and automaticity skills
4.3.2. Students’ pronunciation
4.3.3. Students’ communication strategies
4.3.4. Students’ listening comprehension skills
4.4. Teachers’ questionnaire
4.4.1. General details about the participants
4.4.2. Fourth-year EFL students’ difficulties from their teachers’ perspectives
4.4.3. Factors behind students’ poor spoken communication proficiency
4.4.3.1. Teachers’ perceptions of the importance of language skills
4.4.3.2. Factors related to teaching methodology
4.4.3.3. Factors related to the curriculum
4.4.3.4. Environmental factors
4.4.3.5. Students’ personality traits
4.4.3.6. Students’ past education
4.4.4. Categorization of the factors having affected students’ acquisition of spoken communication proficiency
4.4.5. Teachers’ responses to the open-ended questions
4.5. Speaking skill teachers’ interviews
4.6. An assessment of speaking syllabi
4.7. Classroom observations
4.8. Discussion of the results
4.8.1. Students’ spoken communication difficulties
4.8.2. Factors behind students’ low acquisition of spoken communication proficiency
4.8.2.1. Factors related to the students
4.8.2.2. Students’ past education
4.8.2.3. Environmental factors
4.8.2.4. Teacher and classroom teaching associated factors
4.8.2.5. Curriculum related factors
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0. Introduction
5.1. Problem of the study and its questions
5.2. Students’ spoken communication difficulties
5.2.1. The major difficulties
5.2.1.1. Fluency and automaticity related difficulties
5.2.1.2. Lack of communication strategies
5.2.2. The medium difficulties
5.2.2.1. Phonological difficulties
5.2.2.2. Lack of sociocultural knowledge
5.2.2.3. Comprehension difficulties
5.2.2.4. Lack of discourse knowledge
5.2.2.5. Affective difficulties
5.2.3. The minor difficulties
5.2.3.1. Grammatical and lexical difficulties
5.3. Factors behind fourth-year EFL students’ graduation with poor spoken communication proficiency
5.3.1. Factors related to the students
5.3.2. Students’ past education
5.3.3. Environmental factors
5.3.4. Factors related to teachers and classroom teaching
5.3.5. Curriculum related factors
5.4. Solutions and recommendations
5.5. Suggestions for future studies
Objectives and Research Themes
This study investigates the spoken communication difficulties faced by fourth-year EFL students at rural faculties of Aden University, exploring the contributory factors—such as traditional teaching methods, lack of exposure, and curriculum design—to propose effective solutions for improving oral proficiency and producing more proficient speakers of English.
- Identification of primary oral communication challenges among fourth-year EFL undergraduate students.
- Analysis of pedagogical, environmental, and individual factors negatively impacting spoken proficiency.
- Evaluation of existing speaking skill syllabi and teaching methodologies in rural faculties.
- Development of remedial strategies and recommendations for enhancing spoken communication proficiency.
Excerpt from the Book
1.0. Introduction
Communicating orally in English is the goal that approximately all EFL/ESL learners wish to achieve in their learning of English and the ability by which a learner’s success in language acquisition is usually measured (Nunan, 1991, p. 39). It is for this reason that there has been a trend since the 1970s onwards to implement communicative syllabi and communicative language teaching that enable foreign language learning programs to produce learners who can use their target languages proficiently. Universities and EFL programs have positively responded to such a trend and worked hard in changing their traditional syllabi and teaching methodology to ensure the implementation of more effective EFL learning. However, such a shift in EFL teaching and learning is not an easy task that every EFL program can successfully and effectively implement. Modified forms of traditional teaching still exist till today in several EFL programs and are employed even by some EFL teachers who claim their commitment to communicative language teaching (Kumaravadivelu, 1993; Nunan, 1987). It was dominant for many decades in the past that language teaching is limited to the teaching of vocabularies and grammatical rules and this traditional view of language learning has left its major impact on foreign language learning programs.
Language is a system of communication and language learning should be viewed as an active process of acquiring such a system and using it for communication. In the words of Scarnio and Liddicoat (2009), “[l]anguage is not a thing to be studied but a way of seeing, understanding and communicating about the world” (p. 16). They viewed language learning as a social practice that “requires students to engage in tasks in which they create and interpret meaning, and in which they communicate their own personal meanings” (p. 17). Hence, EFL programs should focus on communication skills to succeed in producing proficient speakers of English.
Summary of Chapters
GENERAL INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the study's topic, highlighting the importance of spoken communication proficiency, the current global and local status of English, and outlines the research problem, objectives, and hypotheses.
LITERATUE REVIEW: This chapter provides the theoretical framework, covering definitions of communication, spoken communication skills, communicative competence models, and factors affecting second language acquisition and teaching methodologies.
Research Design: This chapter details the mixed-method research approach, describing participant selection, data collection instruments (questionnaires, interviews, and observations), and the statistical procedures used to ensure study validity and reliability.
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION: This chapter presents and interprets the collected data, drawing connections between students' and teachers' responses to identify difficulties and factors negatively affecting spoken English proficiency.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming the hypotheses, and offers actionable strategies and recommendations for improving English language learning and teaching within the targeted rural faculties.
Keywords
Spoken Communication, EFL Undergraduate Students, Spoken Communication Proficiency, Fluency, Automaticity, Communication Strategies, Communicative Language Teaching, Factors Affecting Oral Proficiency, Oral Interaction, Language Acquisition, Traditional Teaching, Teacher-centered Classroom, Aden University, Yemen, Rural Faculties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research primarily investigates the causes behind the poor spoken English proficiency exhibited by fourth-year EFL students at rural faculties of the University of Aden, aiming to provide solutions to enhance these programs.
What are the core research themes?
The themes include the identification of spoken communication difficulties, an analysis of factors like past education and teaching methodology, and the development of pedagogical strategies to foster better communication skills.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The main objective is to diagnose the underlying problems contributing to students' inability to communicate orally after years of learning English and to suggest remedial actions for the concerned faculties.
Which research methodology does the author adopt?
The study employs a mixed-method research approach, utilizing quantitative tools (questionnaires) and qualitative techniques (interviews and classroom observations) to gather and triangulate data.
What is treated in the core chapters of the thesis?
The core chapters cover a comprehensive literature review of language acquisition and communicative competence, a detailed research design, and an extensive analysis and discussion of the collected fieldwork data.
How can this work be described in terms of keywords?
This work is characterized by keywords such as spoken communication proficiency, fluency, automaticity, language learning strategies, communicative language teaching, and the Yemeni EFL context.
How do students’ attitudes influence their English speaking proficiency?
While students possess positive attitudes and high instrumental motivation, the study finds that a lack of integrative orientation and effective learning strategies significantly hinders their ability to develop spoken fluency.
How does the traditional teaching setting affect oral interaction in these faculties?
The traditional, teacher-centered approach, characterized by a lack of communicative tasks and reliance on rote memorization, limits students' opportunities for natural, oral, and social interaction, leading to poor communication performance.
What specific difficulty is identified as the most major issue?
The study identifies fluency and automaticity-related difficulties as the most significant challenge for the majority of these students in their oral interaction.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Sabri Thabit Saleh Ahmed (Author), 2021, Spoken Communication Problems of Aden University EFL Undergraduate Students. Causes and Solutions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1319197
