Rationale of the study
For several reasons, the author of this graduation paper would like to write about English study and specifically learning to speak English as an English major.
Speaking English is regarded as an important language skill and a prerequisite for human communication Many people use English to communicate with one another all over the world People who can communicate in English can interact with people from all over the world, and they can improve their chances of survival in the globalization era because English is now an international language.
According to Nunan (1991), mastering speaking skill is the single most important aspect of learning a second or foreign language for most people, and success is measured in terms of the ability to carry on a conversation in the language.
Effective communication through speaking usually results in a number of advantages for both speakers and business organizations For example, effective speaking skill results in accomplishments during ceremonial speaking activities, job training, activities, job interviews, and other business purposes (Osborn, et al
2008 cited by Al- Eiadeh et el., 2016).
It can be said that anyone who lacks oral communication skills will struggle in this competitive era and may find it difficult to advance Speaking is an interactive process that involves the production, reception, and processing of information (Burns & Joyce, 1997).
However, the problem of teaching English to students, particularly problems with oral communication, has not been solved.
Vietnamese students, particularly second-year English majors, face significant challenges in learning and practicing English speaking skills They frequently make mistakes when speaking English because they lack professional knowledge, confidence, and a good learning method Furthermore, the passive learning environment of high school, with the same and boring lessons and no interesting extra-curricular activities, prevents them from practicing and improving their spoken English These are the primary reasons they do not achieve effective results when learning to speak at their university.
Aims and objectives of the study
Aims of the study
This assessment aims to evaluate the current proficiency level of English language learners in speaking, identify areas for improvement, and investigate the nature of their learning process in this skill By understanding the existing challenges and learning strategies, we can optimize instructional approaches and support students in developing their speaking competence effectively.
The experimental part of the topic is to test the effectiveness of methods built on the basis of survey results in order to help students best promote their ability to learn and apply skills.
Objectives of the study
The study was carried out with the following objectives First, the study investigates the difficulties faced by second-year majors at HUBT when learning speaking skill Second, the research explores the causes that make it difficult for students and finally, the research offers some solutions for the students to overcome those difficulties.
Research questions
The study aims at addressing the following questions:
1 What are the difficulties that second-year English majors at HUBT face when learning English speaking skill?
2 What are the causes that make it difficult for second-year English majors at HUBT to learn speaking skill?
3 What solutions can help the students to overcome these difficulties?
The scope of the study
Because of the limitations of time and knowledge, the shortage of reference materials, this study cannot cover the whole issue of speaking skill It only focuses on exploring common difficulties students get in speaking skill,and methods to improve students’ speaking skill Moreover, the study is confined to the second-year students of English major at HUBT only.
The design of the study
The paper is organized as follows:
MATERIAL COLLECTION
Review of previous studies
Speaking proficiency is crucial for ESL/EFL learners, as evidenced by extensive research However, studies consistently highlight the challenges these learners face in developing this skill.
Sawir (2005) investigated the learning difficulties of English as a second language learners, by interviewing 12 international students in Australia, including students from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. All interviewees admitted that communicating in English was difficult even though they had studied in Australia for many years This proves thst English speaking skill is quite a difficult problem for students in general and ESL students in particular although they are learning English in a favorable environment to develop speaking skill.
Similarly, Lee (2009) revealed that, all the interviewed students in her study were graduate students but they all felt challenged to participate in class discussions, no matter how long they spent studying in the United States Thus, English speaking skills are still a challenge for graduates This proves that English speaking skill needs to be learned methodically from the beginning because otherwise, learners will not be able to master this skill until graduation. Recognizing the problems that graduate students face, the author has realized the importance of solving those problems for students, right from their freshman or sophomore year of university.
Factors contributing to communication difficulties in English among Arab learners include learner disposition, pedagogical approaches, curriculum, and milieu (Rababa'h, 2005) These challenges manifest in grammatical inadequacies, limited vocabulary, pronunciation deficiencies, and psychological barriers To address these issues, educators can enhance students' awareness of communication strategies (CSs) by incorporating them into practice and encouraging their use in real-world scenarios This involves tasks like defining CSs, role-playing, and storytelling, followed by recorded feedback to facilitate engagement and improvement.
In addition, Lee (2009) explored the factors influencing the speaking class participation of six Korean graduates in the United States Data analyzes from formal and informal interviews and classroom observations have shown that all factors such as learners' English proficiency, socio-cultural values differ from each other and the classroom environment, are related.
From the above studies, the author finds that Rababa'h's (2005) research points are quite thorough and coherent In addition to pointing out the problems students face, the study also offers strategies for better speaking skills, which may be relevant to students at HUBT Therefore, this study will be carried out based on the thesis of Rababa'h (2005).
DATA/MATERIAL ANALYSIS
Methods
This study uses mixed research methods, namely a questionnaire and an interview The sample of the study consists of 54 students for questionnaire and
3 students for interview All of them are second-year students at the Faculty ofEnglish Language Studies at HUBT.
Research setting
The data collection in the study is derived from students who are in the major at Faculty of English Language Studies To collect information about the issues of learning English speaking skill for second-year English majored students at HUBT, first, 54 copies of survey questionnaires were handed out to students In addition, three other students were also invited for the interview.
An interview is carried out with 3 students in a class of K26 in Faculty ofEnglish Language Studies (FELS) at HUBT All of them are willing to help the researcher comfortably This aims to collect students’ ideas about the factors affecting the English-speaking skill.
Following the interviews, researchers meticulously analyzed the interview data to extract meaningful insights The data analysis, presented alongside the findings from the questionnaires, provided a comprehensive understanding of the research topic.
When the data collection was accomplished, the data analysis was initiated The data are analyzed in this part of the study in the below tables and charts which show the responses to the questions in the questionnaires and interview.
RESULTS, REMARKS, SUGGESTIONS
Discussing difficulties in speaking English
A study conducted at HUBT revealed that second-year English majors faced significant academic challenges, primarily related to vocabulary comprehension, grammar accuracy, and pronunciation However, the most prominent difficulty was psychological, as students exhibited confusion, nervousness, shyness, and low self-confidence This psychological barrier is believed to stem from the transition into their sophomore year, characterized by lingering uncertainties and a lack of self-assurance.
However, it was interesting to find out that weak grammar (18.5%) and difficulty in pronunciation (25.9%) did not annoy the learners as much as the others It is difficult for many students to respond when the teachers ask them to say something in a foreign language because they have little ideas about what vocabulary to use, or how to use the grammar correctly.
3.2 Discussing the causes of difficulties in speaking English
The results of the research show that the causes of difficulties in speaking English of second-year English majors in speaking classes at HUBT include the method of learning English which is not suitable (48.1%), lack of environment to practice speaking English (63%), poor learning equipment (25.9%) and unfamiliar topics (29.6%) Lack of environment to practice speaking is the main cause of students' difficulties in learning to speak English Since speaking is for communication, the practice environment is very important for its development. The speaking practice environment can be speaking conditions in the classroom, talking with native speakers, talking with friends It seems that these elements are rarely seen in the English teaching and learning process at HUBT.
3.3 Solutions to improve English speaking skill
The author has studied solutions from other researchers and found some possible solutions that can help second-year English majors at HUBT overcome difficulties in learning English speaking skills Those solutions are as follows:
Listening to diverse audio content, including songs, news, movies, and conversations, has been extensively recommended by research and proven effective in enhancing pronunciation This strategy is particularly pertinent to second-year English majors at HUBT, where pronunciation remains a significant challenge Dedicating substantial time and effort to listening exercises can significantly improve their pronunciation skills.
To enhance vocabulary proficiency, students should maintain a notebook dedicated to English words and study them by topic, addressing their vocabulary deficiencies A robust vocabulary empowers students to express themselves fluently, eliminating pauses and hesitations during speech By carrying a vocabulary notebook, students can conveniently learn new words anytime, anywhere, fostering effective vocabulary development.
Grammar is also an important part of speaking well so students need to be proficient in grammar They need to be aware of the grammatical points where they are weak and then find ways to overcome them Therefore, it is necessary to find and do a lot of grammar exercises on difficult topics to improve specialized grammar.
Confusion, nervousness, shyness and insecurity are the biggest difficulties faced by second-year English majors at HUBT This psychological difficulty needs the efforts and efforts of the students themselves They need to train themselves every day to overcome psychological barriers However, this is not easy One of the solutions that can be effective for students to practice confidence, eliminate anxiety and nervousness is that they need to actively participate in English speaking activities in the classroom In the classroom environment, when they speak English in front of close friends and teachers, they could practice themselves before having to speak in front of unfamiliar crowds, where there are more people and in a larger space Actively participating in English speaking activities in the classroom requires the encouragement of teachers and friends Students need to be motivated even if they say it wrong but they can learn from their mistakes and correct them.
Recapitulation
Based on the findings and discussions above, it can be concluded that the second-year students of the Faculty of English Language Studies at HUBT faced some problems in speaking.
The problems that most students faced in speaking were poor vocabulary, weak grammar, difficulty in pronunciation and being confused, nervous, shy, and unconfident Among them, psychological difficulties like “being confused, nervous, shy, and unconfident” account for the largest percentage.
Insufficient language learning methodologies, limited speaking practice environments, inadequate learning resources, and unfamiliar subject matter were cited as key obstacles faced by students Moreover, qualitative data from interviews revealed additional challenges: ineffective study habits, inconsistent speaking practice, and inadequate academic instruction.
To enhance speaking skills, linguists emphasize the symbiotic relationship with vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation mastery Incorporate listening to English media, maintaining a vocabulary notebook, and practicing grammar exercises to strengthen these components Additionally, actively engaging in speaking lessons during English classes is paramount for improving oral communication abilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach for second-year English majors at HUBT.
Although the study has certain strong points such as collection methods, namely interviews, survey questionnaires for students, due to limited time, lack of sources, the researcher’s ability, and other unexpected factors, it is obvious that the study has got several shortcomings.
First, due to the limited time, experience to some extent, the researcher could not conduct other methods such as classroom observation which can make the obtained results more reliable.
Secondly, due to the limitation of the scope of the study, the researcher only focuses on the second-year students in the Faculty of English Language Studies which account for a small number of students at FELS, HUBT. Therefore, the result of the study cannot be generalized Besides, the researcher could not cover all the aspects of difficulties.
Despite the mentioned limitations, I hope that this exploratory research will contribute to the better situation of teaching and learning English speaking skill at FELS, HUBT.
Because of the limitation, this study could not cover all the aspects of the study For further studies, to get better results, the researcher should invite more participants and apply the data collection method with further study with seniorEnglish majors at HUBT Together with using survey questionnaires and interviews, it is necessary to conduct an observation to get more persuasive conclusions All in all, although the study cannot avoid the limitations, the research has been completed under the guidance of the supervisor and the writer’s self-effort Any comments and criticisms will be highly appreciated for better further study.
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2 Beall, J (2020) General Purposes of Speaking Retrieved 28 May 2022
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Teacher Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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This survey questionnaire is designed for my graduation paper namely: “A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN SPEAKING SKILL OF SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT HANOI UNIVERSITY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS” in completing these questions, please choose the answer by circling the letter next to your choice, ticking off the items in a checklist or expressing your idea in the blanks All your personal information as well as your answers will be kept confidential and not be used for the other purposes Thanks for your help!
I Your opinion of studying English speaking skill
1 In your opinion, English speaking skill is ………
2 What do you think about the importance of English-speaking skill?
3 How often do you have problems with your English-speaking skill?
4 What kinds of English-speaking texts do you expect to practice more?(Put the tick (√) next to your choice.)