EFL Students’ Difficulties in Speaking: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Speaking is one of the most important skills that second language learners have to develop. However, the majority of students find it difficult and challenging to speak and express their thoughts effectively. This research aimed at exploring the speaking difficulties faced by EFL students at two different universities in Ecuador. The researcher followed a descriptive study design. Quantitative instruments were used to collect data. Results indicated that students’ speaking problems are related to anxiety, fear of making mistakes, lack of confidence, limited practice, pronunciation, fluency, grammar, and vocabulary. The speaking activities they did in classes included dialogues, vocabulary practice, oral presentations, and pair-work. Regarding pair-work, students had positive perspectives about it. They agreed pair-work is fruitful to develop oral competencies. However, they mentioned that one disadvantage of pair-work is that the students with higher proficiency tended to have a sense of superiority. Implications of this study suggest the implementation of other instruments to collect data. This research constitutes a contribution to the English teaching field and a reference for further studies.