Perspectives of EFL Students' Difficulties in Speaking: A Descriptive Study: Modality: Descriptive Study

Abstract

Speaking is a real challenge for most language learners because it is a complex skill to master and requires constant practice and dedication. This research explored the difficulties and challenges students face when speaking in English in the classroom. They are related to linguistic and social factors. When students speak in English, they feel anxious and tense due to the lack of vocabulary, expressions, and grammar knowledge and difficulty finding appropriate words to determine context. In the classroom, most students are reluctant to speak in English because they do not feel confident enough to express their ideas in the target language and do not like to commit mistakes in front of their teacher and classmates. The students have experienced some speaking activities, but grammar-focused activities are the most commonly used in the classroom. They primarily performed vocabulary practice, pair work, and filled the space with correct grammar. However, current communicative activities such as dialogues, debates, and oral presentations are still missing. Therefore, teachers must be aware of the importance of providing students with authentic and meaningful activities to practice and enhance their speaking skills. Finally, the students positively perceive pair work to increase their speaking skills and feel more comfortable and relaxed when interacting with their peers than their teacher or classmates. Furthermore, they believe working in pairs is more helpful in learning English because they can work together to solve the activities they have to perform more efficiently than working alone.