Assessment Of Students’ Attitude Towards Speaking English Language On Their Speaking Performance:The Case Of Grade Ten Students At Meraro High School, Arsi Zone

Abstract

This study aimed to describe students’ attitude towards speaking English language in the class and their speaking performance. Descriptive research method was used to study the variables where both quantitative and qualitative data were used to analyze the students’ attitude towards speaking English language in the class and their speaking performances. The participants of the study were two Grade 10 English language students and 100 randomly selected students for responding questionnaire and twenty five more students who were also chosen randomly to answer the speaking test and eight students for interview from Meraro High School. The collected data regarding the attitude questionnaire and their speaking performance which was measured by self – made -test were analyzed quantitatively using percentile ratio and graph, whereas the data obtained from interview was analyzed qualitatively. Findings of the study reveal that the students have negative attitude towards speaking in the class and that their speaking performance is not satisfactory. Therefore, the students should understand the importance of speaking, because their awareness may facilitate their attitude for learning speaking, and teachers should give more opportunities to speak English in the class by using variety of speaking activities that help the students to develop positive attitude towards speaking English in the class. Also further study is needed to examine the magnitude of the teachers’ method for teaching speaking skill produced negative attitude on the students speaking activities in the class.