Assessment Of Some Challenges In Improving Students’ English Speaking Skill: The Case Of Grade 11 Kondala Preparatory School.

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to assess some challenges in improving students’ English speaking skills. Therefore, the researcher collected the data through questionnaire, interview, and classroom observation from grade 11 students and English teachers of Kondala preparatory school. Simple random sampling was employed to select 25% (80) students from the total population of 320 and four English teachers of preparatory school were taken purposively. To analyze the data, a descriptive method was employed by using both quantitative and qualitative approach. The results obtained from questionnaire, interview and classroom observation were considered together in the analyses. As the result of the study revealed that, the teachers’ method of teaching has been the main challenges in improving students’ speaking skills. This was due to large number of students to be considered inconvenient for teachers to help all the students to promote their speaking skill. On the other hand, students lack of self-confidence to speak freely in the classroom and frequent use of mother tongue language during English classes were the most factors that influence students’ English speaking skill. To overcome these challenges, it was recommended that English teachers should use good method of teaching to improve students’ speaking skills. Teachers should also make great effort in order to get students to avoid their fear of making mistakes while speaking English language by telling that mistakes are the part and parcels of learning and that they are the way to attain accuracy. Besides, students should practice speaking in English both in and outside the class. To this point, the government and the school management should also provide facilities in the school. To this effect, English teachers should consider these factors, and exert their maximum effort to alleviate the challenges students face during learning speaking in English.