Exploring Students’ Speaking Difficulties in an EFL Context

Abstract

When it comes to learning a new language mainly English, speaking is regarded the most significant skill in term of communication and gaining learner’s fluency and competency. The purpose of this study is to look into the primary factors that influence EFL student's speaking abilities at BELHADJ BOUCHAIB University in Ain Temouchent. The approaches utilized by the researchers were descriptive and analytic; an interview was conducted to five teachers at the English department of Ain Temouchent University, and a questionnaire was administered to seventy EFL learners. Based on the results, the researcher believes that both teachers and students should be aware of the importance of psychological, pedagogical and linguistic aspects, as these are actual barriers on the way to good oral communication. Our study consisted of three essential chapters. The first one is theoretical part which studies the main factors that block first year EFL learners starting from the psychological, pedagogical and linguistic barriers that hinder the learner's speaking performance in the classroom, the second part is a practical one which deals with the techniques adopted to search and analyze through a questionnaire and an interview that were used in this study. Furthermore, in the third chapter the investigators give detailed definitions of EFL teacher and his role in motivating the students as well as; in this part the researchers bear some suggestions and recommendations for both EFL teacher and learners. Learners should obtain some speaking attitudes and skills to overcome these barriers for an excellent speaking performance.