An investigation into difficulties in English speaking skills encountered by English-majored students at Tay Do University

Abstract

Speaking is one of the most important skills to acquire when learning a foreign language. However, it is considered one of the most difficult skills in learning English. Therefore, the topic "An Investigation into Difficulties in English Speaking Skills Encountered by English-Majored Students at Tay Do University" was conducted to seriously evaluate the factors affecting the speaking performance of learners and discover effective solutions to improve the English language proficiency of English majors. In this study, a survey questionnaire as well as an interview item were developed as the main instruments for data collection. Eighty-six respondents were conveniently sampled for the learner’s speaking difficulty questionnaire. Ten out of eighty-six were randomly selected to respond to the interview. Factors that interfere with speech are classified as internal and external factors. The findings showed that English majors who have speaking problems have much to do with internal factors such as vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, background knowledge and psychological factors like confident, fear of making mistakes, unmotivated. Related to external factors such as the learning environment, teaching curriculum and syllabus.