MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING VU THI THANH PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY Nghiên cứu về những khó khăn trong việc học kỹ năng Nói của sinh viên năm thứ ba chuyên ngành Ngôn ngữ Anh tại trường Đại học Phenikaa Student: Vu Thi Thanh ENGLISH LANGUAGE Student ID No: 20010020 Course: 2020 - 2024 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Kieu Le, M. Ha Noi – 2024 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY GRADUATION PAPER A STUDY ON DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS OF THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT PHENIKAA UNIVERSITY Nghiên cứu về những khó khăn trong việc học kỹ năng Nói của sinh viên năm thứ ba chuyên ngành Ngôn ngữ Anh tại trường Đại học Phenikaa Student: Vu Thi Thanh Student ID No: 20010020 Course: 2020 -2024 Field: English Language Mode of study: Full-time Supervisor: Nguyen Thi Kieu Le, M. Ha Noi – 2024 i ABSTRACT Speaking skill is one of the four core language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and plays a productive role in the process of acquiring a second language. This graduation paper reports on a small-scale experimental inquiry with the theme: “A Study on Difficulties in Learning English Speaking Skills of the Third- year English Majors at Phenikaa University”.
The study undertakes a meticulous examination of the impediments encountered by learners in acquiring and applying English speaking skills. One hundred and two participants responded to the questionnaire. The collected data illuminate a spectrum of challenges predominantly rooted in the students’ linguistic proficiency, psychological disposition, and learning environment. With the data collected, the study offers some practical recommendations for dealing with difficulties in speaking and communicating in English, thereby improving learners’ English speaking skills.
ii DECLARATION I, Vu Thi Thanh – Student ID No. 20010020, certificate that no part of above report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person’s work without acknowledgements and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance of my supervisor. Hanoi, 28th June, 2024 Supervisor Student Nguyen Thi Kieu Le, M. Vu Thi Thanh iii ACKNOWLEGEMENT First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks and respect to the Faculty of English, Phenikaa University for giving me the opportunity to research the difficulties in learning English speaking skills of the third-year English majors.
I especially would like to express my thoughtful gratitude to my supervisor – Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Le, M. She has dedicatedly guided and advised me throughout the process of completing this graduation paper. I would like to thank the K15 English major students who willingly participated in the survey for this study.
Due to limited knowledge, shortcomings in understanding and presentation errors are inevitable. I look forward to receiving lecturers’ comments to help my graduation paper achieve better results. Thank you all! iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS.
iv LIST OF TABLES. vii LIST OF CHARTS. viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. Rationale for the study.
Aims and objectives of the study. Aims of the study. Objectives of the study. Scope of the study.
Significance of the study. Design of the study. 5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Definition of speaking skills.
Factors that affect English speaking skills. 14 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Current status of the Third-year English Majors’ speaking skills at Phenikaa University. The importance of speaking skills.
Students’ habits and methods of studying speaking skills. Main problems students face in learning and practicing English speaking skills. Difficulties related to students’ linguistic ability when learning English speaking skills. Difficulties related to students’ psychology when practicing English speaking skills.
Difficulties related to the learning environment of students when learning English speaking skills. Causes of difficulties in learning English speaking skills. Suggestions for overcoming difficulties and improving English speaking skills. For Phenikaa University.
Limitations of the study and some suggestions for future research. xii vii LIST OF TABLES Table No. Title of table Page Table 3.1 Students’ habits of studying speaking skills 19 - 20 Table 3.2 Students’ methods of studying speaking skills 21 Table 3.3 Difficulties related to students’ linguistic ability 23 - 24 Table 3.4 Difficulties related to students’ psychology 28 Table 3.5 Difficulties related to the learning environment 30 Table 3.6 Causes of difficulties in learning English speaking skills 31-32 Table 3.7 Suggestions to improve students’ English speaking skills 34 - 37 viii LIST OF CHARTS Chart No. Title of chart Page Chart 3.1 The importance of learning English speaking skill 16 Chart 3.2 Students’ assessments of their English speaking ability 18 ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation Definition UN United Nations EFL English as a Foreign Language 1 INTRODUCTION This section presents a rationale of the study, thereby introducing the purpose and objectives of the study, research questions, the significance of the research, and the design of the study.
Rationale for the study In today’s world, English is not only a means of communication but also an important device for opening opportunities and taking part in the global community. Improving English proficiency can bring many benefits to individuals and society. English is also considered a global language and is widely spoken in many nations. Crystal [1] provides a fascinating account of the historical reasons for the choice of English as a global language.
He describes the spread of English to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Southeast Asia and the former colonies in Africa. It is used by a substantial number of international organizations, including “the UN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Nations” [1, p. Foreign languages enable individuals to broaden their horizons, sharpen their minds, communicate more effectively, engage in exchange and discovery, and open doors to the global community in the era of Industry 4. Foreign languages are like the “golden key” during the integration period.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thai’s speech [2], English is the official language of nearly 80 countries and territories, the second language of over 100 countries and the common language of more than 400 million people around the world. English serves as a bridge in the majority of international meetings, conferences, and exchanges of work, knowledge, and experience. In fact, English speaking skills are essential for learning foreign languages in general, and English in particular, because speaking skills are an inseparable component of the workplace.
Employers always require graduates to have good communication skills – writing, listening and especially speaking. Achieving the level of speaking English fluently and coherently like a native speaker requires constant effort from the learners. 2 This research paper chose speaking skills as the research object because speaking English fluently is challenging for students majoring in English. It requires many factors, not just pronunciation, intonation, vocabulary knowledge, and grammar.
Although third-year English majors have completed the “Speaking Skills” modules (Speaking Skills 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), they still need to practice speaking skills in other modules. Because most subjects in the program are taught in English, they need to discuss, give presentations when learning those subjects, or take specialized courses in interpreting. Therefore, learning and practicing English speaking skills are still very important. Moreover, English speaking skills are not only significant in the learning process but also affect the job application process after graduation.
In short, for the above reasons, the topic: “A Study on Difficulties in Learning English Speaking Skills of the Third-year English Majors at Phenikaa University” was chosen for the graduation paper. The main goal of the research is to identify the difficulties that English majors encounter when they practice speaking English as well as propose practical solutions to address these challenges. Aims and objectives of the study 2. Aims of the study The study aims to find out the common difficulties the third-year English majors at Phenikaa University encounter in learning and practicing English speaking skills, as well as the important causes and solutions to improve their speaking skills.
Objectives of the study To achieve these aims, the study has the following objectives. Firstly, the study seeks to identify and evaluate the difficulties students face with speaking skills. Secondly, this study develops potential solutions to overcome these obstacles and enhance the English speaking ability of English majors. Research questions The study aims to answer the following questions: 1.
What are the difficulties encountered by third-year English majors in speaking skills? 2. What are possible solutions for third-year English majors to overcome difficulties and improve their speaking skills? 4. Scope of the study The study concentrates on different difficulties that the third-year English majors at Phenikaa University have when practicing speaking English. 102 third-year English majors (K15 students) participated in this research by answering a questionnaire related to the topic.
The author conducted a direct survey at Phenikaa University during the time students studied specialized subjects. Significance of the study The study topic, “A Study on Difficulties in Learning English Speaking Skills of the Third-year English Majors at Phenikaa University” has both theoretical and practical significance. Firstly, from a theoretical perspective, the findings of this study contribute to understanding the process of language acquisition and language learning of students. Secondly, in terms of practical perspective, this study holds practical significance not only for students but also for lecturers involved in teaching speaking modules.
It helps third-year English majors at Phenikaa University realize the significance of speaking skills, their own difficulties and limitations. As a result, they can employ self-study and self-training measures to improve their English speaking skills and achieve the desired learning outcomes upon graduation. In addition, as students enhance their speaking skills, they can gain in-depth knowledge of the languages and cultures of English-speaking countries through effective communication, along with the necessary knowledge and skills to serve their professional work and personal development. 4 Furthermore, this study also assists lectures in better understanding the difficulties and identifying the needs encountered by English learners when speaking.
From this understanding, educators can build appropriate training programs and propose effective solutions to help learners reinforce their speaking ability. Design of the study The study has three parts, organized as follow: Part One: Introduction This part presents the rationale for the study, aims and objectives of the study, research questions, scope, significance, research method, and design of the study. Part Two: Development This part consists of three chapters. Chapter one is the literature review, in which the writer mentions definitions of speaking skills, factors affecting and previous studies related to difficulties in learning English speaking skills.
Chapter two is methods. This chapter explains in detail the research subject, the study instrumentation and procedures. Chapter three (after handing out questionnaire) is dedicated to the research findings and discussion. Part Three: Conclusion This part comprises the recommendations and suggestions, summary, and limitations of the study.
5 DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter clarifies the basic concepts of English speaking skills, provides an overall review related to the materials studied. English speaking skills play an important role in language learning. Introduction This chapter provides an overview of the literature related to the areas covered by the study. The difficulty in learning speaking skills is always a topic that receives great attention from everyone, especially those studying English language.
According to Ur, “of all the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), speaking seems intuitively the most important: people who know a language are referred to as “speakers” of that language, as if speaking included all other kinds of knowing: and many if not most foreign language learners are mainly interested in learning to speak” [3, p. Definition of speaking skills Basically, speaking skills are the skills of using sound to express one’s thoughts, opinions, and words for the purpose of expressing opinions, chatting, and communicating with listeners [4]. Through conversation, the speaker and listener exchange information with each other.