Assessing Barriers of Real Practicing Speaking Skills in EFL Classroom: The Case of Assosa University, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study assessed barriers of real practicing speaking skills during EFL sessions at Assosa University, college of social science first-year students in focus. To achieve the objectives of the study, questionnaire, interview and ob-servation were employed to collect data from the respondents. The data col-lected through questionnaire were analyzed using frequency and percentage whereas the data collected via interview and classroom observation were nar-rated qualitatively. The data obtained in different instruments were triangu-lated in order to check the reliability of the finding. The finding of the study suggested that majority of the students were not interested to use English daily, and there were the resistance of the learners not to speak in English as well as not to actively engage in collaborative learning. The result of the study also revealed that students had a negative perception towards the practice of speaking skills during EFL sessions. In general, students’ background, unwil-lingness of the students to speak and students’ resistance of active learning techniques were the major factors that influenced the real practicing of speaking skills during EFL sessions. Following the finding of the study, the recommendations were suggested in order to solve the problems encountered.