PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO LEARNING EFL LISTENING AND SPEAKING AT THE HSC LEVEL: A STUDY IN DHAKA DIVISION, BANGLADESH.

Abstract

The study aimed at exploring the psychological factors affecting EFL listening and speaking at the HSC level. The researcher primarily reviewed extensive literature in the respective field and finally selected 12 HSC students from 3 colleges of Dhaka division, Bangladesh, as the participants of the study who were interviewed. Classroom observation technique was also applied for more data. The study unfolded issues like anxiety, lack of self-confidence, lack of motivation, fear of making mistakes, shyness and inhibition as the core psychological barriers to learning listening and speaking at the HSC level. It was also found that students needed more free and friendly teaching-learning environment, motivation and reward to reduce their psychological obstacles. It was observed that very less frequent teacher-student and student-student interactions occurred in the classrooms. Almost all the cases, students were passive regarding EFL listening and speaking practices. It was recommended that teachers‟ essential role in making fear-free classroom environment, positive feedback and proper motivation could break those psychological barriers to learning listening and speaking at the HSC level in Bangladesh.