Investigation into Difficulties in Public Speaking among English-majored Students at University of Phan Thiet

Abstract

The main aim of the study was to identify the difficulties in public speaking skills among English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet. A total of 60 students were asked to participate in the research. The findings revealed that students have clear perceptions about the significant roles and the high difficulty level of public speaking skills. Furthermore, of all the difficulties students encountered when speaking in front of many people, the two most common problems were fear of making mistakes and being observed, which wore down their confidence. Based on the findings, several suggestions were made to improve students' public speaking skills. The findings in this study were also expected to be beneficial to teachers, educators, and schools in improving the experience of students when taking public speaking courses.