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Chapter 1

ABSTRACT

Difficulties in speaking English specifically for the first-year students have

become a problem that is constant. Speaking is regarded as an indicator of language

proficiency in general. It is believed that a learner who can speak a particular language

fluently is regarded as a proficient learner of that language. Seeing that phenomenon, this

study aimed to see the difficulties in speaking English among the first-year students of

San Jose Community College. Regarding the difficulties in speaking English, this study

revealed four difficulties: difficulty in pronouncing English words, lack of vocabulary,

lack of self-confident, and confusion in using grammar. Second, the factors that affected

the difficulties in speaking English are lack of knowledge, lack of practice, the attention

of the audience, environment, accent or mother tongue, different writing, or spelling, and

the last, lack of motivation. Speaking English is considered as an important language

skill, and it is fundamental to human communication. Many people around the world use

English to communicate with each other. Being able to speak English, people can interact

with others without obstacles. In addition, people speak English to upgrade themselves to

survive in the globalization era. According to Al-Sibai (2004), students live at a time

where the ability to speak English fluently has become a must, especially for those who

want to advance in certain fields of human endeavor. Although speaking is considered a

main language skill that students should improve, this does not mean it is simple to

master. Therefore, students need to be encouraged to master this skill. According to

Zhang (2009), speaking remains the most difficult skill to master for the majority of

English learners, and they are still incompetent in communicating orally in English. It is
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not only affected by individual factors but it can also be affected by social or cultural

factors of learners. Various factors such as low motivation of learners in learning, lack of

concentration in learning, lack of confidence, teachers' attitudes, learning facilities, and

infrastructure influence the ability, and willingness of learners to learn their second

language (Dimayati & Mudjiono, 2010: as cited in Sokip, 2020). The difficulties may be

inhibition, lack of vocabulary, faulty grammar, mispronunciation, fear of mistake, being

unfamiliar with socio-cultural system of communication and so many others. Along with

the verbal communication system, learners need to be familiar with the non-verbal

communication system to be competent in speaking skills.

Introduction

English is a global language that is spoken and understood by the majority of the

population in almost every region of the world. English, being the first world language, is

said to be the first global lingua franca and it is the most widely used language in the

world in international trade, diplomacy, mass entertainment, international

telecommunications and scientific publications as well as publishing newspapers and

other books. Teaching and learning the English language in non-English speaking

countries is a really challenging job. The English language is kept and taught as a subject

in school and university curriculums and even many schools or universities have adopted

English as a medium of instruction in the countries where English is used as a second and

foreign language though many students find English as difficult subject to learn (Akbari,

2015; Phyak, 2016).

English serves the purpose of being a common language and a global language. It

is the language mostly used not only by the scientists, business organizations and the
 3

internet but also in higher education and tourism sectors. This allows you to learn about

new cultures, meet new people, and build everlasting friendships from all around the

world. As English plays a dominant role in almost all the fields in the present globalized

world, there is a need to discuss its role as a global language. With the ever-growing

levels of interconnectivity and globalization around the world, the significance of

immediate and appropriate modes of communication has been increasing very rapidly in

this modern world. It is an undeniable fact that there is a need for a common language to

communicate with the present growing commerce and trade between companies from all

over the world. With the development of information as well as globalization, it is

evident that most people all over the world are communicating with the people of other

regions in only one internationally recognized language, that is, English. English is the

language that is almost used between an agent and an international company. English,

being the first world language, is said to be the first global lingua franca and it is the most

widely used language in the world in international trade, diplomacy, mass entertainment,

international telecommunications and scientific publications as well as publishing

newspapers and other books.

According to Sidhu (2001), a recruitment company explained that communication

skill, problem solving, ability to participate in decision making, people management and

strategic thinking are the top five skills needed in employability demand. Employers in

the field are very concerned about the ability of the employees to communicate in a group

discussion, conduct meetings, and engage in interpersonal and public speaking.

Eventually, the lack of communication skill is one of the reasons why employers are

reluctant to hire during the job application period.

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English has become one of the majorly used languages to understand, learn and

explain concepts from various fields of knowledge. The majority of instructional tools,

materials, and texts are written in English. The global educational systems at colleges all

over the world need English as a foreign language. Speaking English correctly,

automatically, and confidently are significant elements to succeed in learning the

language. In spite of the significance of speaking English fluently, we noticed that many

students who have good command over the language have a great deal of vocabulary and

have great scores in paper and pencil tests. Unfortunately, when they practice speaking

the language, they can't speak well due to lots of inhibitions. They worry about speaking

the language. Sometimes they can't even understand native speakers' speech. These are

some issues faced by many students who live in countries where the language is not

commonly used. On the other hand, the issue of speaking the language in countries where

the language is used is better than non- speaking English countries. The students who

consistently listen to English language spoken in daily situations show remarkable

success in listening and speaking skills. This would be why they improve greatly. Jie

(2007), insisted that for the students who are not native speakers, there are usually

intervals between the perceptions of sounds by their ears and understanding the words,

phrases and sentences. This kind of intervals often makes students have more trouble

with their listening comprehension. So, it is essential for them to have more chances to

have contact with different kinds of listening materials and let their ears be familiar with

different sounds of English words so as to shorten the intervals. It is normal for a non-

native speaker of English to commit mistakes while learning English because English is

not his mother tongue. Even the uneducated or less educated native speakers commit
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mistakes while speaking English. One should take courage to speak English without

caring for mistakes every time. They may ask the listeners to rectify them, as and when

needed.

Keywords: Speaking difficulties, English language

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know the English-speaking difficulties encountered by 1 st Year

English majors at San Jose Community College. One of the key concerns is enhancing

and developing students’ speaking abilities including the way to adopt appropriate

speaking skills, strategies and enhance the student’s capacity to learn a variety of

speaking abilities including how to speak accurately and fluently. The following sub-

problems were specifically addressed by this study.

1. What are the difficulties towards speaking encountered by the First Year English

Major of San Jose Community College in terms of:

a. Personal problems

b. Linguistic problems

c. Social problems

d. Environmental problems

2. How does the student’s positive approach towards speaking affect the

improvement of their English-speaking skills?

3. What are some possible solutions to address the problems encountered by the

students?

Scope and Delimitation

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This study focused in investigating the difficulties of the 1 st Year English Major

students in speaking English. The performance of the 1 st year student in speaking

English will vary from the different problems they are encountering. So, in this study

we will adapt quantitative method in conducting the research.

Significance of the Study

It is believed to be of great value to meet the need in addressing the English-

speaking difficulties faced by the 1st Year major students. This study will be valuable and

significant to students, language teachers, parents, future researchers, as well as the

researchers.

Students. The students are the end-users of the curriculum and should therefore be given

appropriate pedagogy that will not just test their abilities but will also help them become

more willing to express themselves whether in a group discussion, meeting, interpersonal

interaction, or public speaking. It could be their instrument in overcoming their speaking

difficulties.

Language Teachers. The salient and relevant findings in this present study will serve as

a guide in identifying and addressing the English-speaking difficulties of the students.

Guided by this, language teachers can devise measures to meet the needs of the learners

in terms of their English-speaking performance.

Parents. As one of the highlighted stakeholders of education, the parents will benefit

from this. This will serve as an enlightenment with regards to the status of their children

as well as their readiness to venture in the highly technical endeavors in the field of work.
 7

Thus, making them become more aware and supportive in addressing their immediate

needs especially English-speaking in various contexts.

The Researchers. This study will help their endeavors as Bachelor of Secondary

Education Major in English students. This will make them more eager to reflect on the

effective ways of teaching students as well as in addressing the needs of the 21 st century

learners.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as an essential reference for future

researchers to conduct similar studies focusing more on the areas particularly those which

are not covered by this study. This will also provide them insights in theory and practice

of communication.
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Reference

Horwitz, B. (2002). Communication apprehension: Origins and management. Albany,

NY: Singular/Thomson Learning.

Hunter, K. M., Westwick, J. N., & Haleta, L. L. (2014). Assessing success: The

impacts of a fundamentals of speech course on decreasing public speaking anxiety,

Communication Education, 63(2), 124–135.

Ilias, A., Razak, M. Z. A., & Yunus, N. K. Y. (2013). Communication

apprehension (CA): A case of accounting students. International Journal of Independent

Research and Studies - IJIRS 2(1), 16-27

Jackling, B., & De Lange, P. (2009). Do Accounting Graduates‟ Skills Meet The

Expectations of Employers? A Matter of Convergence or Divergence. Accounting

Education, 18(4-5), 369-385. doi: 10.1080/09639280902719341.

Journal Media and Communication Studies Vol. 2(7), pp. 159-169, August,2010

Accessed on August 12, 2017. Accessed athttp://www.academicjournals.org/jmcs ©2010

Academic Journals

Shepherd, R-M., & Edelmann, R. J. (2007). Social phobia and the self-medication

hypothesis: A case study approach. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 20, 295–307.

 9

Shi, X., Brinthaupt, T. M., & McCree, M., (2015). The relationship of self-talk frequency

to communication apprehension and public speaking anxiety. Personality and Individuals

Differences, 75.

Stone, D., Patton, B., & Heen, S. (1999). Difficult conversations: How to discuss what

matters most. Harvard Negotiation Project.

Sumanasiri, E. G. T., Yajid, M. S. A., & Khatibi, A. (2015). Review of literature

on Graduate Employability. Journal of Studies in Education, 5(3), 75.

Valenzano, J. M., III, Wallace, S. P., & Morreale, S. P. (2014). Consistency and

change: The revolution of the basic communication course, Communication Education

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Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Employers identify communication as one of the basic competencies every

graduate should have, asserting that the ability to communicate is valuable for obtaining

employment and maintaining successful job performance. Scottish Qualifications

Authorities as cited by Morreale et al., (2009) summarized that “Communication skills

underpin almost all personal, social, learning, and working activity. They are essential in

clarifying your thoughts, in interacting and conversing effectively with others, and in

conveying information, feelings, and opinions. It was also mentioned that “as individuals

mature and become working adults, communication competence continues to be

essential. Communication skills are required in most occupations. Guffey and Loewy

(2010), highlight that communication skills are essential for career success. In addition,

communication skills often ranked as the most wanted competencies among all requested

by the employers in making hiring decisions. Besides, a number of surveys indicated that

communication skills are essential for effective job placement, performance, career

advancement, and organization success. To support this, Jackling and De Lange (2009)

enunciated that the setting and dynamics of the workplace has become so different that

changes in skills needed by employers from graduate applicants have become very

apparent. Some of the basic skills that are considered important include: communication
 11

competence, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, leadership and so on (OECD,

2011; Precision Consultancy, 2007). But the most crucial according to employers is

communication competence, perhaps the problem with this is communication

apprehension (CA). Communication Apprehension has been identified as a barrier to

communication and therefore has implication for graduate employment (Arquero &

Tejero, 2011; Yazici, 2005; Zhang, 2002)

In the field of communication studies, communication apprehension (CA) and

feelings associated with anxiety from communicative scenarios are frequently recurring

topics of research in the communication disciplines, spanning over one hundred years of

research (Bragg, 2001). McCroskey et al., (2014) mentioned that fear of communication

was the most often researched phenomenon in the communication discipline during the

1970s through the 1990s and a significant body of knowledge exists. Being the one of the

most important research concepts in the field of communication, it has been referred to

earlier as “the fear or anxiety associated with real or anticipated communication with

others” according to McCroskey et al. (1977). Also, McCroskey et al. (1976) define it as

“a broad-based fear or anxiety related to the act of communication held by a large

number of individuals.” Communication apprehension is a kind of disorder which affects

majority of individuals (Butler, 2004). The levels of anxiety or fear people experience in

form of CA differs. It is associated with anticipated or real communication with other

individuals. Accoring to Ahadzadeh et al. (2015) studies have shown that communication

apprehension influences communicative behaviors in terms of communication avoidance.

People who are highly communication apprehensive are those whose apprehension about

taking part in discussions surpasses the anticipated benefits they feel they would derive in
 12

certain circumstances (McCroskey,1970). Such persons usually, have negative perception

of the resultant consequences of communication, and as such prefer to avoid

communication than getting involved, if they could do so, or undergo multiple types of

anxieties if they must communicate as a matter of compulsion. Various research has

shown that there is a barrier in communication that is referred to as communication

apprehension (CA) which is obvious in most individuals (Hassal, 2013; Ilias, Razak &

Yunus, 2013; McCroskey, 1966; Miller & Nadler, 2009).

This, of course, includes graduates of all professions with no exception. Although,

McCroskey and Sorensen (1976) examined the phenomena by employing various

intelligence and personality measures to establish an evidential relationship between

intelligence and communication apprehension, but found no evidence with CA. However,

they are of the opinion that even though both variables did not indicate any correlation,

high levels of CA could make individuals develop avoidance attitude, and this was

explained with students who would rather usually wish to sit at the back of the classroom

than sitting in front during classroom lectures, preferring modules that would prevent

them from classroom participation and interaction, and avoid seeking tutor assistance.

Definitely, this character limits relationship and prevents individual communication

problems and challenges from being addressed. This invariably affect their

communication skills development delineating CA from shyness, reticence, social

introversion, and stage fright. This definition remains in current use in communication

studies (McCroskey, 1982). Through McCroskey’s career, CA understanding evolved to

include trait-like and situational CA, willingness to communicate (WC), and a variety of

intervention and mitigation pedagogical methodologies (Mazer & Graham, 2015).

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Originally, CA was primarily thought to be trait-based. Anxiety related to trait-like

communication is considered as a predilection for communication anxiety which is

relatively stable across varying contexts, situations and audiences. Further current

research has widened the construct to comprise of certain state-like characteristics. State

anxiety is peculiar to particular circumstances, contexts, and audiences (Wernicke, 2005).

The evolution of the understanding of CA is relevant to the current study. To date,

scholars have primarily focused the CA research line of inquiry on causes and treatment

of CA (Bodie, 2010). More recently, researchers have investigated the experiences of CA

rather than focusing on CA mitigation (Byrne et al., 2012). Scholars have developed an

understanding of CA and how the phenomenon affects students in the classroom.

Researchers are calling for a “revisioning of communication training” in the classroom

(Choi et al., 2015) the development of new pedagogical methods to address CA, and the

need to create supportive classroom environments for students with high levels of CA

(Rattine-Flaherty, 2014). Thus, effective intervention and communication education may

lessen CA experiences or assist high CA students with anxiety management or difficulties

that arise during a college career especially in the classroom to publicly address

communicative scenarios (De La Mare, 2014). It also underscores the necessity for a new

exploration of communication classroom practices. In order to design college classroom

practices around CA and its effects on the student, it is important for instructors to

understand the types of CA which affect individuals (Mazer & Graham, 2015). However,

this research focused on determining the level of communication apprehension among

students in the Senior High School in order to arrive at the understanding on how it

affects individuals and specifically the students in particular context, namely: group
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discussion, meetings, interpersonal and public speaking. This study tries to address the

level of communication apprehension among the Senior High School students through

devising appropriate instructional materials suited to the needs of the learners and to

make teachers become accountable to the progress of their students especially in

developing their communication skills.

Related Studies

After looking into the published literatures and establishing relationships to the

present study that the researchers conducted as well provided careful scrutiny of the

studies which explored the relative aspects encompassed by the current study.

Furthermore, the following is a collection of previous foreign and local studies that has

notable contribution and bearings to the endeavor of the present study. Several studies

and research were conducted for the past several years to determine the level of

communication apprehension among the students. Researchers from the different fields

showed interest in trying to measure the communication apprehension of college

students. Research also conducted to prove that the use of instructional materials in the

teaching –learning process is effective and provides favorable outcomes. However, the

researcher only reviewed and focused those that have significant bearings on the present

study.

A recent study entitled “Assessing Communication Apprehension and Implication

for Employability among Mass Communication Students” was conducted by Adeyemi

(2017). This study gives an insight into communication apprehension level of Mass

Communication undergraduate students in Nigeria and revealed that most of the

respondents were of moderate level of CA. It was concluded that the need to reduce
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undergraduates/graduates CA level is very crucial, in order to facilitate their

employability. It further reiterates that undergraduates’ CA level should be reduced to the

bear minimum so that they could be able to communicate effectively in various

communication contexts, viz. group discussion, interview, conversation, and presentation

after graduation. The concern was raised that undergraduates should be taught the four

stages of anxiety and how to overcome them. Their recommendation was supported by

the statement of Ilias, et al. (2013) investigating on the communication apprehension

(CA) among final year accounting students particularly in Universiti Tenaga Nasional.

The main implication for educators is to develop and implement several strategies in

teaching styles in reducing fear and anxiety among students. This study also aims to test

the Personal Report Communication Apprehension (PRCA) which is the same research

instrument employed by the present study.

In addition, their findings revealed that more than 50% of the highest level of CA

exists for the generalized context pertaining to four contexts in group discussions,

meetings, interpersonal and public speaking. In addition, the relationship between the

overall CA with the other four contexts in CA established significant, positive

relationships. The results showed correlation coefficient in group discussions (.546),

meetings (.483), interpersonal communication (.533) and public speaking (.568) among

final year accounting students. This study also looked into the differences of

communication apprehension among gender, race, academic performance, expected

salary for fulltime accounting position and expected accounting position. However, only

overall PRCA shows significant difference among gender. The studies cited above has

bearing to the present study since both of them focused on assessing the level of
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communication apprehension as a crucial aspect of employability. This study employed

the PRCA-24 as the research instrument to assess the level of communication

apprehension among the respondents. PRCA items can be considered reliable to be

adopted since the Cronbach Alpha (.948). Given its high reliability, the present study has

utilized the same instrument. Relevant to these findings, another study by Bragg (2001)

entitled “Communication Apprehension among Community College Students,” was

conducted to explore the phenomenon of communication apprehension among a

purposeful sample of five community college students with high levels of communication

apprehension. A phenomenological qualitative methodology was selected to give voice to

the high CA student and to understand the lived experience of high CA during the

introductory communication course. This study provides a rich, thick description of the

lived experience of the high CA community college student. This study further elaborates

that for the community college student with high levels of CA, the introductory

communication course can be difficult, causing significant emotional and physical

distress. For the high CA student, the experienced anxiety has academic, social, and

emotional implications. Thus, this study and the present study are both deemed

significant because it contributes to the body of knowledge related to CA among the

students. The study cited also lead to assessing the level of communication apprehension

as a crucial aspect of employability. However, the present study dealt more on the CA of

Senior High School students while the above-mentioned studies focused among the

tertiary level specifically those in Mass Communication, Accounting Graduates, English

Major Graduates and Community College Students.

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In addition to the above literature the study of Hunter et al. (2014) revealed that

quite a number of studies have established that high levels of communication

apprehension (CA) significantly impact the college student. The findings of Hazel et al.

(2014) have shown that anxiety caused by CA affects the daily life of individuals and the

college years are particularly difficult for students with high levels of CA. Francis &

Miller (2008) added that the avoidance of anticipated social situations affects individual

student behavior and performance including choice in program of study, academic

success, daily schedule, classroom engagement, student-faculty relationships, and overall

retention rates. Community college students have reported significant levels of CA

leading to anxiety, language, and communication problems. These effects also manifested

in the results of a study conducted by Choi et al. (2015). It also exposed that high CA

could have particular effects for individuals enrolled in an introductory public speaking

course. High CA students may experience severe anxiety before, during, and following

an oral presentation. These individuals may display behavior detrimental to an academic

career including avoiding coursework, poor preparation for assignments, poor decision

making, and ongoing poor academic performance as cited in a study by Bodie (2010).

High CA students tend to be silent during communicative scenarios and at times have

ongoing disorganized thinking patterns due to anxiety Choi et al. (2015) further said.

Francis & Miller (2008) additionally implied that students with high levels of CA have

ongoing fear of negative evaluations from peers and instructors which may lead to poor

academic performance and limited social engagement in the classroom. Anxiety

associated with interpersonal communication has ongoing implications for students in the

classroom as supported by Horwitz (2002). Rosenblatt & Meyer (1986) studied

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classroom interactions with both peers and instructors, high CA students have ongoing

difficulties in managing thoughts and tend to experience thought patterns which may be

mired in complexity CA affects how students interpret personal classroom performance

and high CA students tend to be highly self-critical. Normal academic experiences may

be difficult to manage for the high CA student and these experiences may be interpreted

as negative. However, overall, the negative feelings associated with high CA tend to

overshadow positive experiences in the classroom which has significant implications in

student success and retention (Shi et al. 2015).

CA erodes student willingness to communicate with others in the classroom

environment (Sawyer & Behnke, 2009). Empirical research has shown that while

students may understand the need to speak up, engage, and have an ongoing willingness

to communicate with others, high CA students may both subtly and actively avoid

engagement (Blume et al., 2010). When faced with new opportunities for engagement,

over one-third of high CA students avoid communicating with others, choosing to remain

silent in the classroom rather than risk appearing foolish in front of others (Hazel et al.,

2014). The feelings associated with CA are intrusive and over time undermine student

motivation and willingness to engage with others (Shepherd & Edelmann, 2007).

Because of the lack of willingness to engage, the high CA student may not be perceived

as a team player or as a leader and may have ongoing negative consequences for in-

classroom relationship development and student-instructor interaction (Blume et

al.,2013). These negative consequences for high CA students can occur in any course for

any student on any college campus. Furthermore, cited above are studies which are

related to the present in such a way that it also explores the effects of CA in the
 19

classroom setting. The respondents of the present study are also students although from a

different year level. Another area of concern also dealt with CA affecting student

willingness to take on leadership responsibilities, adapt to new situations, and accept or

appreciate other individuals of multicultural backgrounds (Blume et al.., 2013). Croucher

and Rahmani (2017) conducted a study entitled “Minority Groups and Communication

Apprehension” which supported the above claims. It explored the intercultural perception

of communication apprehension among the Iranian Kurdish minority group. Based on a

sample of 157 self-administered surveys and PRCA-24 as the research instrument

employed, the study investigated the relative communication apprehension (CA) score of

Iranian Kurds and the influence of sex, age, and education on CA. The results revealed

Kurds are relatively less apprehensive than many other cultures. The researchers found

out that women have significantly higher levels of dyadic, public, and total CA.

Moreover, all CA contexts (dyadic, groups, meeting, and public) and total CA tended to

increase after grade 9 and decrease after completing high school. Age however, only had

a modest effect on meeting CA. The findings propose higher levels of social encounters

which reduce the amount of CA among Kurds. Dwyer (1998) also found similar findings

to the previous study. It revealed that there was no significant difference in CA levels

among age groups. The study concludes that it is difficult to definitively separate the

effect of education on CA from age. However, it is clear that the basic culture acquisition

that takes place in early childhood and during the first years of schooling provide stable

communicative ability. In terms of gender, Mojab (2000), supported the results of the

previous study. It revealed that there is a significant difference in CA levels between

Kurdish men and women. Their findings articulate that women had significantly higher
 20

dyadic CA and public CA than males, which is consistent with previous literature in the

study of Donovan & MacIntyre (2004). Croucher and Rahmani (2017) were also

consistent with Kasemkosin and Rimkeeratikul’s (2012) research, having a university

education was negatively correlated with CA. The research analysis showed education

was negatively related to CA. It further concluded that a higher degree of education

provides students with more social encounters and at the same time the confidence to

communicate with more knowledge and expertise. Studies have also shown the

importance of higher education in lowering CA levels (Croucher, 2015).

The present study is related to the previous studies since it also utilized the

demographic profile of their respondents and the research. Also in the previous studies,

the researchers focused on the relative communication apprehension (CA) score and the

influence of sex, age, and education on CA. The present study made use of some of these

variables but excluded education. In view of the foregoing studies the researcher believes

that it’s bearing to the present study is evident. Although it differs mainly on the

respondents and the research design, still, the similarities lie on the potential of the

present study to deal on the impact of communication apprehension and few of the

variables which may considerably be related to the students‟ level of apprehension. Such

aspect were explored to uncover the dearth of this issue. On the other hand, it was

mentioned that even religion can be another explanation for the lower amount of CA.

Cohen & Hill (2007) emphasized that different religions vary in their level of

individualism and collectivism. Islam emphasizes collectivist tendencies more than other

monotheistic religions such as Judaism and Christianity (Cukur et al., 2004). Under the

influence of Islam, Kurds gather daily in the mosques and within the family to follow
 21

their religious practices, and as a result, to have more social and communicational

contacts. People get ready for these kinds of close relationships from childhood when

they practice communication behaviors in different social occasions. These skills gained

from communication engagements could lead to lower levels of CA. Although religion

was not covered by the previous studies, it is relevant to the present study since both tried

to understand the depth of communication apprehension which is potentially affected by

certain factors. Meyer and Reardon (2017), on “An Examination of the Relationship

Between

Level of Communication Apprehension and Career Thoughts.” This study

examined relationships among levels of communication apprehension and dysfunctional

career thoughts in relation to career problem solving and decision making. The

demographic information of the respondents were gathered and the level of CA was

measured through the McCroskey’s Personal Report on Communication Apprehension.

Furthermore, analysis of correlation coefficients found statistically significant moderate

correlations between measures of negative career thinking and communication

apprehension. Finally, the results of their study indicated that individuals with high levels

of communication apprehension had a higher amount of negative career thoughts than

persons with low levels. Based on the salient findings, the researchers proposed

interventions for students who are experiencing high levels of CA and negative thoughts.

Aside from these, the focus of other studies were also taken to account. Researchers in

particular, continue to refine CA assessment measures in effort to assist students with

high levels of CA, creating programs and educational curricula to address ongoing

student anxiety in the classroom and the overall college environment Hunter (op. cit.).
 22

However, these programs and efforts continue to be grounded in the social learning

perspective of CA. This paradigm holds that programs should be created to treat high CA

in individuals rather to broaden the understanding of the experience of individuals with

high CA (Bodie, 2010; Byrne et al., 2012).

Oral communication anxiety is one of the most studied phenomena among

western communication researchers. So much attention has been given to this

phenomenon that almost every aspect of it has been explored and written about. Yet,

despite it being extensively studied, the case is quite different in the Philippine setting.

There is still a dearth of research data on Filipinos considering oral communication

anxiety’s overwhelming impact on speakers (Del Villar, 2006). These few research

documents are taken into account for their significance to the present Del Villar (2006),

in one particular study from the University of the Philippines, entitled “Beginning

Filipino students‟ attributions about oral communication anxiety,” identified the student’s

attributions about their oral communication anxieties. Since the study was investigative in

intention, it employed both quantitative and qualitative techniques with the survey as its

main method. Based on Del Villar’s investigative accounts, the results revealed an eight-

factor model namely: expectation, training and experience, audience, self-worth,

rejection, verbal fluency, preparation, and previous unpleasant experience. These factors

were the reasons given by beginning Filipino students to explain the fears they foresee

themselves experiencing when they engage in oral communication. As to ways to

overcome anxiety, the researcher elucidates that beginning students believed that the

most important remedies were practice and preparation.

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The present study is related to the previous study since both of them utilized the

students as their respondents. Also, both in particular employed quantitative and

qualitative technique, the previous and the present study made use of survey data to

assess and identify the attributions about oral communication anxiety. This research

instrument is called PRCA-24 scale which had undergone series of test for its validity.

Moreover, both the present and in previous study believe that preparation and practice

can be one of the possible antidotes for addressing this type of communication anxieties.

In relation to this, Laurilla (2010) from De La Salle University conducted a study

entitled, “English for Maritime Purposes: Communication apprehension and

communicative competence among maritime students in the Philippines,” was conducted

to report on the communication apprehension or speech anxiety in relation to oral

communication activities conducted in a Maritime ESP class in Manila. The study which

is mainly exploratory made use of the PRCA scale and attempted to determine the levels

of communication apprehension among the students and possible correlations with

particular speech task. The researcher found out that student’s communication

apprehension and communicative performances varied in relation to the speech tasks.

Moreover, the study also recommended that the maritime instructors must use materials

that suit the specific needs of their maritime students. The present study is related to the

previous study since both of them explored the level of CA among students. In addition,

both made use of the same research instrument to determine CA although the previous

study was mainly exploratory compared to the present study which is more qualitative

and quantitative in nature. Moreover, both the present and in previous study both address
 24

the need for instructors/ teachers to utilized materials suited to the needs of the learners

study Del Villar (2006), in one particular study from the present study.

In conclusion, the aforementioned literature and studies related to communication

apprehension, had served multiple purposes. By putting them into perspective, such

review provided a sound rationale for the present investigation and helped in producing a

more definitive research. It guided the researcher in the identification of the problem,

development of research design and determination of the size and scope of the problem.

In the great extent on the ease and intensity with which the literature is reviewed the

researcher found them of relevance to the present study because they deal with

communication and issues of communication apprehension and its many facets, the

variables which could be potentially linked to CA and as well as the possible measures

and intervention that can be used to address the issue.

Synthesis of the State-of-the -Art

Morreale, Guffer and Loewy, Jackling and De Lange elaborated the essentials of

competence in communication, its basic implication and vital role in the dynamics of the

workplace. Specifically investigating on one of the major concerns in the field of

communication, Bragg, McCroskey and Butler had introduced the term Communication

Apprehension in their effort to explain the fear or anxiety associated with real or

anticipated communication with others, delineating CA from shyness, reticence, social

introversion, and stage fright. The present study will also use the same terminology. Both

Valenciano and Hauser attempted to trace the history of CA being rooted in the

Hellenistic era to the mid-twentieth century understanding its implications until today.

McCroskey and Wernicke had widened the construct of CA creating the evolution of the
 25

understanding of CA. McCroskey and Sorensen attempted to establish evidential

relationship of CA to various general phenomenon such as intelligence and personality

measures.

Hassal, Ilias and Yunus, McCroskey, Miller and Nadler Arquero and Tejero,

Yazici and Zhang, Ahadzadeh discussed CA’s influences on communicative behaviors

and avoidance. McCroskey has taken CA as a distinctive phenomenon from anxiety and

apprehension, his view together with these authors’ and the present study share with the

observation that CA may become a crucial issue in the field of communication. Learners

will not only face difficulties in speaking performance but also in learning because of

their low receptivity to instruction.

Adeyemi, Bragg, Ilias, Razak and Yunus, explored the phenomenon of

communication apprehension among college students in various field and had proven that

a large number of the students population exhibits anxiety in communicating in any

social situations mentioned and categorized as the general contexts in CA. Hazel, Francis

and Miller have in their studies some commonalities because it revealed the effects of CA

to daily life of individuals such as students behavior and academic performance, social

relationships and overall retention rates. Their observation that communication

apprehension is not only a problematic phenomenon to teachers alike, but also to learners

themselves is where this study shared a similar view.

Del Villar and Laurilla in their local studies supported the idea that there is a need

for communication apprehension to be explored and given attention especially in the

Philippine setting in respond to the global demands among our students. Del Villar

investigated on the factors as the reasons given by students to explain the fears they
 26

foresee themselves experiencing, the study further elucidates preparation and practice as

the remedies to CA. The study of Laurilla on the hand the possible correlation that exist

between communication apprehension and communicative task. It is essential to take note

however, that the present study and that of Del Villar deal with beginning Filipino

learners in the Philippines, and that of Laurilla on Filipino maritime students. Mojab,

Croucher and Ramani, Kasemkosin and Rimkeeratilul, Cohen and Hill, Cukur, Meyer

and Reardon considered correlating communication apprehension to gender, education,

age, religion and even career thoughts. Varying levels of communication appeared to

have positive correlations of varying degrees to the aforementioned factors.

Byrne, Bodie, Choi, De La Marie, Ilias, Mazer and Graham, Rattine, Razak and

Yunus, proposed suggestions that can work well in addressing the levels of

communication apprehension. The significant findings and observations cited ascertained

that several strategies and teaching styles can be used to reduce fear and anxiety in

communication among the students. Meyer and Reardon suggested that in order to deal

with the impact of communication apprehension, students must be given interventions.

Previous studies conducted like that Hunter emphasized the use of assessment measures

such as creating programs and educational curricula in effort to address ongoing student

anxiety. The study shares with these studies in its intention to draw instructional and/or

intervention materials that will help address the level of communication apprehension

among the students. As the present study would like to prove that something can be done

to address the level of communication apprehension in its locale, it shares with these

studies’ proposition that a variety of intervention, measures, and pedagogical

methodologies in dealing with this matter is vital.

 27

Gap Bridge by the Study

This study aimed to determine English speaking difficulties faced by 1st year

English major students at San Jose Community College. All studies have been made for

the researchers to have an idea regarding English speaking difficulties from the contents

of related literature and related studies.

This particular study intended to fill that absence by devising effective

instructional materials specifically directed towards helping the students address their

level in English-Speaking difficulties and that would supplement the teacher’s

understanding of his/her students’ level of English-speaking difficulties and consequently

aid him/her in customizing learning activities to suit specific needs. These are the gaps

that will be bridged by the study.

Theoretical Framework

This study focuses on the English-Speaking difficulties of college students. The

nature of Communication apprehension is shown and stated in James Lange’s Theory of

Assimilation. McCroskey (1978), who, in fact, developed the Theory of communication

apprehension, indicates that “CA is a major determinant of a wide range of

communicative behaviors.” Characteristic examples of such behaviors are stuttering,

fewer utterances, feeling nervous, trembling, and sweating. These studies also showed

that levels of apprehension are partially due to the anxiety experienced in previous

performance situations. Past anxious behaviors cause the individual to anticipate similar

behaviors in future performances. CA is therefore developed, and as the individual

continuously undergoes similar behavior, his CA is further maintained. The James-Lange

 28

theory explains that a person’s own attributions of his emotion are largely a result of his

own self-reflection.

The Task-based Approach of Prabhu (1987) was interconnected to how speaking

activities would influence the difficulties in speaking. This is indicated in Richard’s

Speaking Activities (2008). The speaking difficulties has different form and types. Below

is the Figure 1 that illustrates the theoretical paradigm of this study.

Activity Theory

Speaking Anxiety

Second Language Foreign Language

Acquisition Anxiety
 29

Figure 1. Theoretical Paradigm

Conceptual Framework

Figure 2, conceptual paradigm of the study which is a synthesis of principles

focused on identifying the difficulties encountered by 1st year English majors at San Jose

Community College, as well as addressing a way to adopt appropriate skills, strategies of

students’ capacity to learn a variety of speaking abilities including how to speak

accurately and fluently.

Difficulties Encountered
Student's positive
1. Personal
approach towards Solutions to address
2. Linguistic speaking affect the the problems that
improvement of their was encountered
3. Social
English Speaking Skills
4. Environmental
 30

Figure 2. Conceptual Paradigm

Definition of Terms

The following are the words that is

1. Difficulties- The quality or state of being hard to do, deal, with or understand the

quality or state of being difficult.

2. English language- It is an Indo-European language in the West Germanic

language group. Modern English is widely considered to be the lingua franca of

the world and is the standard language in a wide variety of fields including

computer coding, international business, and higher education.

3. Linguistic Problems- can be classed as lexical, syntactic, or semantic depending

on their context. Lexical problems involve the interpretation of particular words

or phrases rather than entire classes. These problems exist independent of context

although they are only evident in it.

 31

4. Personal Problems - in practice, personal issues can be defined as any personal

problem that affects a certain individual. Typical personal issues could relate,

among others, to family, finance, addiction, disability, or health.

5. Positive Approach - Positive thinking approach or an optimistic attitude, is the

practice of focusing on the good in any given situation. It can have a big impact

on your physical and mental health. That doesn't mean you ignore reality or make

light of problems.

6. Socialize Problems - Socialization problem is any condition or behavior that has

negative consequences for large numbers of people and that is generally

recognized as a condition or behavior that needs to be addressed. This definition

has both an objective component and a subjective component.

7. Solution- means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation.

8. Speaking- used for or engaged in speech the action of conveying information or

expressing one’s thoughts and feelings in spoken language.

9. Speaking Difficulties- are a type of speech language and communication need.

 32

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Chapter 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHDODOLOGY

This chapter presents a comprehensive discussion on the process on how the

investigation will proceed in order to find answers to the problems under consideration. It

included the research methodology, sources of data, sampling technique, research

instrument, the analysis of data and the statistical treatment used to interpret the data

gathered.
 38

Research Design

The research design is all the necessary process in the planning and execution of

the research which help in collecting and analyzing data that is suitable for the objectives

in this research. In this study, the researchers will be using descriptive-quantitative

method of research that focuses on identifying the difficulties faced by the 1st year

English major students of San Jose Community College in learning how to speak English

fluently. Quantitative research, according to Creswell (2014) describes that quantitative

approach construes analysis of an idea by establishing narrow assumptions and use data

gathering to support or controvert the assumptions.

For the purpose of identifying the difficulties in English speaking encountered

by the students, this study utilized the students enrolled under the BSED-English course.

The respondents are officially enrolled at San Jose Community College in the academic

year 2021-2022. There were 10 students who were chosen from the selected block in 1st

year English major students.

Descriptive- Quantitative design of research will be used in this study in order to

establish general standards and student ability to internalize speaking skills, these also

incorporate descriptions and extrapolations of student status. The findings clearly show

that student situations varied according on each student's attitude, perception, and

capacity for productive language use. The use of descriptive research is predicated on the

notion that obstacles and challenges are noted in relation to the student's linguistic and

psychological issues. Quantitative method is also applied in this research because the data

gathering instrument will be a questionnaire that involve numerical data.

 39

Sources of Data

The main source of data in this study was gathered from the respondents’ responses

to the questionnaires distributed to the chosen 10 students of the 1st year English major

students. This was useful in determining the profile of the students and the difficulties

they encountered in speaking the English language. The secondary sources of data were

gathered from the theses, journals, and dissertations are both from local and foreign

documents. Searching related studies in this research were also considered in order to

justify the variables in this study.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study were from the purposely chosen 1st year

students of San Jose Community College. SY 2021-2022. The respondents came from 1st

year college students majoring in English, one of the vital processes to keep this study

successful. All of these participants were selected through a random sampling method

conducted where each member of a population has capability to become part of the

sample.

The chosen respondents are composed of ten (10) respondents from selected

block A 1st year college students majoring in English. The researchers chose this block

because they are suitable for this study and the advantages from the results will be

applicable to them.

Sampling Technique

In this study, the researchers use random sampling technique in selecting the

respondents. The BSED ENGLISH 1st Year BLOCK A is the chosen respondents whose
 40

population is 38. The researchers will be selecting 10 students to be the respondents and

this will be chosen randomly.

n=N/1+Ne2 ; 38/1+N(0.05)2 ; n=38/1+38(0.0025)

n= 38/ 1+ 0.095 ; n=38/1.095 ; n=35

The total population of the First year BSED English block A is 38

Instrument

The instrument that used in this research was questionnaire. According to

Sugiyono (2008) Questionnaire is a technique of data collection conducted by giving a

set of questions or written statement to the respondent to be answered.

Questionnaire was used to measure the student problems they encountered in

speaking class. The students only gave to check to the correspond checklist provided. The

questionnaire consisted of three questions with choices about speaking problem.

Data Gathering Procedure

A letter of request to conduct the study was prepared. The researcher constructed a

questionnaire checklist, validated by the professor of the subject. Then the questionnaire

checklist is distributed online through G-form. The researcher conducts the research in

San Jose Community College through G-form survey, because of the pandemic. The

researchers explain to the respondents the importance of their response to the study. The

researcher clarifies some terms to the respondents so that the respondents can answer the
 41

questionnaire with full knowledge of their responsibility as the subject of the study. The

researcher requested the respondents to answer with all honesty.

The researcher uses a random sampling method, according to Shadish et al., 2002.

Random sampling ensures that results obtained of the entire population had been

measured. The simplest random sample allows all the units in the population to have an

equal chance of being selected. In this study, since the researcher’s goal is to determine

the English-speaking difficulties in Bachelor of Secondary Major in English, Block-A at

San Jose Community College. The researcher believes that this method is most

appropriate in choosing the sample for the research. After the respondents answered the

questionnaire through g-form, the researcher will receive the respondents’ response and

tally the data for interpretation. Based on the data, the researcher formulates a conclusion

and recommendation for this study.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The statistical methods used in this study are:

(a.) Descriptive Quantitative

This method of research that focuses on identifying the difficulties in English

speaking encountered by the students, this study utilized the students enrolled under the

BSED-English course. The respondents were officially enrolled at San Jose Community
 42

College in the academic year 2021-2022. There were 10 students that are chosen from the

selected block in 1st year English major students.

(b.) Descriptive- Quantitative design of research will be used in this study in order to

establish general standards and student ability to internalize speaking skills. These also

incorporate descriptions and extrapolations of student status. The findings clearly show

that student situations varied according to each student's attitude, perception, and capacity

for productive language use.

(c.) Quantitative method is also applied in this research because the data gathering

instrument will be a questionnaire that involve numerical data.

(d)The main sources of data in this study were gathered from the respondents’ responses

to the questionnaires distributed to the chosen (10) students of the first year English

Major Students. This was useful in determining the profile of the students and the

difficulties they encountered in speaking the English Language.

Chapter 4

DIFFICULTIES TOWARDS SPEAKING ENCOUNTERED DATA

This chapter reveals the findings, analysis and interpretations of the data gathered

from the BSED Major Students of San Jose Community College. The important findings

of this study served as a basis for determining and addressing the English-Speaking
 43

Difficulties Encountered by the First Year English Major Students of San Jose

Community College.

Presentation of Data

1. What are the problems encountered by the First Year English Major of San

Jose Community College in terms of:

a. Personal problems

b. Linguistic problems

c. Social problems

d. Environmental problems

Factors: Personal Frequency Percentage

Problem

Inability to speak the 7 70%

English language with

confidence

Don’t have motivation 3 30%

to speak the English

language

Fear of committing 10 100%

mistakes

Anxiety that leads to 10 100%

 44

mental block

Table 1. Personal Problems Factors

Among the four choices in Personal Problems, the "anxiety that leads to

mental block and fear of committing mistakes" has the highest percentage of

100%. It was supported by McCroskey (1997) which he states that in the field

of communication it refers that “the fear or anxiety associated with real or

anticipated communication with others”. Community college students have

reported significant levels of CA leading to anxiety language and

communication problems. They may experience severe anxiety before, during

and following an oral presentation. Then, in choices "inability to speaker

language with confidence" has 7 numbers of checked which equals to 70%

and the "students don't have motivation to speak English language" has 3

numbers of checks.

Factor: Linguistic Problems Frequency Percentage

Common grammatical errors 10 100%

while speaking
 45

Difficulties in pronouncing 6 60%

English words

Unavailability of words for 8 80%

expression

Difficulty in arranging words 9 90%

in sentences

Table 2: Linguistic Problems Factor

Among the four choices in linguistic problems, the "common grammatical errors

while speaking" has the highest number of checked that is equivalent to 100%, while the

"difficulties in pronouncing English words" has the least number which is 60%. Then in

choices "unavailability of words for expression" has 80% and in "difficulty in arranging

words in sentences" has 90%. According to Rosenblatt and Meyer (1986) studying

classroom interactions with both peers and instructors, students have ongoing difficulties

in managing thoughts and tend to experience thought patterns.

Factors: Social Problems Frequency Percentage

 46

Feeling of shyness when 4 40%

speaking in English

Fear of speaking English in 8 80%

public

Fear of being judged or 10 100%

criticized by others

Table 3: Social Problems Factor

Among the 3 choices in social problems, the "fear of being judged or

criticized by others" has the highest number of checked which is 10 that

equals to 100%, while the "feeling of shyness when speaking in English" has

the least numbers of checked which has 4 numbers of checked. This was the

same with the studies of McCroskey (1982) that a character limits relationship

and prevents individual communication skill development delineating

speaking from shyness, reticence, social introversion, and stage fright, and this

definition remains. This was also supported by Hazel et al. (2014), that

students avoid communicating with others, choosing to remain silent in the

classroom rather than risk appearing foolish in front of others.

Choices "fear of speaking English in public" has 80% of the answer.

 47

Factors: Environmental Frequency Percentage

Problems

Haven’t attended any English 10 100%

class

Haven’t experienced good 5 50%

classroom interaction

Confusing teaching method 0 0%

Table 4: Environmental Problem Factors

Among the 3 choices in Environment Problems, the choices "haven't

experience good classroom interaction" and "confusing teaching method" has

the same percentage of 100%. Francis and Miller (2008) additionally implied

that students with high levels of CA have ongoing fear of negative evaluations

from peers and instructors which may lead to poor academic performance and

limited social engagement in the classroom.

The choices "haven't attend any English class" has the least percentage

which was 50%.

 48

Positive Approach Frequency Percentage

Helps expose in the English 7 70%

language

Helps improve their English learning 10 100%

style

Helps improve their personality and 7 70%

self-esteem

Will experience less anxiety 7 70%

Their progress will lead them to be a 10 100%

proficient English speaker

Table 2. Student’s Positive approach

Blume (2013) said that the effects of CA in the classroom setting gave

them courage to take on leadership responsibilities, adapt to any situations and

accept or appreciate other individuals. The students picked the choices 2 and
 49

5 which are: "helps improve their English learning style" and "their progress

will lead them to be a proficient English speaker" as their positive approach

towards speaking to English language which has 100%.

However, choices 1, 3, and 4 which are "helps expose in English

language", "helps improve their personality and self-esteem" and "will

experience less anxiety" has the same number of checked which is 7.

Possible Solutions Proposed Frequency Percentage

Have the courage to speak English 8 80%

without caring for mistakes

Reading English books 10 100%

Searching and learning new 8 80%

vocabularies

Practicing pronunciation without 9 90%

feeling embarrassed

Communicate your ideas and 9 90%

acquire vocabulary

Have conversation in English 10 100%

 50

Have fun while learning English 8 80%

language

Immerse yourself in English 10 100%

language news

Engage in any English club or 8 80%

English program activities

Watch English movies to enhance 8 80%

your English skills

Practice! Practice! Practice! 10 100%

Table 3. Possible Solutions

Among the 11 choices, the top possible solutions for students to address the problems

are, "reading English Books" have conversation in English, "Immerse themselves in

English language" and “Practice, Practice, Practice" which has 100%, while some

possible solutions which has the same numbers of checked of 9 are "pronouncing

pronunciation without feeling embarrassed" and "communicate your ideas and acquire

vocabulary". Other possible solutions for students to address the problems are, "have you

gotten the courage to speak English without caring for mistakes", "searching and learning

new vocabularies”, “have fun while learning English language", "Engage in any English
 51

club or English program activities” and last "watch English movies to enhance their

English skill" which has 80%.

Chapter 5

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents a summary of the content of the study, the conclusions and

recommendations based on the findings. This research contributed to sharing of

valuable insights in line with the field of communication.

Summary

This study aimed to determine the English-Speaking Difficulties Encountered by

the first year English Major students of San Jose Community College. This study

answered the following sub-problem.

1. What are the problems encountered by the first year English major students in San

Jose Community College in terms of:

a. Personal problem

b. Linguistic problem

c. Socialize problem
 52

d. Environmental problem

2. How does the student’s positive approach towards speaking the English language

affect their English-speaking skills?

3. What are possible solutions to address the problems encountered by the students?

This study used random sampling method. The researcher distributed checklist

questionnaire to the 10 First Year English Major students of San Jose Community

College. This statistical treatment used in the study is descriptive-quantitative

treatment of data.

Findings

Based from the analysis of data the following findings were generated;

There are four factors that affect student’s difficulties in speaking English language that

the researcher found out in this study, namely, Personal Problems, Linguistics Problems,

Social Problems, and Environmental Problems.

1. The problems that most students faced in speaking in terms of personal were: anxiety

that lead to mental block, fear of committing mistakes, inability to speak language with

confidence, and students don't have motivation to speak English language. The problems

that mostly students encountered in linguistic were: Common grammatical errors while

speaking, Difficulties in pronouncing English words, unavailability of words for

expression and Difficulty in arranging words in sentences. The problems that mostly

students encountered in socialize problem were: fear of being judged or criticized by

others and feelings of shyness when speaking in English. The problems that mostly
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students encountered in Environmental problem were: the students haven't experience

good classroom interaction, they experience confusing teaching methods in class and the

students haven't attended any English classes.

2. The researchers found out that the students’ positive approach towards speaking

English affect their English-speaking skills by means of === it helps them to improve

their English learning style as well as it would be helpful for them to have progress that

will lead them to be a proficient English speaker. However, there were also some positive

approaches that affect the English-speaking skills of the students such as, it will expose

them in English language, they will experience less anxiety and helps them to improve

their personality and self-esteem.

3. The researcher found out that there are possible solutions to address encountered by

the students in their English speaking difficulties such as: reading English books, having

conversations in English, Immerse themselves in English language, and Practice that

assured them to be perfect. Other possible solutions are courage in speaking English

without caring for mistakes, searching, and learning new vocabularies, watching English

movies, having fun while learning and last engaging in English program activities.

Conclusions

The following conclusions are based on the findings previously presented:

1. The 1st Year English Major students’ problems under each factor which are the

Personal Problems, Linguistic Problems, Social Problems and Environmental Problems.

Based from the findings, the most common problems encountered by the students are

anxiety that leads to mental block, fear of committing mistakes, fear of being judged by
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others, common grammatical errors, haven't experience good classroom interaction and

confusing teaching method.

2. The positive approach of students affect their learning on English speaking skills.

Students that have negative approach towards the English language and want to learn it in

order to prevail over people in the community, but generally, positive attitude strengthens

the motivation. Some individuals might generate neutral feelings. Approaches towards

language are likely to have been developed by the learners’ experiences.

3. Possible solutions were identified to address the problems encountered by the first year

English major students. Given the possible solutions, students may opt to utilize on

themselves in order for them to develop their English-speaking skills.

Recommendations

In the view of foregoing, there are some recommendations the researcher included to

address the problem in difficulties in English speaking such as:

1. They must have motivation. In speaking the English language, motivation plays an

important role; if a student doesn’t believe in themselves, they can’t speak the English

language, the students must motivate themselves so that the students will not give up in

practicing the English language.

2. Practice the grammar and pronunciation. Pronunciation is the way for students to

produce clearer language when they speak. It deals with the phonological process that

refers to the component of a grammar made up of the elements and principles that

determine how sounds vary and pattern in a language. Grammar is needed for students to

arrange a correct sentence in a conversation. It is in line with the explanation suggested

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by Heaton (1978), that student’s ability to manipulate structure and to distinguish

appropriate grammatical structures from appropriate ones. The unity of grammar also

teaches the correct way to gain expertise in a language in oral and written form.

3. Do not be shy. The students must not be shy to speak in English especially in front of

the other person, so that the students will practice speaking in English.

4. Immerse themselves in the English Language. Immersing themselves in the English

language might practice themselves in English speaking and they can fluently speak in

English in public.

For the students, hopefully they could minimize their speaking difficulties by using the

information from this study. However, it is suggested that they practice their speaking

skills more, either in the classroom or outside the classroom. Practicing speaking skills

can be done by doing things they like, such as, listening to English songs, watching

movies with English subtitle or without subtitle at all, understanding the vocabularies by

browsing or using dictionary, and speaking in English with your friends or native

speakers. By practicing, it can reduce your speaking English difficulties.

For the English teachers, it is suggested that they use the information of this study as one

of the references about students’ strategies to overcome their difficulties in speaking

English. Hopefully, it can be used as a consideration to decide the appropriate teaching

strategies to improve the students’ speaking skills. Since the use of technology and

internet have proven their beneficial to improve students’ English skills, it is suggested to
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include the use of internet as one of teaching methods. Nevertheless, motivating the

students to improve their English (especially in speaking skill) depends on the teacher’s

teaching strategies in delivering the materials.