Speaking Difficulties Encountered by Libyan Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the speaking difficulties which
encounter students at secondary stage in Misurata, Libya. It seeks to analyze
the problems and factors that negatively affect their speaking skills in order
to help them avoid these problems. The research method adopted in this
study was a descriptive one. So, it intended to describe two domains: The
first one is "Affective factors related to students", and the second is the
''Factors related to teachers" and their role in teaching speaking skills. These
factors were described in details with some helpful and useful
recommendations for teachers to help their students to speak the target
language. The data was gathered through a series of questionnaires
administrated on a sample of 100 students and 10 teachers at secondary
schools. The results suggested that the students did not practice speaking
skills both in and out-side classrooms, which may due to: Lack of motivation,
fear of making mistakes, lack of self-confidence, shortage of vocabulary, and
their poor back-ground experience. Therefore, it is primarily suggested that
students need to develop their self-confidence, be aware of the role of
mistakes in learning speaking skills; secondly, the instructors should employ
their maximum potential to assess and activate the students' motivation and
self- confidence in speaking skills.