Speaking Proficiency And The Main Factors Faced By Students In Libyan Secondary Education

Abstract

Learning an additional language has become very popular in different parts of the world due to the increasing use of English as a language of learning and teaching. This study Looks into the challenges Libyan secondary students face in developing speaking skills despite 12 years of English language education. These challenges lead to low proficiency in academic and speaking skills. The research aims to discover the factors affecting the speaking skills of secondary school students in Libya and identify the effects of each of these factors on mastering their speaking skills. A questionnaire adapted to collect data was distributed to 150 students in 10 schools to get their opinions regarding teaching and learning oral skills. The study revealed that school students lack the opportunity to speak in the classroom in the target language due to several factors, the most important of which were a lack of speaking activities in class, some teachers skipping conversation activities, a lack of vocabulary needed to practice conversation, notes, and corrections directed to students during learning English, the student’s personal motivation and participation in the classroom, and insufficient time to practice oral skills.