A study on factors influencing the speaking skill of first year students at English Faculty, Thuongmai University and some recommended solutions to boost their communication ability

ABSTRACT
Speech skills are regarded as the most significant of the four English skills.
When you learn a language, your goal is to be able to speak instinctively and
fluently with native people. You may have excellent writing skills because you
understand grammar and vocabulary well, but your reflection is bad. Fear of
communicating, a lack of training atmosphere, a lack of vocabulary, poor grammar,
and other factors are typical among Vietnamese people who have trouble speaking
English.
English is also used in the elementary school curriculum. In fact, you are often
taught by passive methods under the supervision of teachers. As a result, from grade
1 to grade 12, you study English with the aim of completing a written examination
in school and college exams. Students study grammar and vocabulary and practice
reading passages from novels. As a result, they have less opportunities to practice
communicating. Currently, a number of secondary and high schools are shifting
certain subjects, including English, from written to oral exams. Students, on the
other hand, are more concerned with rote learning without knowing something. The
condition continued until university, resulting in poor English language skills.
Most first-year students struggle to communicate in English due to a lack of
comprehensive instruction in speech skills. For the above factors, an analysis of the
challenges that first-year English students face when learning English language
skills at Thuong Mai University is being carried out. This research seeks to identify
certain challenges and strategies to help students develop their speech skills,
allowing them to engage effectively in class, as well as in everyday life and future
jobs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Initially, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my supervisor, Ms.

Han Thi Bich Ngoc, for her instruction and encouragement during my thesis period.
With many years of experiences in the teaching profession and interacting with
many different types of students, she has assisted me complete my subject perfectly.
Furthermore, I would like to show my appreciation to the students spending
their time to do my survey which helps me a lot in gathering data. This study will
not be finished if not for their assistance. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge
my thanks to all the writers, authors of the books, researchers, and the other
materials as helpful references for conducting my thesis.
Besides, I would like to thank my parents and the other members of my family
for their support during the time I did this paper. With a lot of meaningful things,
good lessons as well as a convenient condition to learn and grow that motivates me
to study and beat all the disadvantages in my life.
Lastly, I would especially like to express my sincere gratitude to the lecturers
of English faculty, Thuongmai University for their wholeheartedness and support.
During nearly four years of studying at university, I have gained a lot of useful
knowledge from experienced teachers and that is a valuable achievement for me to
be able to complete this paper as well as find a suitable job in the time coming.
I look forward to obtaining the comments and feedback of teachers that could
make my research more perfect. Sincerely thanks!
, 2021
Student
Nguyen Tra My

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
No
1

Abbreviations
TMU

2

EFL

English meaning
Thuongmai University
English as a foreign
language

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Vietnamese meaning
Đại học Thương Mại
Tiếng Anh như ngoại ngữ


LIST OF FIGURES AND CHARTS

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CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
1.1. Rationale
In the current globalization period, English has become an indispensable
language in every country in the world because of its effect on our life and social
development. As a result, being able to master a language like English is the most
effective way for one who wants to pursue and obtain further job opportunities. It is
undoubtedly that many companies and employees in developing countries like
Vietnam, who can gain a lot from partnering with international firms or those
searching for seeking better career prospects in the countries using English as a
mother language. Because these businesses

who have clients in various non-

speaking countries rely on English as the main way to communicate so they need
bilingual staff to promote their chances in working with the best global companies.
Therefore, companies that do not speak English will fall behind their competitors
due to barriers in communication and culture. With that being said, we can see the
importance of English in the current business environment. For example, most
businesses use English in many activities from writing emails, exchanging,
negotiating, training resources to organizing meetings with native staff, etc.
Moreover, in the era of technology 4.0, becoming proficient in listening and writing
skills is essential for anyone who wants a better job with a high income such as a
translator, marketing consultant or teacher.
Being good at English is a great advantage for everyone, but to do this, it takes
a great deal of effort. How do students train well for learning English through four
main skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing? Out of these skills,
speaking is by far the old way of interaction since they pre-date the formal human
writing systems by millions of years. This indicates that speaking and listening have

been fundamental communicative methods from the dawn of humanity, and have
been our most basic and fundamental means of transmitting messages. However,
researchers have demonstrated that when we have conversations, we spend around
35-45% of our time listening, 24-30% speaking, 10-18% reading, and only 10%
writing. Despite this, many students have not yet given the requisite importance to
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these listening and speaking parts. It could be said that the reason why many
Vietnamese students have very weak hearing and speaking abilities is because they
do not have much chance to practice and exposure to that language. The curriculum
is too heavy in grammar, while the reflex and communication practice is not
focused. Students can master English grammar, but cannot turn them into tools for
communication. Grammar is just the foundation to practice other skills such as
listening, speaking, reading and writing like "learning with practice". As William
John Bennett, a politician claims that ‘Our common language is English. And our
common task is to ensure that our non-English-speaking children learn this common
language.’ Learning a language is how to be able to hear, understand and
communicate like our second language. It is considered the general purpose of the
freshman of the English Faculty of Thuongmai University. Most of them often have
difficulties in learning subjects related to speaking English regularly such as
translations and interpretations.
For those reasons, I have taken the decision to select a research “A study on
factors influencing the speaking skill of first year students at English Faculty,
Thuongmai University and some recommended solutions to boost their
communication ability.” This research is carried out in the intention that it would be
a valuable guide to help students develop their speaking skills. As a result, it will
enable students to provide an effective learning approach to achieve the best
outcome.

1.2. Aims of the study
The below are the study's objectives:
1. To indicate the current situations for first-year English students at TMU in terms of

acquiring English speaking skills.
2. To analyze the factors influencing first-year students' speaking abilities at
English Faculty, Thuong Mai University.
3. To provide several learning techniques focused on the recently acquired
data in the hope of assisting students in enhancing their speaking proficiency.
In order to meet the aim of the study, the following research questions are
conducted:
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1. What are the real situations for first-year English students at TMU in terms
of acquiring English speaking skills?
2. What factors influence first-year English students’ ability to develop their
speaking skills?
3. What are certain techniques that can be used to assist students in improving
their speaking ability?
1.3. Research subject
This study's subjects are first-year English students at. With the participation
of 80 first-year students studying English in Business, the study focuses on their
challenges in learning speaking skills.
1.4. Scope of the study
The research reflects on the difficulties that first-year students at English
Faculty, Thuong Mai University often encounter when communicating. These issues
are intensified by a variety of causes that have an effect on students' ability to
communicate. This research cannot address the whole problem of speaking ability

due to time and experience restrictions, as well as a lack of reference materials. As a
result, it just focuses on the most basic challenges that students face when practicing
English speaking skills. Furthermore, the research could not include all TMU
students. Its subjects just cover 100 first-year students from English Department of
TMU.
1.5. Research methodology
The study uses questionnaires as the main method which is one of the most
popular tools implemented by the researchers. The questionnaire is usually a series
of questions; the researchers send it to the individuals and request them to complete
the questionnaires' requirements. The researchers can use two types of
questionnaires: choosing and giving ideas. One is that each student can choose one
(or more) answer(s) from the list suggested by the researchers. The other kind of
questionnaire is one in which participants are asked to share their thoughts about a
certain situation. The researchers must plan the questions, but others are not
permitted to encourage participants to select certain options; therefore, they must

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write down their thoughts and recommendations in their own language. This is a
good way to gather feedback from students.
Today, more and more researchers are using this approach to gather data
because it is quick and fast to implement. Since researchers can actually obtain
information from the objects, this is a very effective way of getting actual
information. And, as a result of their real-world interactions, analysts would find it
easier to interpret data, resulting in more trustworthy data.
Here is how the study applies this method:
First, 100 freshmen are chosen at random to respond to a questionnaire
intended to evaluate the factors which could have an effect on their ability to

develop their speech skills. These are the students at English Faculty of Thuongmai
University in their first year of study who have not had much experience in
speaking English fluently.
This research gathers data by encouraging students to fill in a survey to collect
valuable information on the major elements that affect their speaking ability. The
survey includes three parts, the first part of which is intended to show more about
their mindset towards the four major skills in general and their ability to speak in
particular. The second section discusses the current state of speaking practice
among students and the causes of these outcomes. The final section consists of
concerns on their perspectives on the challenges of speaking English. In short, all
the data will be analysed to demonstrate the final figures. With these findings,
certain techniques and approaches may be equipped to help students enhance their
skills more efficiently.
1.6 Organization of the study
The thesis consists of five chapters as following:
Chapter 1: Overview of the study
This chapter is a brief outline of the research that contains general knowledge
about it. It includes six parts: rationale, aims of the study, research subjects, scope
of the study, research methodology, and organization of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature review

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This chapter gives an overview on skills focusing on speaking skills like
definition, importance, strategies and theories on communication ability.
Chapter 3: Research findings and Discussion
This chapter is entitled “Findings and discussions” which provides data for
analyzing the results of the questionnaires and gives the assessment on the factors

affecting students’ speaking skill.
Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions
The final chapter is titled "Suggestions," and it gives certain ideas to help
students solve challenges in speaking lessons and develop their communication
ability. This segment also contains a description of the study's key points. This
chapter of the study also contains proposals for further study. The report concludes
with the "References" section, which describes all of the documents and sources of
knowledge used in the report.

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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Overview of speaking skill
2.1.1.Definition of Speaking
Speaking is a useful skill. It was inextricably linked to listening. Speaking is
inextricably linked to pronunciation and it helps students to understand the English
sounds. According to Tarigan (1990) speaking is described as a language ability that
develops in childhood, which is created by listening skill, and it is mastered at that
time. In other words, speaking is one of the four core competencies that students
can master. It is really important in conversation and can be found in the spoken
process. When it comes to speaking, students face a number of challenges, one of
which is related to the language itself. In reality, even though they have a large
vocabulary and have written it well, most students struggle to speak. The issues are
that students are afraid of making mistakes.
Another definition of speaking through an analysis of literature on speaking
indicated that there are two main approaches which are used to explain speaking,
the bottom-up approach and the top-down approach. According to Bygate (1987),
the bottom-up viewpoint is explained by noting that the focus in speaking

previously was on motor perceptual abilities. In this context, speaking is defined as
the production of auditory signals intended to elicit various verbal responses in
listeners. It is characterized as the systematic combination of sounds based on
language-specific principles to form coherent utterances. This is how audio-lingual
works. Finally, the bottom-up approach to teaching speak suggests that we start with
the smallest units - sounds and advance to dialogue by mastery of words and
sentences (Cornbleet & Carter, 2001). The problem with this approach is that it
neglects the interactive and social aspects of speaking, instead of focusing only on
its psychomotor context. Furthermore, it is difficult to maintain a smooth transition
from classroom learning to real-world application of the expertise. Bygate, on the
other hand, calls for a concept of speech dependent on interactional capabilities,
which include communication decision-making. This is known as a top-down
approach to speaking. Speaking, according to Eckard and Kearny (1981), Florez
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(1999), and Howarth (2001), is a two–way process involving true communication of
thoughts, knowledge, or feelings. This top-down perspective considers spoken texts
to be the product of collaboration between two or more interactants in a common
time and physical sense. Thus, supporters of this viewpoint argue that, rather than
training learners to shape well-formed sentences and then use them in conversation,
we should empower learners to participate in spoken discourse from the start, and
they will eventually gain the smaller units (Nunan, 1989).
According to Chaney (1998): “Speaking is the process of making and sharing
meaning by using verbal and non-verbal symbols in different contexts”. Burns and
Joyce (1997) and Luoma (2004) define speaking as an interactive method of
creating a language that includes generating, collecting, and transmitting
information in an attempt to expand on the interactive essence of speaking. Its shape
and interpretation are determined by the context in which it happens, which

includes the actors, the physical environment, and the reasons for speaking. It is
always impromptu, open-ended, and changing. Expression, on the other hand, is not
necessarily unpredictable.
It is possible to identify language functions (or patterns) that appear to recur in
specific discourse contexts. The current research takes the above view, and speaking
is described as the learner's capacity to communicate himself/herself orally,
coherently, fluently, and accurately in a given substantive sense. Eventually, facets
of the speech ability must be scrutinized. These dimensions present some
difficulties, as well as some direction for understanding this capability, and
therefore plan educational exercises to train learners to interact successfully in reallife contexts.
A general description of speech could be derived from the definitions above.
Speaking is a method of conveying facts by the use of sentences. Saying is the use
of words, based on the speaker's intention, as a way of communication between
objects in order to express their emotions, exchange concepts, feelings, and
intentions in order to engage with each other.
Speech abilities are more significant in English. Furthermore, in this era of
economic development and delivery, it is said to be a required talent. Government
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agencies and the Ministry of Education can hire fluent English speakers. Companies
and corporations require their workers to be fluent in English so that they can reach
out to more valuable overseas clients. Students who speak decent English have a
higher chance of succeeding in school, seeking employment, and progressing in
their careers.
2.2. The Importance of Speaking Skill
Speaking skill is the ability to express verbally. Speaking skills differ from
other skills such as reading, writing, and listening in that it is a combination of
many factors to emit words. Speaking is a special kind of human skill; it is neither

inherited nor inborn. Speaking skills are formed and developed in the
communication process, learners master and perform different communication
behaviours. Speaking skill is considered an external manifestation of capacity and
wisdom (Platonov, 1963). Speaking skills are very diverse and rich. There are many
ways to express language. For ordinary people, speakers use words to express their
ideas and aspirations; For people with language disabilities, they will use body
language such as limbs, eyes etc to express ideas. Therefore, teaching foreign
language skills is to teach learners the ways and methods of expressing their ideas
in the respective language. This process takes place by training students' ability to
think and develop their ability to communicate in foreign languages. In her article,
Shumin (2002, p.205) states: "Speaking is a skill that deserves as much attention as
literary skills both in the process of learning a mother tongue and learning a
foreign language". The purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to
communicate in that language. According to Nunan (1991, p.39), “For most
learners, mastery of speaking is the most important element of learning a foreign
language and success in speaking is assessed by the ability to learn a foreign
language. the ability to develop a conversation in that language”. Therefore,
language learners need to practice to gain confidence in their speaking ability. In
addition, according to some recent studies, speaking skills also play a role in
supporting the development of other skills such as reading skills (Hilferty, 2005),
writing skills (Trachsel & Severino, 2004) and listening skills (Regina, 1997).

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The most critical skill in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and
writing is speaking. Speaking assists students with developing vocabulary, syntax,
and even full sentences. To express the role of language, learners should express
their thoughts, emotions, speak, and debate. Communicate not only in education,

but also in the wider community. As a result, people who are fluent in several
languages have more opportunities to work in large corporations, industries, and
growth and advancement. As a result, speech skills are critical in life and in
determining career achievement. Every day, we are surrounded by it. They
accomplish clear aims and targets for themselves through cooperation.
2.3. The Types of Speaking
Based on Brown's classification (2003, p140), I summarize 5 groups in term of
types of speaking as following:
2.3.1. Imitative
In this imitative, the speaker attempts to echo the sentences they say in an
understandable manner. In this manner, the speaker becomes passive while
listening. Perhaps the speaker is inadvertently repeating the lecturer but does not
understand anything. It does not matter, though, if the speaker knows what they are
saying and will continue the discussion. When they practice imitative speech, they
learn how to read words and accents correctly.
2.3.2. Intensive
Intensive speech is a style of speaking that necessitates a greater level of
imitation. In this context, the speaker must use a clear vocabulary and grammar in
order to be understood correctly. When you read an article, for example, you can
draw a lesson, a synopsis, or answer questions about the content. Intensive speech
requires you to act in accordance with your own intentions, which cannot be
imitated.
2.3.3 Responsive
A responsive dialogue has been described as a discussion about a problem
between two or more people. The aim is to develop a specific view of the issue at
hand. Responses are provided in the form of a few brief questions with basic
material so that the speaker can respond to conversation speaking.
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2.3.4 Interactivity
The interaction is the sharing of ideas between two or more people on a
specific subject. This style of speaking is an improvement on in-depth speech, and it
is used by a large number of people to sustain dialogue. The distinction is in the
usage of vocabulary to demonstrate harmony. The conversation makes the
connection between the speaker and the audience more personal.
2.3.5. Extensive
Extensive sometimes refers to monologue. The manner in which one speaks is
no longer improvised or imitated; it is more sophisticated. This style of speaking
allows the speaker to provide more practice, select technical terms. Deeply
expresses a thorough comprehension of what the speaker would say, giving the
listener trust in the details heard.
Students, as far as I observe, use all of the aforementioned methods of speech
in their classroom research. Students use it in discussions, lectures, and individual
and group speech instruction. As a result, the research centered on both of the above
forms of speech in order to demonstrate the challenges that students encounter.
2.4. Characteristics of Speaking Skill
Bygate is one of the researchers who has focused on this oral ability. He
studies the features of spoken language to demonstrate the trait of speaking
competence. Speaking ability, in his opinion, has not been identified as a study field
as readily as, say, reading or writing. In other words, speech is not fully recognized
as a distinct discipline (Bygate, 1998:20). This hypothesis can be reinforced by the
above-mentioned principle that speaking ability is a synthesis of various
components. Speech, he defines, is more often unplanned, contextualized, casual,
and mutual than prose. It is obvious that in a dialogue, speakers usually seem to
have no time to schedule their statements. Bygate claims: “oral language can be
identified by certain features which are more prototypical of speech than of
writing”. One of the most common differences is that speech is arranged by clauses,
expressions, and spoken utterances, while writing is usually organized by entire

sentences. People may not have much time in their everyday conversations to worry
over what they are going to say or prepare how the details can be sorted, which is
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why they often use simple spoken utterances that are normally brief and expressive,
such as "really?", "I don't know’’, etc. Furthermore, verbal language is less formal
in terms of vocabulary and grammar than the writing system, with words like but,
and that join words, phrases, and sentences, whereas written language is
distinguished by clause subordination. Furthermore, spoken language is
distinguished by utterance repetition, close relationship to the meaning in question,
and features of correcting expressions.
Since speaking ability is the ability to initiate and sustain a dialogue, it is
closely related to the success of the conversation's participants. As Turner (1998)
writes: “If speaking is considered as a communicative performance, its assessment
should be based on scales and criteria which have been derived from the
performance of the speakers”.
According to Jack C. Richard, people will find themselves in three types of
speaking situations: interactive, partly interactive, and non-interactive. When more
than one speaker participates in a conversation, an active situation is formed, such
as a group of individuals conversing in a cafe after work. Face-to-face interactions
occur often in everyday life; however, phone conversations may be seen as social
scenarios even though the speaker and the listener are not communicating face-toface. Another instance of speaking that is partially collaborative is the act of
teaching in the classroom, in which the teacher will explain something to the
students and then encourage them to undertake certain tasks to illustrate the item
just explained. The final case for speaking is one that is not collaborative. This is
the most common form of monologue, in which the speaker has no eye contact with
the audience. For example, when a TV speaker speaks on the air, he simply relays
information to the audience without addressing them.

2.5. Difficulties in Learning Speaking Skills.
Brown (1994) identifies speech as the most difficult ability for students due to
the range of characteristics that distinguish oral discourse: contractions, vowels,
reductions, and elision; the use of slang and idioms; stress, rhythm, and intonation
are also important considerations and the need to converse with at least one other
speaker.
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The most challenging feature of spoken English is that it is often done by
contact with at least one other speaker, which is why all of us were surprised and
frustrated when we used our second or foreign language for the first time in actual
interaction: we had not been preparing for casual conversation and were unable to
meet all of its simultaneous demands. Speech is an “activity involving the
integration of several subsystems... both of these elements combine to render
speaking a second or international language a daunting challenge for language
learners... and for many people, speaking is regarded as the core skill” (Bailey and
Savage 1994: 6-7).
People need to communicate about a variety of circumstances in their
everyday lives, such as talking to someone face to face, connecting over the
internet, answering questions, asking for instructions, in stores, meetings, or
engaging with their friends, to name a couple. People spend a significant amount of
their time engaging with others, and each of these cases necessitates a separate
register depending on the formality of the case. Furthermore, Rababa (2015) stated
that there are numerous factors that contribute to difficulties in speaking English
among EFL learners. Any of these variables are related to the learners themselves,
while others are related to the instructional methods, curriculum, and atmosphere.
Many learners, for example, lack the requisite vocabulary to convey their message
and, as a result, are unable to maintain the connection. Another explanation for not

being able to keep the relationship running is a lack of sufficient strategic and
diplomatic skills.
Some learners also lack the motivation to speak English. They do not see a
real need to learn or speak English. Actually “motivation is a crucial force which
determines whether a learner embarks in a task at all, how much energy he devotes
to it, and how long he preserves” (Little wood, 1984, P. 53). The growth of
communicative skills will only occur if learners are motivated and given the ability
to communicate their own personality and interact with others (Little wood,
1981).“Language is best learned when learners’ attention is focused on
understanding, saying and doing something with language, and not when their
attention is focused explicitly on linguistic features” (Kumarvadivelu, 2003, P.27).
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In short, it is necessary for language learners to understand all of these
difficulties of spoken language in order that they get more ease in interaction in
general and in speaking in particular.
2.6. Factors Affecting English Speaking.
Speaking is an ability that is used in everyday conversation. Speaking English,
on the other hand, has never been fast. There are several reasons that make learning
English tough for you. These aspects impede the ability to communicate fluently in
English and float away. There is also an effect from inside and without.
Psychological, linguistic, and other influences all have an effect on English
speaking. According to Mahripah (2014), Elhadi Nasr Elhadi Mustafa (2015), and
myself, some factors have been observed in the course of learning to speak English.
2.6.1. Psychological factors
It is clear that psychological factors have become critical and powerful
elements that have a significant influence on how students learn second/foreign
languages, especially in the area of speech. As a result, it is important to highlight

the following psychological causes dependent on different theories:
Motivation
The urge of students to study a language is referred to as motivation. It is not
enough for students to just want to learn a language; they must also put in
significant effort to achieve their goal (Ortega, 2009). Motivation for acquiring a
second/foreign language can be separated into two categories: the students'
communicative needs and their attitudes toward the language culture (Lightbown &
Spada, 2001). In this situation, students would be encouraged to study a
second/foreign language simply because they need to learn and express it on a
social wide scale in order to support their potential career ambitions. As a result,
they must maintain a positive outlook about people who speak the target language
in order to maintain communication with them. Gardner (2001) argues that
integrative motivation is the most powerful motivational factor, and is set in three
kinds of conditions: the students' effort, investment, and pleasure quantity in
learning a language, and the students' behavior toward teachers and lessons used.
Furthermore, another aspect that leads to student motivation is a manner or mindset
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about the reasons why they want to perceive their desired outcome (Al Othman &
Shuqair 2013). In conclusion, their desire will affect their decision to participate or
not participate in a specific circumstance in language learning, such as a speaking
class.
Anxiety
Concerning the fear of making mistakes and anxiety, some students conclude
that they would not have an issue if they simply talk to each other in English, but
they will feel shy if they make errors while speaking to lecturers or posing in front
of the class. This suggests that students' fear of making mistakes stems from their
shyness as they struggle to deliver correct English in front of their lecturers or the

class. Two students indicated that their shyness is a part of their cultural heritage as
shy people.
Confidence
Regarding reluctance and loss of trust, students report that lack of confidence
occurs when they speak to someone whose English speaking ability is superior to
theirs, such as lecturers or native English speakers. If the individual does not
understand anything about what they are saying, they can find themselves in a state
of profound hesitation, unable to differentiate between what is right and what is
incorrect. Much of those students believe their English is poor because they do not
talk like native English speakers. In reality, they remain silent until they are certain
that what they are saying is right and well spoken as a native English speaker's
English.
2.6.2. Listening factor
It must be learned before speaking skills can be developed (Doff, 1998). To
have a fruitful dialogue, students must consider what is said to them. Shumin (1997)
supports Doff's (1998) ideas by saying that when one person talks, the other
responds by attending through the listening process. In reality, a speaker
simultaneously serves as a listener and a speaker. As a result, one cannot answer if
he or she does not understand what is being said. It means that speaking and
listening are inextricably linked.

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2.6.3. Linguistic factors
Al Lawati (1995) studied the difficulties faced by Omani students in their oral
processing of English and discovered that the linguistic realm (vocabulary, syntax,
pronunciation, and discourse) represents the most serious area of difficulty, as
explained by instructors, since the learners have not yet developed an adequate

standard in the basic abilities of language. This is due to the fact that they envision a
program that does not include adequate opportunity for studying and testing new
and diverse vocabulary, as well as a lack of diversity in activities intended to
improve speaking skills, particularly given the large number of students in class.
Vocabulary
According to Mahripah (2014), vocabulary is one of the variables that
influence your English language learning. The most critical aspect of learning a
language is using a large and varied vocabulary. This will assist you in preventing
duplication and enlivening your sentences. However, one of the reasons why
English learners struggle is a shortage of vocabulary. Do not strengthen,
complement, or add additional words to the repertoire. As a result, when dealing
with foreigners, you would be at a loss about what to say and how to express
yourself. Furthermore, a loss of language causes one to misinterpret what the other
person is doing, deteriorating our communication abilities and rendering the talk
monotonous and hard to proceed. A lack of vocabulary not only reduces
comprehension abilities but also prevents speech skills from improving. Vocabulary
must study phonetics, syllables, and uses in addition to understanding the surface
context. As a result, vocabulary is an essential component of being able to
communicate effectively in English.
Phonology
In that regard, phonology is a difficult term for students to grasp. The
pronunciation of English words differs from their writing. Words with identical
pronunciations can be pronounced differently depending on the circumstances.
According to Thornbury (2005), pronunciation is described as each person's
ability to generate an easy-to-understand way of speaking in response to
requirements. Really, we can tell the difference between various languages
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depending on their pronunciation, such as English, German, or French. In each case,
pronunciation is a method of conveying meaning as words. As a result, grammar
has a major impact on speech abilities. According to Celce-Murcia (1996),
mispronouncing may lead to misunderstandings or anger. Cook (1996) claimed that
learning another language entails developing a new pronunciation habit while
ignoring the native language's common pronunciation. When pronouncing a phrase,
pitch, intonation, pronunciation, and stress are all required to make the person
understand directly. The intonation or tonality of a sentence or verb defines its
complexities. As a result, English learners must pay attention and be cautious when
pronouncing a phrase in order to express the full context.
In reality, those who specialize in English get further training in these areas.
Many who do not speak native English are quickly perplexed by speaking English.
In this regard, it seems that many English speakers make errors while speaking.
Mostly because these components are very confusing and difficult to pronounce
correctly if not properly educated. According to Trouvain and Gut (2007, p.53), bad
pronunciation makes the dialogue tedious and awkward for both the speaker and the
listener. As a result, any incorrect pronunciation instills terror. It is the combination
of variables that causes English learners to struggle with learning to communicate.
Syntax
Long-term awareness is described by Bachman and Palmer (1996). The
knowledge portal enables the speaker to qualify to become fluent in English. He
confirmed that more advanced expertise has a significant effect on the success of
learners. This, however, is one of the challenges in learning to speak English. You
would not be able to pronounce English properly if you do not understand grammar.
According to Latha (2012), speaking fluently in English necessitates
knowledge of and application of the language structure. Term division can be
understood by English students. Since they are familiar with the language, native
speakers can speak it fluently. They will also make minor grammatical mistakes
when speaking, but these errors have little effect on the context of the sentence. In
reality, indigenous peoples can articulate themselves in a variety of ways. According

to Mahripah (2014), English learners' errors will change the meaning of words and
cause problems in their sentences.
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According to Parsons (2004, p.8), grammar is a set of laws that govern the
form and organization of words. Language, in several ways, has laws, but different
persons set different rules in their sentences. In reality, if vocabulary is a cooking
ingredient, grammar is the process of organizing certain ingredients to produce the
best dish. The aim of grammar, according to Tomita (1996, p.320), is to establish an
advantage for representing the mixture of form and context. Grammar is the process
of combining ingredients to produce beautiful sentences. It is no longer simple to
correctly organize words in grammar. Grammar decides whether or not your
attempts to learn and develop your grammar provide you with the intellect to
achieve excellence. Difficulties for English learners include not only acquiring
vocabulary and supplementing it, but also speaking English, which communicates
profoundly within individuals. You will never be able to speak English properly if
you do not completely understand the sentence and grammar.
All previous literature indicates that possessing a natural aptitude for language
learning may have a significant impact on the development of language skills. This
implies that the inverse may also be correct, that a lack of aptitude for language
learning may be a factor influencing the growth of language skills in general, and
speech skills in particular.
2.7. Relevance Researches
There are a few research subjects about problems in learning English speech
that I discovered during my research. Some subjects are about students who do not
major in English. On this research subject, I have reviewed some research projects
in Vietnam in particular and around the world in general, such as:
According to Ur, P. (1996) research studies, there are four factors that make it

difficult to practice speaking: students frequently worry about mistakes, fear of
being scolded, shy; students themselves have little effort; uneven participation in a
class, some participants are enthusiastic while the others do not say anything; they
are afraid to speak another language, they choose to speak their native language. In
Lukitasari's (2003) study, learners do not develop their speech skills because they
do not learn three essential elements of language: vocabulary, grammar, and
phonics.
According to Lawtie (2004)'s research, mental status influences speech
problems. They are dominated by feelings such as insecurity, shyness, anxiety, and
nervousness. This would be a major issue for them if they do not trust in
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themselves. As a result, emotional factors become one of the most crucial
considerations when interacting with individuals who have difficulty speaking.
Furthermore, Rababa'h (2005) claims that this challenge stems from
themselves, their teaching methods, their teaching systems, and their living
environment. In other words, they lack desire to learn English or do not believe that
it is necessary.
Hinkel (2005) said that difficulties arise where contact is possible since they
do not grasp the meaning of the expression, do not know how to say it, and are
unable to communicate their meaning. This stops the negotiation process from
succeeding.
Pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, inspiration, fear, and humiliation are some
of the issues that students face while speaking English, according to Yunita (2014).
These are the reasons that impede students' ability to communicate in English.
In Mustafa Mubarak Pathan's (2014) research study, "An Overview of Major
Difficulties Faced by Libyan EFL Learners in Speaking Skill", he identified many
causes of difficulty in practicing speaking skills, such as: pronunciation, the use of

adjectives, the use of prepositions, the use of idioms, grammatical errors, semantic
errors, and other problems (lack of vocabulary, fear). He gave the reasons for the
above reasons: “Their failure to recognize this is primarily because of the failure on
the part of their teachers to make them understand this fact at the very early stage
of their learning. And this failure on the part of the teachers is because of the facts
that most of the EFL school teachers in Libya are neither trained properly for this
reason nor are their skills upgraded.”
According to Samira Al Hosni (2014), there are three major problems when
speaking English: linguistic difficulties (students find it challenging when they lack
vocabulary), communication difficulties, and cultural difficulties, some students
have said: “We want to speak, but we don’t know the word” or “We do not know
how to say it”. Despite the fact that the teacher has been teaching grammar for a
long time, students still can't utter short sentences), mother tongue use, and
inhibition (students are afraid of making errors in front of the class, which is why
they don't say in class. They said: "They will laugh at us if we make mistakes").

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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS
3.1. Discussion of findings
This chapter would analyze the data gathered from TMU students in order to
achieve a more in-depth understanding of their attitude, current state of speaking
practice, and the factors influencing their ability to improve their speaking skills.
The information was gathered from a group of 100 students in their first year of
study at Thuong Mai University's English Department.
3.1.1. Students' assessment of the importance of speaking skills
The first question is, "How do you think it is important to speak English in
class?" This question is an assessment of students' perceived importance to English.

Chart 3.1. The importance of English
The results obtained from the survey are shown on the pie chart. From the
chart, we can see that most students are aware of the importance of English for
classroom learning. Specifically, the percentage of students who find English very
important accounts for 50% (equivalent to 50 students), 40% of students find
important English (equivalent to 40 students), 10% of students receive see the
importance of English is normal (10 students). According to the above results, I
appreciate the students' awareness of the importance of English.
Most of them have been aware that English is really important. No students
who evaluates English doesn't matter. Although they are only in the first year, they
have taken the initiative in assessing English. Selecting this Business English, they
must have prepared to learn a second language as their native language. This makes
students focus on learning English more.
3.1.2. Students' perceptions of the obstacle to practicing English language
skills
According to previous research, I will concentrate on two major factors that
contribute to difficulties in learning English speaking skills. That is the
psychological and semantic component. However, the challenge that each student
faces in each aspect varies. As a result, I categorize the various rating levels as very
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difficult, difficult, average, and no problem. The findings are shown in the chart
below.
Chart 3.2. The obstructing factor in practicing English speaking skills
Chart 3.2 assesses the difficulty of factors, most of the factors on students feel
difficult, there is not much difference between my factors. At a very challenging
stage, pronounciation accounts for 60% of the grade. Motivation, motivation, fear,
vocabulary, and grammar also account for a very difficult proportion, equal to 40%,

30%, 30%, 40%, and 35.6 respectively. However, 24 percent of students chose
inspiration as the most important factor, accounting for the majority of the six
reasons. As students want to specialize in Tourism and Service Administration at the
International Training Faculty, they must decide why they choose to study English.
This assists students in avoiding uncertainty about their plans.
Combined with the interview question: " Among the stated factors
(motivation, confidence, anxiety, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar), what
factors do you find difficult for you? Explain why”? Thanks to this question, I can
determine that most students find it difficult to take the above factors because
students are also influenced by the high school curriculum, focusing on grammar
and vocabulary. However, you do not apply and combine these two factors in a long
time, you will not be flexible when using them. In addition, learning to write
vocabulary without speaking also makes it more difficult for students to learn
vocabulary later on.
Currently, new students study first-year so they have not been exposed to
phonology. Therefore, they have problems pronouncing: wrong pronunciation,
incorrect accents, intonation, etc.
3.1.3. Students’ evaluation on the impact of psychological factors on
learning English speaking skills
3.1.3.1. The cause of anxiety when speaking English
Through the survey, I found that some of the reasons why anxiety is difficult
when students learn to speak English. These causes are easily noticed when they
feel anxious. Through the survey, I found that some of the reasons why anxiety is
difficult when students learn to speak English. These causes are easily noticed when
they feel anxious.
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