Factors Hindering The Development Of English Language Speaking Skills Among Secondary School Students In Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study investigated factors hindering the development of English language speaking skills among secondary school students in Tanzania. The study employed phenomenological design which included qualitative approaches in data generation. A total of thirty eight (38) participants were involved in the study whereby six (6) of them were secondary school English language teachers and the rest thirty two (32) were secondary school students from four public secondary schools. Participants were obtained through purposive sampling technique; whereas semi-structured interview, observation, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and documentary review were used in the process of data generation. Social Constructivism Theory (SCT) guided the study for the fact it assumes that learning occurs within social contexts. Generated data were analyzed depending on the participants’ description in order to develop themes and sub-themes. The study findings revealed that there were incompetent English language teachers working as facilitators for the development of English language speaking skills in most of the assessed secondary schools. The findings also noted that most students were using local languages (Kindali and Kilambya) in most of their daily activities. With reflection to the study findings, this study recommends the government to make sure that the English language teachers in secondary schools are well equipped with knowledge on how to facilitate students’ development in English language speaking skills. Furthermore, other studies are to be conducted focusing on nearby countries that use English language as a medium of instructions while English is not their mother tongue so as to learn more from their experiences. Teachers reported that among the challenges they faced during teaching English language speaking skills were lack of motivation, lack of training on strategies, lack of learners’ readiness to learn, learners’ negative attitude towards the language and lack of language laboratories. The following are the strategies used by teachers in development of English language speaking skills include discussion, role play, debate, assignment provision and lecture. English language teachers should adopt a learner-cantered method of teaching so as to allow active participation of students in order to encourage them to communicate effectively and intelligibly. Other studies also are needed on how teacher trainees are prepared to teach oral skills particularly speaking skills. Tanzania as among the countries in this world, her citizens especially secondary school students are obliged to learn and develop English language skills including speaking skills as it is one of the most popular used languages in the world. Anyone who wishes to communicate internationally verbally needs to develop it as it is a means of communication.