Difficulties of Speaking English

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Since English is not as foreign language in our country, most students especially high school students are not familiar with it (Hetrakul, 1995). Many people, not just students, are having a hard time when it comes to English. Most of us understand the language and know how to construct a sentence with it, but when it comes to speaking, it becomes hectic for them. According to Sta.Ana (2013), in the Philippines, the English Language has been selling like an old flavor of ice-cream and has been served repeatedly to millions of students in all the schools for the past decades. It is indeed true that most of us have tried eating ice cream, but still, not everyone had like it. Public schools, like ice cream makers, claimed that they’ve already adept the techniques and ingredients needed to serve people an ice cream. And so the private schools insist that they serve ice cream better, since they are putting cherries or sprinkles on top of it. But regardless of the fact that there are many ice cream parlor in the country that brags about serving the best ice cream, there are still people who cannot patronize it.

At Langkaan II National Highschool, most of the students are not good at English. They pass their grades in the subject; nonetheless, they find it difficult to communicate with the use of English language. To help the students improve their speaking skills, it is necessary to find ways to help them overcome their problems (Tuan & Mai, 2015). It is very important for us to be awareabout the solution for the impediments in speaking English, especially that it is an international foreign communicating language. On top of that, teachers and parents should be also aware to the difficulties that are being encountered by their student and child, since they will be the one to help them surmount the deemed difficulties.

Expect that the result of this research will be successful and will carry enough information for the readers. Moreover, the research paper will provide expedient data and analysis that will verify the effectiveness of the research. The objectives are to identify the difficulties of the grade 10 students when it comes to English speaking, also to know the reasons why the students encounter these difficulties. And lastly, to suggest the best ways to surmount these difficulties.

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CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Studies

In the research article of Ulfa Yusaca (2014), there are phsycological factors that affect student’s English speaking behavior. In other references, Juhana (2012) eplained that fear of mistakes, anxious, shyness, lack of confidence, and lack of motivation are included into psychological factors. The learners have their own difficulties in learning the language. Particularly in improving speaking skill is not easy for the students. While according to Munjayanah (2004), inhibition, nothing to say, low or uneven participation, mother tongue use, are the following problems of a student’s speaking skills. The first cause that makes the students difficult in speaking English is that the environment does not support the students to speak English frequently. (Nguyen, 2005) Like in some provinces, students commonly use their native language as their everyday means of communication. This made them difficult when it comes to speaking another foreign language such as English. According to Nguyen (2004) also, realizing that the grammar students have is very weak, so they feel embarrassed when they want to produce English sentences orally. This has something to do with the anxiousness and embarrassing feeling that hinder their speaking capability. There are times that they have a sentence in their mind but they can’t construct in appropriate grammar because they are missing out two or three important words. It lacks their confidence and failed to speak the sentence they wanted to tell. Kavin Hetrakul (1995), also said that they use English more frequent only inside the class and less frequent outside the class. Whereas, students’ have limited time to learn English in class, and they still do not have enough encouragement to practice English outside the class in order to get familiar with English. This case brings a problem that make senior high school students have difficulties to communicate in English.

After one has mastered grammar, one can use his or her speaking skills a lot more effectively. (Hetrakul, 1995) The variations in the different forms of English can often be difficult to understand. For example, the difference between using formal and informal language or the differences between spoken and written language. This leads to students writing words phonetically how they would say it rather than how it’s actually spelt, and using informal language, maybe even slang that they have picked up, in formal situations which may perhaps be viewed negatively. English usage can also be formal and informal. Formal English is the language of the mass media, education, business, economy, commerce, technology, science, etc. Informal English includes colloquial, slang and dialect usage. It is harder for foreign learners to master informal than formal English vocabulary.(Shelby, 2016)

However, the most common cause of the problems faced by a learner of the English language is existence of the structure of their first language or mother tongue that they are exposed to since the first day. (Maini, 2015) Equally, if you start learning the local language, you'll find yourself understanding mother tongue influence a lot more, and will be able to correct it far more easily. Harmer (2007:345) also states that reluctance or unwillingness is a problem in speaking activities. “Unwillingness or reluctant occurs more often which is the natural reluctance of some students to speak and to take a part in speaking. In this case, students are often reluctant to other people, especially when they are being asked to give personal information or opinions.

Bakerand Gerstain (2007:732) state there are many students have serious difficulties in speaking what they practice for example, when they want to practice, their struggle with comprehension problems seem aware of their speaking difficulties. This study presents the related studies which inline to the study under the investigation research. At the outset of the study, the researcher engaged in gathering information related to the research studies. The body information gathered has provided