ABTRACT

In the four skills of English, speaking skills are considered the most important.
When you learn any language, what you aim to do is how to communicate naturally,
fluently with indigenous people. Maybe you have good writing skills because you
have a strong grasp of grammar and vocabulary, but your reflection is poor. Some
common causes for Vietnamese people who have difficulty in speaking English are
afraid of communication, lack of training environment, lack of vocabulary, poor
grammar etc.
Nowadays, English is included in the curriculum from primary school. The
reality, you are always taught by passive methods under the guidance of teachers.
Therefore, you learn English from grade 1 to grade 12 with the aim of passing a
written test in school and college exams. Students learn grammar and vocabulary,
practice reading texts in books. So they have less chance to practice speaking.
Currently, a number of secondary and high schools switch the test method from
writing to oral exam some subjects, including English. However, students deal most
with rote learning without understanding anything. The situation lasted up to
university make poor English speaking skills.
Because of the lack of thorough training in speaking skills, most first-year
students have problems communicating in English. For the above reasons, a study
of the difficulties that first-year international students encounter in the process of
practicing English speaking skills at TMU University is implemented. This study
aims to find some difficulties and solutions to overcome to improve speaking skills
for students, to help students confidently communicate in class as well as in daily
life and further work.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Abbreviations
TMU

2

EFL

English meaning
Vietnamese meaning
Thuongmai University
Đại học Thương Mại
English
as
a
foreign
Tiếng Anh như ngoại ngữ
language

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LIST OF FIGURES AND CHARTS

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CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE SUTYDY

1.1. Rationale
English is becoming more and more important in today's life. English is a

difficult for students to learn in the classroom, especially when there are subjects to
speak English.
Therefore, in this study, I will study “ A study on the difficulties in learning
English speaking skills faced by the first-year international students at TMU and
possible solutions” to improve students' speaking skills.
1.2. Previous studies
According to my research, there are a few research topics about difficulties in
practicing English speaking. Some topics refer to non-English major students. I
have consulted some studies in Vietnam in particular and in the world in general on
this research topic, for example:
In Ur, P. (1996) research studies, he pointed out that there are four factors that
make it difficult to practice speaking: students often worry about mistakes, fear of
being scolded, shy; students themselves have no effort; uneven participation in a
class, some participants are enthusiastic while the rest do not say anything; they are
afraid to speak another language, they tend to like to speak their mother tongue
because it is easier.
Lukitasari (2003) research has shown that learners do not improve their
speaking skills because they do not learn three important elements in speaking,
namely vocabulary, grammar and phonics.
According to the study of Lawtie (2004), the difficulties of speaking are
affected by emotional state. They are dominated by emotions like unconfident, shy,
anxious, nervous. If they do not believe in themselves, this will become a big
problem for them. Therefore, emotional factors become one of the important factors
to consider when communicating with people who have difficulty speaking.
In addition, Rababa’h (2005) he indicates that this difficulty comes from
themselves, teaching strategies, teaching programs and living environment. In other
words, they have no motivation to learn English or they have not felt that this is an
important thing.
Hinkel (2005) stated that problems that occur when communication is possible
because they do not understand the meaning of the word, do not know how to use it

In Samira Al Hosni (2014), she lists three main difficulties when speaking
English, they are linguistic difficulties (students find it difficult when they lack
vocabulary, some students have said: “We want to speak, but we don’t know the
word” or “We do not know how to say it”. Although the teacher has been teaching
grammar for a long time, students still can’t say short sentences), mother tongue
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use, and inhibition (students are scared of making mistakes in front of the crowd,
which is why they don't say in class. They said "They will laugh at us if we make
mistakes").
Although there were many people working on speaking skills, the truth is that
the number of students who speak English confidently is still small. It is because of
the above difficulties that are repeated but not completely ended so I chose to study
this topic.
1.3. Aims of the study
This study was conducted to understand why the freshman students of TMU's
International Training Faculty had difficulty learning English speaking skills. After
identify difficulties, I will give some solutions that correspond to those difficulties
to improve students' speaking skills.
Based on previous research, I hope this research will help first-year
international students at TMU improve their difficulties in practicing speaking
skills. Since then speaking skills of students can be improved to serve for classroom
learning as well as in life.
1.4. Research subjects
This study was carried out with 100 students in the Tourism and Service
Administration major of International Training Faculty TMU. Specialization
Tourism and Service Administration has a total of more than 200 students, but due
to time constraints, I focused on the difficulties that 100 students encounter when
learning to speak English. Students are exposed to many different ways of teaching

1.6.1. Instruments
1.6.1.1. Questionnaires
The study was conducted at TMU. This research is based on questionnaires.
This is a great support tool for collecting qualitative information, which saves time
to collect and analyze data. In this method, the questionnaire will be given to
students with pre-existing questions and answers. Students will read and answer
questions according to the form. Using this questionnaire to find out the level of
some difficulties in speaking English. Also, that uses qualitative methods to
investigate the frequency and abilities of students. With this method, we will have
an accurate view of students' thoughts and opinions.
The questionnaire was designed for 100 first-year international students at
TMU, majoring in Tourism and Service Administration. The goal of the
questionnaire is to understand the difficulties, causes and solutions to improve
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students' speaking skills. The questionnaire consists of 10 sentences. Questions
were designed from general questions to specific questions in order to determine
students' English proficiency. The questionnaire will be written in Vietnamese and
instructions in Vietnamese so that students can understand almost exactly what they
are answering, avoiding confusion. In order to ensure trust and security, before I
distributed the questionnaire, I pledged that the questionnaire was only intended for
research, not for any other purpose
1.6.1.2. Interview
According to C.R.Kothri, the interview method collected data related to an
oral answer. The interview requires the interviewer to ask questions regarding the
research problem in the form available to collect information. The method is
suitable for in-depth investigations. Methods of collecting information through
interviews are often done in a structured manner. Ask questions according to the
available form and write down the answers. This interview aims to increase the

Step3: Collect the survey results from students, prepare for data analysis step.
1.6.3. Data analysis methods
The interviews were conducted with 100 first-year international students at
TM University. All questionnaires made in Vietnamese are then translated into
English. Each questionnaire focuses on the difficulties faced by first-year students
English speaking skills in the English language learning process. The popular
statistics program computer application is used to analyze data. Although following
a predetermined structure, interviewers can ask probing questions to get a better
understanding of the issues being discussed (Gillham, 2005).
Based on the results obtained from the survey questionnaire, conducting data
analysis focused on the difficulties set out in the theory of chapter 2. From the
results obtained in tables and graphs for comparing the rate of difficulties students
face. Finally, the study provides an objective review of the analytical results.
1.7. Organization of the study
The study consists of five parts as follows:
Chapter 1: Overview of the study consists of rationale, previous studies, aims
of the study, research subjects, scope of the study, research methodology and
organization of the study.
Chapter 2: Literature review provides an overview of theory such as the
definition of speaking, factors affecting English speaking ability and difficulties in
first-year international student English speaking skills.

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Chapter 3: Research findings give discussions about research results, analyze
data and results through data collected through survey questionnaires.
Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions provide some measures to
improve students' English speaking skills.
Conclusion summarizes the main ideas of the study, outlines the limitations of

language depending on the intention of the speaker, a means of communicating
between objects to express their thoughts, share ideas, feelings and intentions to
interact with each other.
In English, speaking skills are more important. Moreover, in the era of
economic integration and distribution like now, it is said to be a necessary skill in
this era. Government organizations and the Ministry of Education should recruit
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good English speakers. Companies and businesses want employees to speak English
well to be able to reach many important foreign customers. Students who speak
good English help them have a better chance of studying, finding jobs and
advancing.
2.2. The importance of speaking skills
People spend more time speaking than other skills. Speaking is one of the
necessary abilities in life. Speaking English is not an easy task because there are many
factors that affect your speaking skills such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary.
According to Efrizal (2012) and Pourhosein Gilakjani (2016), speaking has an
important meaning in life because that is how people interact every day.
Ranson (2000) said that: “Speaking has a meaning when it enables children
and young people to explore their own selves and clarify their identity. They can
manage to understand and respect their own selves”. It has meant that the speaker
can express his / her point of view, feel confident when discussing an issue. In other
words, speaking makes people around you better understand you as well as how you
express interest in people. This also makes them feel respected for their opinions
and values.
According to Conrad & Dunek (2012, p74): “Speaking is a communication
tool for changing ideas”. This can be interpreted to convey each person's feelings
according to one's own way of speaking and feeling, expressing emotions, exploring
or discussing. Therefore, mastering speaking skills make the speaker become a

anything. However, it will not matter if the speaker understands what they are
saying and can continue the conversation. When imitative speaking makes them
learn how to read words and accents correctly.
2.3.2. Intensive
Intensive speaking is a way of speaking that requires a higher degree of
imitation. In this parlance, the speaker will have a strong amount of vocabulary and
grammar to be able to understand correctly. For example, when you read an essay,
what you draw from it can be a lesson, a summary, or answering questions related to
the text. Intensive speaking compels you to speak according to your own intentions,
which cannot be imitated.
2.3.3. Responsive
Responsive has meant a conversation between 2 or more people about a
problem. The purpose is to create a certain understanding of the problem in
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question. Response takes place in a few short questions and with simple content so
the speaker can adapt to interaction speaking.
2.3.4. Interactive
The interaction is the exchange between two or more people on certain issues.
This way of speaking is an upgrade of in-depth speech, through many individuals to
maintain conversation. The difference is the use of words to show cohesion. The
interaction makes the relationship tend to be more intimate between the speaker and
the listener.
2.3.5. Extensive
Extensive often points to monologue. The way to speak is no longer an
improvisation or imitation, it is more advanced. This way of speaking requires the
speaker to have more preparation, select professional words. Deeply expresses a
thorough understanding of what the speaker will say, from which the listener feels
trust and certain with the information heard.

biggest factor in the learning process. To be able to confidently speak a language,
the first thing you must dare to say. However, there is a fact that the bigger we are,
the more afraid we are. The fear of being wrong here is not wrong, but I'm afraid to
laugh when I say it wrong. Similar to a child who is just starting to learn to speak, it
is the same for us to learn English. There are words they always say wrong and
adults have to fix many times. Have you ever thought: if the children do not speak,
how can adults correct them? But children have better things than adults, that is,
they are not afraid to be wrong, they are not afraid of being laughed, they want to be
communicated. That makes them motivated to speak. The English learners too, if
they dare not speak, they will only say it wrong forever. In fact, there are many
factors that constitute such psychological factors. You are a shy, shy person, afraid
of standing in front of the crowd. You are afraid to speak English because you are
not good. In fact, this is the general situation of many students, students or even
working people. In fact, this is the biggest reason that hinders your learning process
of speaking English.
2.5.1.1. Motivation
According to Ortega (2009), motivation is what students want in a language.
The desire is not enough to start learning, they need to prepare efforts to achieve
their goals. In fact, when you do anything, excitement is a prerequisite to determine
whether you have a long-term attachment to it or not. English too, you have no
passion for English, you learn because it is compulsory. All of these things make
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you less good at English, no interest in English. In Littlewood (1984, p.53) say that
“Motivation is the crucial force which determines whether a learner embarks in a
task at all, how much energy he devotes to it, and how long he preservers”. “The
development of communicative skills can only take place if learners have the
motivation and opportunity to express their own identity and relate with the people
around them” (Littlewood, 1981). If the learner has an unfriendly attitude towards



Besides, the fear of mistakes became one of the main factors that made
students reluctant to learn English in the classroom. According to Aftat (2008), this
fear comes from the problem of corrections and negative reviews. Besides, the fear
of being laughed at, criticized by teachers. We learn lessons from mistakes but
students fear that they look stupid in front of others and are afraid of them judging
us. According to Middleton (2009), most English learners are afraid to try and speak
English in front of foreigners. She pronounced wrongly, the sound was silly and
silly in front of them. If students have experienced failure when speaking English
only because of anxiety, they tend to remain silent rather than continue to fail again.
This will be difficult to change because they consider themselves silent in class.
Anxiety creates unconfident that keeps them silent in every situation, even if
they can express themselves and knowledge. Lightbown and Spada (1999) also
discussed concerns about speaking that affect language learning. They think anxiety
depends on a number of situations that make the speaker feel uncomfortable or
stressed out as many people say. Anxiety interferes with the learning process and
affects most English speaking activities, not only related to oral presentations in
front of the class.
2.5.2. Linguistics factors
According to Mahripah (2014) learners are influenced by a number of
linguistic components such as phonology, syntax, vocabulary and semantics.
According to Thornbury (2005), learners use the correct grammatical structure of
the length and complexity of speech patterns and well-structured propositions. To
achieve vocabulary accuracy means choosing the right word in the right context.
2.5.2.1. Phonology
In that phonology is a difficult concept for learners to speak. Pronunciation of
English words is not the same as their writing. Words with similar pronunciation are
sometimes pronounced differently due to circumstances.
According to Thornbury (2005), it is defined that pronunciation is the ability

(1995, p.76) states that “Vocabulary is a component in speaking. In speaking
English, students need to master a lot of vocabulary, because by mastering many
words, they would study way of speaking easily. Sometimes, students felt difficult
when they were learning because they had limited vocabulary”. The lack of
vocabulary will lead to a less fluent speaking process, which is a big obstacle for
you to speak English well. In fact, vocabulary is a tool for you to communicate

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successfully. Nauli (2014) said that if there is not enough vocabulary, people cannot
communicate effectively and express their ideas.
Mahripah (2014) says that vocabulary is one of the factors that determines
your English language learning. The important thing when starting a language is
that you have to have a rich and diverse vocabulary. This will help you in the
process of avoiding being duplicated and enlivening your sentences. However, the
lack of vocabulary is one of the reasons why English learners become difficult. Do
not reinforce, supplement, apply new words to make your vocabulary poor.
Therefore, when communicating with foreigners, you will not know what to say and
express your ideas. Moreover, lack of vocabulary also makes us not understand
what the opposite person is saying, making listening skills worse, thus making the
conversation monotonous and impossible to continue. Lack of vocabulary not only
makes listening skills decrease but also makes speech skills not improve.
Vocabulary not only understands the superficial meaning but in vocabulary needs to
analyze phonetics, syllables and uses. Therefore vocabulary serves as a core
position to be able to communicate well in English.
2.5.2.3. Syntax
Bachman and Palmer (1996) define it as long-term knowledge. Knowledge
platform allows the speaker to apply to be able to speak English. He affirmed that
more specialized knowledge had a big impact on learners' performance. However,


CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS

3.1. Discussion of findings
3.1.1. Students’ evaluation on the importance of English
The first question before entering the survey 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 Tourism and Service
Administration, 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’ evaluation on the obstructing factor in practicing English
speaking skills
According to previous studies, I will focus on two main factors that lead to
difficulties in practicing English speaking skills. That is the psychological factor
and the semantic element. However, in each element, the difficulty that each student
faces is different. So I divide the different rating levels very difficult, difficult,
normal, no problem. The results are shown in the chart below.
Chart 3.2. The obstructing factor in practicing English speaking skills
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