A Systematic Overview of Issues for Developing EFL Learners’ Oral English Communication Skills
Abstract
The objective of this systematic review is to present a critical overview of current studies to explore issues such as the factors causing EFL learners’ poor oral performance and the teaching and assessment methods of oral English communication skills (OECSs) for developing tertiary level learners’ OECSs in EFL contexts. For this purpose, 51 empirical studies of the 2907 retrieved from SpringerLink, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and the Google Scholar database that were published between 2010 and 2019 in different EFL contexts were analyzed. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and was analyzed thematically using NVIVO 12, followed by the Mendeley reference management software. Studies that were conducted in native English contexts and non-empirical studies were excluded from consideration for this study. The findings showed that the environmental factor was the primary factor for learners’ poor OECS performance in EFL contexts. For the method of teaching and assessment of learners’ OECSs, the use of technology is rapidly increasing in different EFL contexts. This study suggests some implications for both future researchers and academics for developing EFL learners’ oral English communication skills dealing with environmental, psychological, and linguistic factors along with teaching and learning resources at the tertiary level in EFL contexts.
Downloads
References
Abid. (2018). Indonesian pre-service english teachers' perceived challenges in improving English oral communication skills. Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies, 5(2), 147-170. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v5i2.716
Aeni, N., Jabu, B., Rahman, M. A., & Strid, J. E. (2017). English oral communication apprehension in students of Indonesian maritime. International Journal of English Linguistics, 7(4), 158-165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v7n4p158
Afshar, H. S., & Asakereh, A. (2016). Speaking skills problems encountered by Iranian EFL freshmen and seniors from their own and their English instructors' perspectives. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 13(1), 112-130. https://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/v13n12016/afshar.pdf.
Alam, Q., & Uddin, A. B. (2013). Improving English oral-communication skills of Pakistani public schools students. International Journal of English Language Teaching, 1(2), 17-36.
Alghail, A. A. A., & Mahfoodh, O. H. A. (2019). Academic oral communication difficulties encountered by yemeni postgraduate students in a Malaysian university. Issues in Educational Research, 29(2), 301-325.
Bruner, D. A., Sinwongsuwat, K., Bojanić, B., & Radić-Bojanić, B. (2015). EFL oral communication teaching practices: A close look at university teachers and A2 students' perspectives in Thailand and a critical eye from Serbia. English Language Teaching, 8(1), 11-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v8n1p11
Bunjan, A., & Suppasetseree, S. (2017). The video blog based role play lessons to enhance English oral communication skills for tourism students. International Journal of Educational Administration, 9(1), 1-16.
Chen, Z., & Goh, C. (2011). Teaching oral English in higher education: Challenges to EFL teachers. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(3), 333-345. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.546527
Couvaneiro, S. R., & Pedro, N. (2015). Collaborative learning using tablets in EFL to develop oral communication. In ACM International Conference Proceeding Series (pp. 139-143). ACM. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/2808580.2808602
Darmi, R., & Albion, Peter R. (2017). Enhancing oral communication skills using mobile phones among undergraduate English language learners in Malaysia. In J. H. Murphy A., Farley H., Dyson L. (Eds.), Mobile learning in higher education in the Asia- Pacific Region education (Vol. 40, I pp. 359-375). Springer Singapore. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4944-6
Ella, R. B., & Dapudong, R. C. (2014). Oral communication achievement of the Bachelor of Arts students major in English at Rajamangala University of Technology, Lanna, Thailand. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 3(4), 209-224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarped/v3-i4/1252
Fang, W.-C., Cassim, F. A. K., Hsu, C.-N., & Chen, N.-S. (2018). Effects of reciprocal peer feedback on EFL learners' communication strategy use and oral communication performance. Smart Learning Environments, 5(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-018-0061-2
Fereday, J., & Muir-Cochrane, E. (2006). Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 80-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690600500107
Fitria, R., & Salwa. (2018). Students ' perceptions of English oral communication usage during practice learning program. Inovish Journal, 3(2), 155-162.
Gan, Z., Oon, E. P. T., & Davison, C. (2017). ESL students' oral performance in English language school-based assessment: Results of an empirical study. Language Testing in Asia, 7(1). , T. (2016). Learning how to speak like a native: Speech and culture in an online communication training program. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 30(3), 285-321. 10.1177/1050651916636363. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-017-0051-2Hart
Herlo, D., & Kurt, M. (2017). Improve your oral communication skills in English by using informal synchronous chat. Paper Presentae at The 7th International Social & Behavioural Sciences EInternational Conference.
Herrera, R. F., & Vielma, J. C. (2018). Impact of microteaching on engineering students ' communication skills. International Journal OfEngineering Education, 34(6), 1768-1777.
Idrus, H. (2016). Enhancing oral presentation skills of ESL students: The use of oral communication strategies. In S. Fun Tang, & L. Logonnathan (Eds.), Assessment for learning within and beyond the classroom (pp. 437-446). Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0908-2
Idrus, H., Salleh, R., & Muhammad, R. L. T. (2011). Oral communication ability in English: An essential skill for engineering graduates. Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education, 26(1), 107-123.
Idrus, H., Salleh, R., Wan Hassan, W. N., & Ali, R. M. M. (2013). Self-efficacy in English language oral communication skills of technical trainees. In The Proceedings of 2013 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (pp. 800-804). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TALE.2013.6654548
Ismail, K., Tuspekova, A., & Mustaffa, R. (2018). English oral communication in public secondary schools in Kazakhstan: Understanding its practice and challenges. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature, 24(2), 122-126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2018-2402-09
Jessica, M. M., Kemboi, G. C., & Andiema, N. C. (2015). A study on interactive teaching methods in developing oral communicative competence in learners of English language in Trans Nzoia West, District of Kenya. International Invention Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2(1), 5-13.
Jim, C. Y. H. (2018). Contexts, problems and solutions in international communication: Insights for teaching english as a Lingua Franca. Journal of Asia TEFL, 15(2), 257-275. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2018.15.2.1.257
Kasbi, S. and, & Shirvan, E. M. (2017). Ecological understanding of foreign language speaking anxiety: Emerging patterns and dynamic systems. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 2(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-017-0026-y
Kernec, JL. Levrai, P., & Bolster, A. (2017). Bringing the outside world in: Using mixed panel assessment of oral presentations with Electrical and Electronic Engineering students. Proceedings of 2016 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning for Engineering (pp. 1-8). IEEE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TALE.2016.7851761
Kunioshi, N., Noguchi, J., Hayashi, H., & Tojo, K. (2012). An online support site for preparation of oral presentations in science and engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 37(6), 600-608. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2012.733681
Lana, H., Shehata, A., & Omer, M. A. E. (2018). Effective techniques used by teachers to improve English oral communication skills in sudanese secondary schools. International Journal of Information Research and Review, 05(II), 5899-5909.
Liu, L., & Jia, G. (2017). Looking beyond scores: Validating a CEFR-based university speaking assessment in Mainland China. Language Testing in Asia, 7(1), Article 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-017-0034-3
MacWhinnie, S. G. B., & Mitchell, C. (2017). English classroom reforms in Japan: A study of Japanese university EFL student anxiety and motivation. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 2(1), Article 7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-017-0030-2
Malthus, C., & Lu, H. (2012). Not a Mission Impossible: The perceptions of successful graduates on the development of spoken English for the workplace. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 22(1), 120-139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.22.1.07mal
Mamo, B., & Yigzaw, A. (2015). Fidelity of peer mediation and its role in improving students' oral English communication skills. Science, Technology and Arts Research Journal, 4(1), 215-217. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9394(26)91015-5
Manzano, B. A. (2018). Examining the oral communication strategies used by a group of nepalese adult learners in an ESL context. 3L: Language, Linguistics, Literature, 24(1), 84-96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2018-2401-07
Mitchell, R., & Eng, T. L. (2010). Assessment of students' learning experience in an oral communication course at MIT for EECS majors. In 2010 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), F1F-1-F1F-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2010.5673341
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
Mulualem, Muchie, M., & Meles, Y. (2019). Assessing teachers' practices and challenges of teaching students' oral communication skills. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 9(II), 237-246.
Nasihah, M. (2019). The use of role play technique to improve students' english oral communication. Journal of English for Academic and Specific Purposes, 2(1), 10-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/jeasp.v2i1.7259
Nikolic, S., Stirling, D., & Ros, M. (2018). Formative assessment to develop oral communication competency using YouTube: Self- and peer assessment in engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 43(4), 538-551. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2017.1298569
Okoro, N. (2007). Strategiesfor Remedying poor communication skills of stupents. An Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies, 6, 13-22.
Onoda S. (2014) An exploration of effective teaching approaches for enhancing the oral fluency of EFL students. In T. Muller, J. Adamson, P.S. Brown, & S. Herder (Eds.), Exploring EFL fluency in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan London. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137449405_8
Rahman, M. M. (2010). Teaching oral communication skills: A task-based approach. ESP World, 9(1), 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10572259809364631
Saefurrohman, S. (2018). EFL Teachers Assessment Methods in Oral Communications. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 267, 268-272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/aecon-18.2018.52
Şimon, S. (2014). Enhancing the English oral communication skills of the 1 st year students of the Bachelor's degree program Communication and public relations. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 2481-2484. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.596
Soomro, M. A., Siming, I. A., Channa, M. A., Shah, S. H. R., Naeem, N., & Abbasi, A. M. (2019). An analysis of English oral communication apprehension and anxiety of engineering undergraduates in Pakistan. International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(2), 162-173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n2p162
Subramaniam, G. K. J., & Harun, R. N. S. R. (2012). Marketing Students' Perceptions and Their Experiences during Industrial Training on English Oral Communication Skills. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66, 283-289. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.11.270
Subramaniam, Jeevi K., Gunadevi A., Pathma Fathima Harun, R. S. N. R. (2013). Polytechnic students ' perceptions of youtube usage in the english oral communication classroom. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 3(9), 1962-1966.
Thu, N. T., Thi, N., & Thu, K. (2016). Oral English communication strategies among Vietnamese non-majors of English at intermediate level. American Journal of Educational Research, 4(3), 283-287. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12691/education-4-3-9
Tipmontree, S., & Tasanameelarp, A. (2018). The effects of role-playing simulation activities on the improvement of EFL students' business English oral communication. Journal of Asia TEFL, 15(3), 735-749. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18823/asiatefl.2018.15.3.11.735
Tsai, I. I. yin. (2019). The effect of peer collaboration-based learning on enhancing English oral communication proficiency in MICE. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 24, 38-49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2018.10.006
Tuomaitė, V., & Zajankauskaitė, Z. (2017). Oral communication in a foreign language competence development in academic contexts. Studies About Languages, (31), 113-129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.31.19049
Wang, B., Teo, T., & Yu, S. (2017). Teacher feedback to student oral presentations in EFL classrooms: a case study. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(2), 262-264. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2016.1257507
Wang, B., Yu, S., & Teo, T. (2018). Experienced EFL teachers' beliefs about feedback on student oral presentations. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 3(1), Article 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-018-0053-3
Zukurnain, N., & Kaur, S. (2014). Oral English communication difficulties and coping strategies of diploma of hotel management students at UiTM. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 20(3), 93-112. http://ejournals.ukm.my/3l/article/view/6078/2971.
Copyright (c) 2021 National Research University Higher School of Economics
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the Copyright Notice.
