Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the barrios of learning and teaching EFL speaking skills: the cases of grade 9 at Gute secondary school, Wayu Tuka Woreda, East Wollega Zone which was purposively selected. To achieve the overall purpose of this study, a descriptive survey design was employed. To collect data, three data gathering instruments: like, questionnaire, interview and classroom observation were utilized. Questionnaire was the principal data gathering tool. Four grade nine Gute secondary school English foreign language teachers and 246 grade nine students participated in the study via purposive sampling and simple random sampling techniques respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were employed to analyze the data. Accordingly, the finding from the study revealed that teachers practiced brain storming, group activity; problem solving activities, discussion, and debating, dimensions were the highly practiced teaching and learning EFL speaking skills strategies. The most determinant factors affecting the implementation of EFL speaking skills with respect to students in the secondary school revealed that, students’ lack of motivation; lack of confidence, fearful of criticism; shyness; use of mother-tongue and low interest to practice EFL speaking skills. Large class size, shortage of time, shortage of text books and teaching aids reported in affecting the implementation of EFL speaking skills. The speaking tasks had an effect with respect to enhance good pronunciation, fluency, interpersonal skills, intonation patterns, pitch and voice modulation, and elongated speaking turns overcome mother tongue influences in class discussions. On the basis of the major findings of the study recommended teachers should encourage students to build up techniques and methods for developing speaking skills. Students need to develop their self-confidence during speaking lesson. The school’s management should fulfill sufficient supplementary EFL speaking skills materials for the better improvement of students’ speaking skills.
