Assessing Teachers’ Practices Of Teaching Speaking Skills: The Case Of Dire Enchini Secondary School Grade 9 In Focus

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to assess teachers’ classroom practice of teaching speaking skills, strategies employed and to identify some problems teachers’ face in class at Dire Enchini Secondary school. The research was descriptive design in nature and employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. For the attainment of the objectives of the study, Out of 530 total students, about 248 students were randomly selected and contacted through survey questionnaire to collect primary data. Out of these participants, about 243 of them properly completed and returned the distributed questionnaire. Moreover, additional primary data was obtained through class room observations and using interview from English teachers. These collected data were carefully processed and analyzed using excel and SPSS v-20 software to summarize the findings of the study, arrive on conclusions and forward helpful recommendations for further improvements. Based on the result of the study, the researcher concludes that English as a Foreign Language teaching was not well practiced as needed at the school under study. Nevertheless, majority of the students were facing challenges in speaking English class practices and it was difficult for these students to intended messages of speaking during the practice. These students fail to clarify whether or not their teachers listening to them in the class that enable them improve their speaking skills. In relation to teachers and students’ strategies development to improve their speaking skills, the study revealed that although teachers and students make an effort to develop students’ speaking skill strategies like group discussion, game play, role play, songs and problem solving to some extent these strategies less improve students speaking skills. Furthermore, English as Foreign language speaking teaching practice was mostly influenced by student related problems than teachers and environmental related factors. Based result of the study, the researcher recommended that English foreign Language teachers should devise suitable techniques and strategies to help students improve their speaking abilities. Furthermore, curriculum designers and text book writers should improve teachers and students close relationship practices, improved assessment practice and teaching methodologies that could in turn contribute to student speaking learning. Moreover, teachers should assess and provide relevant feedback, improve commitment level, initiate students to participate and overcome different teaching problems to equip these students with important speaking skills in the language.