Speaking Problems:

There are some problems with the ability to speak that teachers can find by helping students
speak in the classroom.

Shyness is the first problem that students come across in class. When they want to say something
in the classroom, they are sometimes reserved. They worry about making mistakes and fear
criticism. They are embarrassed of the other students' attention to themselves.
Another problem is that students complain that they can't think of anything to say and have no
motivation to express it. Rivers (1968) supports this and believes that students often have nothing
to say, probably because their teachers have chosen a topic that is not appropriate for them or
because they have sufficient information about it. Baker and Westrup (2003) stated that it is very
difficult for students to answer when teachers are asked to say things in a foreign language
because they have little thought what to say, what vocabulary to use, or how to use grammar
with accuracy.
Another problem is that the participation is very low. In a class with a large number of students,
each student will have very little time to talk, as only one student speaks at a time and the other
students try to hear him/her. In the speaking class, some students control the whole class, while
others speak very little or never speak. The last problem is that some students share the same
mother tongue, trying to use it in a speech class because it is very easy for them (Tuan and Mai,
2015). According to Harmer (1991), there are some reasons why students use their mother
tongue in their speeches. The first reason is that teachers ask their students to discuss a topic for
which they do not have enough knowledge; they will try to use their language. Another reason is
that the use of the mother tongue is very natural for students to use. If teachers do not encourage
their students to speak in English, students will automatically use their first language to explain
something to the classmates.
Factors affecting English language skills:

The first factor relates to working conditions. Students conduct speaking activity under different
conditions. Performance conditions affect speech performance and these conditions include time
pressure, planning, performance quality, and amount of support (Nation & Nevton, 2009).
The second factor is related to the affective. Oxford (1990) said that one of the important factors
in language learning is the affective side of students. According to Krashen (1982), many
affective variables are related to second language acquisition and motivation, confidence, and
anxiety are the three main types studied by many researchers.
Listening ability is a third factor. Doff (1998) says that learners cannot improve their speaking
skills unless they develop a listening ability. Students need to understand what they have been
told in order to have a successful dialogue. Shumin (1997) represented that when students talk,
other students respond through the listening process. Speakers play the role of listeners and
speakers. It can be concluded that students are unable to respond if they cannot understand what
they are being told. That is, speech is closely related to listening.
The last factor is related to feedback during speaking activities. Many students expect teachers to
provide them with the necessary feedback on speech performance. According to Harmer (1991),
the decisions that instructors make regarding their students' performance depend on the phases of
the lecture, the tasks and the types of mistakes they make. Harmer (1991) also went on to say
that if instructors directly correct their students' problems, the flow of dialogue and the purpose
of the speaking task will be corrupted. Baker and Westrup (2003) supported the above assertion
and said that if students were always corrected, they would be demotivated and afraid of talking.
It is suggested that instructors always positively correct their students' mistakes and give them
more support and persuasion as they speak.