An investigation into difficulties in listening and speaking English as a foreign language

By Nguyen Phuong Duy Anh, Nguyen Thi Huynh Nga
DOI: 10.37550/tdmu.EJS/2023.02.412

In this study, we examine students at Thu Dau Mot University specializing in Food Technology’s speaking and listening skills in English. We conducted a survey on 59 students majoring in Food Technology using the questionnaire approach. Students struggle to develop macro-English abilities like speaking and listening, as seen by their responses. mastering English grammar, vocabulary, and other micro-skills might be challenging. The findings indicate that significant obstacles to learning listening and speaking skills include a lousy sound system, a lack of a communicative context, a limited vocabulary, a lack of cultural understanding, and a fear of making mistakes in communication. The findings also demonstrate that students’ limited exposure to English and weak phonological skills are to blame for their difficulty acquiring pronunciation. Many words are long and complicated, making learning and recalling word parts like verbs, nouns, and adjectives challenging. Many words are also difficult to pronounce. Learning the grammar of verbs and articles is challenging for students. When the challenges are solved, this research aims to effective foreign language learning.