View this article in RussianLinguists N. Tuan and T. Mai identify influences that hinder the development of speaking skills. Among them are the conditions, affective factors, listening skills, and the teacher’s explanation to the student when the activities are done [11].
Scientists I.Nation and J.Newton in their studies note that the improvement of the student’s speaking skills depends primarily on him/her [8]. Each student emphasizes that he/she is able to perform speaking tasks depending on different conditions, time, schedule, quality of speech, and assistance provided. According to R. Oxford, the influence on the development of speaking ability is an affective factor [10]. S. Krashen also agrees with this idea and adds the student’s motivation, self-confidence and inner tension in the language to the list of affective influence in learning foreign languages [7].
A. Doff says that if students’ listening ability is weak, it is difficult for them to develop speaking ability [6]. They note that they need to understand what is being said to them in the language they are learning in order to speak fluently. According to K. Shumi, when students discuss some issue in a foreign language, other students also listen and try to understand their classmates. Students cannot respond if they do not understand what is being discussed [12].
Thus, listening is closely related to speaking. According to L. Bachman and A. Palmer, knowledge can be stored in long-term memory [3]. Therefore, it is recommended that students memorize texts according to their locality or environment. Texts that are unfamiliar to students and unrelated to their lives are not memorable.
Another factor in improving speaking skills is the assessment given by a teacher. Based on the assessment received from the teacher, students determine the fluency of their speech, the correct pronunciation of words and sentences. However, teachers interrupting and correcting a mistake while the student is speaking causes the dialogue to lose its flow and purpose.
J. Baker and H. Westrup also note that correcting students’ mistakes while they are speaking creates a fear of speaking in the language they are learning [4]. For this reason, scientists advise school teachers to encourage and support students to positively correct their mistakes when they learn to speak a foreign language. This reduces students’ fear of making mistakes and increases their motivation to speak.
S.Mahripah extensively explains linguistic structures and their psychological effects on students learning foreign languages [9]. He mentions the linguistic components as phonetics, syntax, lexicon and semantics, while the psychological influences are motivation and personality. Students must learn the pronunciation of each word, the correct use of stress and intonation.
Motivation is a powerful tool in language learning. Friendly relationships are important in developing students’ speaking skills. If the communication between the teacher and the student is dissonant, the student’s speech cannot be inferred. It is only with the help of good communication that the development of speaking skills can be achieved.
Linguists M. Bashir, M. Azeem and A. Dogar say that the fear of speaking in a foreign language depends on the student’s personality, and they show that this fear is formed based on the fear of making mistakes, risk and psychological self-pressure [5]. The fear of making a mistake, the anxiety becomes a problem when the student learns. Therefore, it is important for the teacher to provide psychological support to the students in developing their speaking while teaching foreign languages, because one of the main directions of the Concept of improving the teaching of foreign languages is to achieve communicativeness in learners.
New educational programs are prepared based on the accepted documents related to the educational system, textbooks, study guides, workbooks are prepared, published and put into use, all the methods needed by teachers to teach foreign languages today. In the concept, the main aspects to be improved in foreign language teaching are the areas of improving foreign language teaching, achieving its prosperity, developing communicativeness, focusing on interactivity and using innovative technologies [2]. The development of communication, orientation towards communication claims to be able to speak fluently in a foreign language. Because the concepts of knowing a foreign language and being able to speak the language being studied are different. In order to become fluent in a foreign language, a person learning it has to go through certain psychological challenges and obstacles.
Language learning takes place on the basis of certain influences, i.e. internal and external influences and the people surrounding the student. Both of these effects can prevent a student from developing a target language. The role of the teacher is great in identifying and overcoming certain influences in the development of students’ speaking skills.
Development of students’ speaking in foreign languages, one of the expected results of the Concept of improving the teaching of foreign languages, is the ability of students to learn international languages; It is directly related to making an international scientific contribution, writing scientific articles, reading literature in different languages related to one’s field and speaking at international conferences.
References
- Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. Bilim – bagtyýarlyk, ruhubelentlik, rowaçlyk. – A.: TDNG, 2014.
- “Türkmenistanda daşary ýurt dillerini okatmagy kämilleşdirmegiň Konsepsiýasy”. – Aşgabat. 22.12.2017 ý.
- Bachman L., Palmer A.S. Language Testing in Practice. – Oxford: Oxford University Press ,1996.
- Baker J., Westrup H. Essential Speaking Skills: A Handbook for English Language Teachers. – 2003.
- Bashir M., Azeem M., Dogar A.H. Factor Effecting Students‟ English Speaking Skills. – British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2011.
- Doff A. Teach English: A Training Course for Teacher. –Cambridge University Press. 1998.
- Krashen S. D. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. – New York: Pergamon Press. 1982.
- Nation I.P., Newton J. Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2009
- Mahripah S. Exploring Factors Affecting EFL Learners‟ Speaking Performance: from Theories into Practices. 2014.
- Oxford R.L. Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher Should Know. New York: Newbury House Publishers. 1990.
- Tuan, N.H., Mai T.N. Factors Affecting Students‟ Speaking Performance at LE Thanh Hien High School. –Asian Journal of Educational Research, 2015.
- Shumin K. Factors to Consider: Developing Adult EFL Students’ Speaking Abilities. – English Teaching Forum, 1997.