Challenges of learning spoken English in Bangladesh: A comparative study of English major and non-major university students

Abstract

This study deals with the challenges students face in spoken English. Learning spoken English is essential for self-expression. Good command over spoken English is one of the important skills for the students who want to build up their career in modern life. The main aim of this research is : how an English language learner could become a fluent English speaker. The objective of this study is to identify the conditions of the English language learners who enjoy institutional facilities more than the learners without institutional facilities. A mixed methods research design is employed to carry out this research. Both qualitative and quantitative data have been used, however, much more importance has been given on qualitative rather than quantitative data. The English major students due to classroom advantages get more chances to participate in the training on English speaking skill which help them to develop their fluency in spoken English. By contrast, the English non-major students do not get enough opportunities to do English language courses from their departments. As a result, the English non-major students face more challenges than English major students in learning spoken English. The study also reveals some other factors that help English major students to develop better spoken English than the non-major English students. At the end based on the study some recommendations are made which may helpful for various stakeholders.