Communication Difficulties Faced By Undergraduate Libyan Students
Abstract
Learning English either as an ESL or as an EFL seems to be difficult. Relating to this statement, this paper aims at presenting the communication difficulties faced by Libyan students at Alzytoona University in Libya. Some of these difficulties are: speaking problems; students have low motivation to learn English; pronunciation difficulties; lack of the necessary vocabulary; excessive use of Arabic in the classroom and anxiety. In addition, this paper is going to focus on the factors behind these difficulties such as: language teachers are native speakers of mother tongue, which results in lack of exposure to the target language; confidence and lack of training. Then, to suggest the solutions for these problems. Besides, to solve the problems faced by students, this paper discusses the role of communicative competence in learning language, and to define the communication strategies. Finally, it concludes that Libyan students encounter many serious speaking problems in the target language.
Keywords: undergraduate, communication, difficulties
References
[1] Al-Nofaie, H. (2010) ‘The Attitudes of Teachers and Students towards Using Arabic in EFL Classrooms in Saudi Public Schools: A Case Study’, Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 4(1), pp. 64–95.Canale, M. and Swain, M. (1980) ‘Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing’, Applied Linguistics, 1(1), pp. 1–47. doi: 10.1093/applin/I.1.1.Chomsky, N. and Lasnik, H. (1993). Principles and Parameters Theory in Syntax. An International
[2] Handbook of Contemporary Research, Berlin: de Gruyter, 190 p.
[3] Færch, C., & Kasper, G. (1983). On identifying communication strategies in interlanguage production. In C. Færch & G. Kasper (Eds.), Strategies in interlanguage communication (pp. 210–238). London: Longman.
[4] Harmer J. (1991). The Practice of English Language Teaching, New York: Longman Publishing.
[5] Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. A. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal. 70, 2, 125-132.
[6] Huda, N. (1999). Language Learning and Teaching: Issues and Trends. Malang. IKIP Malang Publisher.
[7] Hymes, D. (1972) ‘On Communicative Competence” In: J.B. Pride and J. Holmes (eds) Sociolinguistics. Selected Readings’, in. England: penguins, Books, pp. 269–293.
[8] Johnson, K. E. (1995). Understanding Communication in Second Language Classroom. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
[9] Nation, P. (2003). “The role of the first language in foreign language learning”. Asian EFL Journal,5 (2).
[10] Nunan, D. (1999). Second Language Teaching & Learning. Heinle & Heinle Publishers: An International Thompson Publishing Company, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 USA.
[11] O’Molley,J. and Chamot, A. (1990). Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press.
[12] Pathan, M., Aldersi, Z. & Alsout, E. (2014). Speaking in their Language: An Overview of Major Difficulties Faced by the Libyan EFL Learners in Speaking Skill. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 2(3), 96- 105. Retrieved fromhttp://www.eltsjournal.org.
[13] Richards, Jack and Theodore Rodgers. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
[14] Ryan, S. B. (2001). Overcoming Common Problems Related to Communicative Methodology. Yamagata University. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 11, November 2001 (http://iteslj.org/. being accessed on July 6th, 2009).
[15] Saleh, S. (2013). Understanding Communicative Competence. Faculty of EducationAjelat. Zawia University.
[16] Saleh, S. (2015). An Investigation of the Causes of Speaking Anxiety among EFL Learners.Journal of Faculty of Arts: Zawia University.
[17] Tarone, E. (1980). Communication strategies, foreigner talk and repair in interlanguage. Language Learning, 30, 417–431.
[18] Young, D. (1991). An investigation of the students’ perspectives on anxiety and speaking. Foreign Language Annals. 23, 4, 539-53