The Essential Factors to Teaching Speaking Skills A Case Study: Secondary School Students in Omdurman Locality .

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research investigated the essential factors to teaching the English speaking skill, and how they affect Sudanese Secondary school students’ communicative competence. It also, explored the reasons behind the speaking skill problems. The sample size comprises: one hundred secondary school students, eighty secondary schools teachers and six English language supervisors in Omdunnan Locality, Khartoum State, Sudan. The data collected via questionnaire and speaking test were processed and analyzed by SPSS analysis, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, (T) test, the degree of fieedom and alpha. The study also, used the method of content analysis for the interview to obtain the results of the samples responses. The researcher assumed: 1. Most Secondary schools English language teachers don’t choose a definite set of methods and techniques supported by teaching aids to enhance students’ speaking abilities. 2. Sudanese secondary school students unable to participate in classrooms interaction activities. 3. Syllabus at secondary schools is grammar and reading based syllabus. 4. Unqualified Secondary school teachers. The fmdings showed that: l. Most teachers have a weak implementation of English language teaching methods. 2. Secondary school students at non-model government school showed the weakest English language speaking skills, compared with students at model government schools, who scored the highest level scores of speaking skills. 3. Syllabus is mostly responsible because, there are no adequate speaking activities in SPINE Series. 4. Secondary school teachers of English need to develop their professional competence by enabling them to attend more staff development courses. The researcher recommends the following: There should be a well defined criterion for choosing an English language teacher in Sudan. The syllabus should contain more speaking activities. More attention should be paid for preparing teachers for teaching English language speaking skill in Sudan. A decision should be taken zbout dividing schools into (Model and Non Model) govermnent secondary schools, because dividing schools affects parents, teachers and students psychologically. It also, ignored the co- operative learning and deprived weak students from mixing with good classmates.