Public speech competence of pre-service EFL teachers: Sources of problems
Oksana Nazarova, Cise Cavusoglu.
- 2014.
Ineffective presentation and communication skills could cause problems in all professions that require the participants to perform in front of an audience. This phenomenon of effective public performances by teachers is a key factor in determining the success of the teaching and learning, particularly in language classrooms. However, there seems to be a gap in the literature regarding the factors that affect the process of mastering speech competence by pre-service English language teachers. The present study draws on a research study focusing on the speech competence of 17 ELT students from a private university in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The data presented here comes from the qualitative phase of the study where the specific factors that could cause problems in developing public speaking competence were identified by a thematic analysis of interviews, observations, reflective essays and artefacts. This analysis yielded seven factors that could cause students’ minimal public speaking competence: (1) low English language proficiency, (2) self-reported Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA), (3) low level of self-efficacy, (4) Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA), (5) general communication apprehension, (6) age, and (7) lack of motivation. The paper discusses how low levels of English proficiency appeared to influence the mastery of such basic performance standards as clear language, effective non-verbal behaviour, and effective use of vocal expression and paralanguage. Being a prospective teacher of English also seems to create an additional demand for students’ language competence, which in turn can lead to PSA, FLA, and low self-efficacy in speech situations.
Near East University Article Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi Makale English language EFL teachers