BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION AMONG MARITIME STUDENTS

Abstract

Speaking is essential to human interaction. However, non-native undergraduate students tend to have problems in mastering this skill in a second language such as English. Students who face difficulty in speaking may soon lose interest in learning. Communication barriers among students could lead them to face many challenges in the working sector in the future since English is an important language that is widely used. This research paper attempts to explore the difficulties faced by students of University Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL MIMET) in speaking in English and to identify ways to overcome the challenges. Two hundred and fifty respondents from different academic programmes selected using simple random sampling strategy. Survey method is used to obtain data from respondents. The data obtained from questionnaire are analysed and presented using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings would benefit UniKL MIMET academicians in determining the effective teaching and learning process to overcome barriers in speaking English among the students.