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.
