| Lack of conversational speaking skills is a worry throughout China. Many students spend years learning English, but do not have the skills or the desire to communicate in English out of fear, lack of knowledge, or any other of the wide array of worries with which foreign language learners cope. Even now the speaking ability of the students is at a decline. The problem addressed in this study was to inform interested parties as to why after years of studying English, Chinese English language learners are unable to (or do not) speak conversationally (Cheng, 2014, Wei & Su, 2015). The purpose of this explanatory case study was to ascertain the students' perceptions on their lack of English communications skills. This study was an explanatory case study in which 13 students in their third and fourth years of university at a third tiered Chinese university answered an anonymous, qualitative survey via an online website called SurveyMonkey. Each question I asked via the survey tool requested the students elaborate on their answers, not just answer with a yes or no. Elaboration on the answers enabled me to learn the students' dilemmas on why English is so difficult to speak after years of English education. |
