Obstacles Faced by Omani Grade Twelve ESLLearners in English Speaking Skills

Abstract

The academic field of second language acquisition has studied the obstacles faced by Arabic ESL learners in developing their English-speaking abilities for many years. This study examines the challenges faced by Omani high school Arabic ESL learners in rural contexts. The country has been focusing on English teaching since 1970. Despite attempts, outcomes remain subpar, necessitating additional tutoring, while graduates face job market challenges due to private sector demand. A qualitative approach was employed to gather data from eight grade 12 students at public schools in Oman, primarily through offline surveys. Data analysis followed a thematic approach, revealing four main themes related to the first research question: English language accessibility issues, self-confidence deficits, mother tongue interference, and external motivation. The second research question identified three major themes: Social stigma, educational background, cultural sensitivity, and fear of negative evaluation. The third research question revealed four major themes: Teachers should receive training to integrate speaking with other skills, engage with native speakers or language learning groups, encourage errors, and value English communication as a sign of adaptability and open-mindedness. The research results concluding a lack of relatedness to the language and rare exposure to the language inside and outside the classroom resulted in incompetence in communication skills in formal settings, which affected their higher education opportunities and employability. To overcome these challenges, theoretical and practical implementations are given for developing instructional strategies that optimize the learners' L2 and enhance their communication skills