Oral Communication Challenges Encountered during the Instruction of English Language in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Abstract

Oral language is the primary medium through which classroom discourse takes place. It therefore plays a critical role in classroom instruction. This paper examined the oral communication challenges encountered during the instruction of English language classes in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was based on the interaction hypothesis by Michael Long which offers an explanation how ESL learners can best succeed at learning a target language. Embedded within pragmatism as the research philosophy and the descriptive survey design, the study utilized mixed methods approach to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data. Thirteen form three classes randomly selected were observed, thirteen teachers of English language purposefully selected were interviewed and finally 195 students randomly selected from the observed classes filled the student questionnaire. It was established that the most common oral communication challenges faced by learners in secondary school are difficulty pronouncing certain English words, uneven participation in class, and dominance of classroom discourse by a few learners and failure by the learners to seek for clarification or ask questions from their teachers.