Exploring the Factors Affecting the Speaking Skills of Undergraduate Students at Khushal Khan Khattak University Karak

Abstract

This quantitative study explores the factors that affect the speaking skills of undergraduate students at Khushal Khan Khattak University Karak (KKKUK). The study used a structured and an adapted questionnaire for the data collection. The questionnaire comprised of eighteen items under the four main categories that influence the speaking skills of the students: psychological and affective factors, linguistic factors, teachers and teaching related factors, curriculum and environmental related factors. Data were collected from the eighty respondents studying in the department of English through stratified random sampling technique. The data were analyzed through using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Descriptive statistical techniques were applied with frequencies and percentages, and were presented through tables and bar graphs to clarify interpretation. The results revealed that the undergraduate students’ speaking skills are affected by numbers of factors. Psychological and affective factors comprising anxiety, fear of mistakes, less confidence and worries about negative feedback appeared as the most significant barriers to speaking skills. Other factors including: linguistic factors show that even with basic vocabulary knowledge, problems in word retrieval and sentence construction hinder oral communication while restricted interactive teaching practices and inadequate focus on speaking activities within the curriculum and classroom environment limit students’ active participation.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18214542