Factors Affecting the Teaching of Oral Communication in English Language in Secondary Schools of Kakamega and Vihiga Districts of Kenya

Abstract

Oral communication has been included in the compulsory and examinable integrated English secondary school curriculum to help students acquire fluency in English. However, some teachers of English tend to think that this skill can be learned naturally. Therefore, the study evaluated the factors perceived by teachers of English to affect the teaching of oral communication in English language in secondary schools in Kakamega and Vihiga Districts of Kenya. Descriptive survey focusing on the secondary school teachers of English and the Heads of English Departments was used to collect data. One hundred and twenty randomly sampled teachers of English were administered a questionnaire. Thirty of the 120 teachers of English sampled were also administered a checklist. Twenty Heads of the English departments were further sampled for the interview. Descriptive statistics, mainly frequency tables and percentages were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that the teaching of oral communication was mainly affected by lack of assessment of oral skills, lack of variety and relevant instructional resources and teachers’ individual speech problems. It was concluded that unless the factors affecting the teaching of oral communication are addressed, secondary school students would continue to experience articulation difficulties in English.