Building bridges: Strengthening oral communication skills for rural civil engineering students

Abstract

Effective communication is pivotal to professional success in civil engineering. However, rural students often face unique challenges in mastering oral communication, especially in English. This study seeks to examine the challenges faced by engineering students from rural backgrounds when speaking English and the underlying reasons for these difficulties. This paper implemented specific tasks inspired by task-based language teaching methodology in the study of participants to analyze their speaking challenges and their root causes. The findings revealed that speaking English posed challenges primarily due to fear of errors, anxiety, shyness and low confidence levels. This paper proposes solutions, such as creating a supportive environment and promoting regular English communication, to address these issues. The research highlights the transformative impact of effective communication and calls for further studies to refine and expand these educational strategies.