Abstract

 This study aims to identify the difficulties of pronunciation and conversation faced by EFL learners who undertook a Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in Saudi Arabia, It highlights the main issues in pronunciation and conversations (e.g., textbooks, teaching methods, and students' attitude and motivation) and techniques to address these problems. The instruments used in the study were classroom observations and teachers' discussions. The results revealed that firstly, students did not have a sound knowledge of grammar. Secondly, students' outside environment was influenced by their mother tongue. Thirdly, the teaching methods did not suit their proficiency levels. Finally, they were demotivated and thought that they have an impossible mission to improve their English pronunciation and conversation.
Highlights
Mastering intelligible communication is the main goal for learners while learning the target language
This study aims to identify the difficulties of pronunciation and conversation faced by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners who undertook a Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in Saudi Arabia
The first step of teaching and learning English language (EL) program is the awareness of EL pronunciation (Hago & Khan, 2015), it could be observed that the learners of English still have difficulties in pronunciation and conversations
Summary
Mastering intelligible communication is the main goal for learners while learning the target language. To achieve this goal, e.g., to use and communicate in an understood way, English language (EL) learners should have correct conversation and intelligible pronunciation. Brown (2014) claimed that, “if you cannot be understood when speaking a language, you do not speak that language” (p.158). E.g., to use and communicate in an understood way, English language (EL) learners should have correct conversation and intelligible pronunciation. Conversation is a challenge for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) and it was found among EFL Saudi students while speaking (Al Fallaj, 2013)
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