The Role of Teachers in Improving Tertiary-Level Students' Academic Speaking Skills

Abstract

For tertiary level, academic speaking skills are important as it’s a gateway to the proficiency required for professional life, where effective communication is the key to success. This study aims to explore the role of teachers with respect to developing adequate teaching methods for their students at the university level. Through open ended interview questions with probing, the teachers were able to explain and elaborate their stance regarding the means and methods they use to develop good resources and methods to develop their students’ speaking skills. This research discovers the role of teachers in enhancing these skills, focusing on strategies, challenges, and their effectiveness in a classroom setting. By analysing qualitative data from teachers, the study aims to identifies some of the practices that the teachers have used in their classroom and found effective, further on, the study also identifies the teachers’ concerns that may hinder the effectiveness of their teaching.