CHALLENGING FACTORS FOR UZBEK TEACHERS IN EFL SPEAKING INSTRUCTION AND THE ROLE OF THE COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING APPROACH
Keywords:
teachers; speaking instruction; Communicative Language Teaching; learner confidence; teacher challenges; UzbekistanAbstract
Teaching speaking in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context is a complex and interactive process that requires sustained practice, appropriate classroom management, and opportunities for meaningful communication. This study investigates the challenges encountered by Uzbek EFL teachers when teaching speaking in secondary and high schools and examines teachers’ attitudes toward Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). The study was conducted in Namangan, Uzbekistan, with 55 English teachers. Data were collected through a 35-item questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale and informed by the principles discussed in Karavas-Doukas (1996). The questionnaire addressed teacher-related challenges, learner-related factors, and major CLT principles, including the role of grammar, pair and group work, error correction, and teacher and learner roles. The findings indicate that speaking instruction is affected by several teacher-related constraints, including difficulties with modern technology, selecting appropriate teaching methods, large classes, and insufficient instructional resources. Teachers also identified substantial learner-related barriers, particularly low confidence, fear of making mistakes, limited motivation, insufficient vocabulary, limited speaking experience, and restricted exposure to English outside the classroom. At the same time, participants generally expressed positive attitudes toward CLT, especially pair and group work and a more facilitative role for teachers. The findings suggest that strengthening communicative teacher training and creating supportive opportunities for learner interaction may help address persistent difficulties in EFL speaking instruction in Uzbekistan.
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