Teachers and Learners’ Perspectives towards the Use of the Attribution Theory in Enhancing the Speaking Skill.

Abstract

Speaking is one of the most fundamental skills that need to be mastered by students when learning English as a Foreign Language. Speaking English requires motivationwhich is considered a crucial factor in the learning process. However, many students are not motivated to practise the language; as a result, they often face difficulties in their attempts to communicate using English. Therefore, the influence of the Attribution Theory on the students’ learning motivation makes it suitable to be implemented in the speaking classes. The current study aims at exploring how teachers and learners do perceive the use of the Attribution Theory and its effectiveness in ameliorating the speaking skill. In order to achieve this aim, two questionnaires are used. The first questionnaire is administered to seventy second year students of English at Mila University Centre. The second one is distributed to seventeen teachers who teach or have already taught Oral Expression to second year university learners. The major research findings reflect students and teachers’ positive opinions towards the significance of motivation and effort in overcoming the speaking problems and improving learners’ oralabilities, in addition to their awareness of the impact of feedback, instructional strategies, and locus of control on the students’ motivation to speak the language. These results reveal positive perceptions, from both teachers and students, towards using the Attribution Theory in Oral Expression classes and its effectiveness in enhancing the speaking skil