| Abstrakt: |
This mixed-methods study examined academic oral communication difficulties encountered by Yemeni postgraduate students in a Malaysian public university and how they overcome these difficulties. The study also examined the correlation between students' academic oral communication difficulties and their prior learning experience. Questionnaires, focus group interviews, and journal writing were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation analysis were used to analyse the quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify academic oral communication difficulties encountered by the students and how they overcome these difficulties. The study revealed that the major academic oral communication difficulties encountered by these students are speaking accurately, communicating ideas fluently, speaking with clear pronunciation, and communicating ideas confidently. In the process of overcoming these difficulties, the students reported that they employed some strategies such as joining English proficiency courses and attending seminars, workshops, and conferences. Furthermore, the study revealed a strong negative correlation between most areas of academic oral communication difficulties and students' prior learning experience. Thus, it is recommended that these students need to be involved in various academic oral activities to survive in other similar contexts where they need oral skills for successful academic performance and effective communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
