Investigating the Relationship between Socio-Cultural Factors and Student’s Reluctance to Speak during Oral Sessions First Year EFL Students at University of Ghardaia as a Case Study

Abstract

This study seeks to investigate the relationship between the social and cultural factors and students’ reluctance to speak, to find out whether these factors pose a threat or stimulate the process of developing students’ speaking and participation skills during oral class sessions. It also seeks to provide a deeper and clearer understanding to the concept of social factors, which includes:society, family, peers, socioeconomic status, gender differences, in addition to cultural factors that include: religion and beliefs, values and customs and delve deep into the theoretical framework that encompasses these concepts. Mixed methods approach was used to collect the data required to investigate this study, including first an observation of EFL First Year students’ participation and interaction during the sessions of Oral Comprehension and Expression at the Department of English at University of Ghardaia, an online interview conducted with four professors with previous and current experience in teaching the Oral module, and finally a questionnaire directed to a group of first-year EFL students to get their insights and viewpoints about the influence of socio-cultural factors on their reluctance to speak. With this, a deeper understanding of these factors and the extent of their influence on EFL students’ speaking skill development will hopefully be achieved. The study seeks to conclude with a set of strategies, suggestions and recommendations as solutions to be conducted by educators for a future inclusive educational environment for EFL students.