SECONDARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS' BELIEFS ABOUT THE TEACHING OF LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS AS PRESENTED IN THE CRESCENT ENGLISH CURRICULUM IN AL-HOUTA AND TOBAN DISTRICTS, LAHEJ GOVERNORATE

Abstract

Listening and speaking skills play a vital role in English language learning and are essential for students' academic and professional success. However, many students in public secondary schools in Al-Houta and Toban districts, Lahej Governorate, experience difficulties in understanding spoken English and expressing their ideas effectively in oral communication. Therefore, there was a need to explore teachers' beliefs regarding the teaching of listening and speaking skills in Yemeni public secondary schools in these districts. A descriptive survey design was employed using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 30 English language teachers selected through convenience sampling from public secondary schools in the study area during the 2023-2024 school year. The findings revealed that teachers generally held positive beliefs toward the importance of listening and speaking skills and recognized their role in language learning. However, despite this awareness, they did not perceive the oral communication activities included in the Crescent secondary school series as entirely sufficient for developing students' oral communication. Moreover, the majority of teachers reported neglecting related activities in their classroom practices. The findings also identified several factors affecting the development of students' oral communication skills, including language-related challenges, besides environmental and psychological factors. The study recommended giving greater attention to oral communication skills, providing teachers with training programs on teaching such skills, incorporating oral communication skills into classroom assessment, and creating supportive classroom environment that encourage students' participation in oral practice.