English has emerged as the world’s first choice as a second language; more importantly, it is by now the principal means of international communication (Rosenhouse & Kowner, 2008, p. 4). The contemporary power of the English language makes itself felt in many fields (Phillipson, 2003, p. 5). It opens doors and facilitates mobility, for it is central to ongoing processes of Europeanisation and globalization (p. 23). For instance, the ASEAN Documents Series 2014 (2015, p. 286) stated that “All official communications shall be in the English language.”
The significance of the English language has been globally accepted, for it overcomes communication difficulties and enhances understanding and cooperation among countries internationally. It is obvious that communication, which is the process of exchanging ideas and imparting information (Jacobson, 2009, p. 9), is the essence of social interaction (Hogg & Vaughan, 2011, p. 568) and necessary for today’s life and career skills (Lucas, 2012,p. 5) because the best way to trade the ideas is to communicate (Barker, 2006, p. 8). Hence, one who speaks English well definitely has more chances and potential in today’s world.
Therefore, it is the opportunity for every learner to master and be able to communicate in the English language to be a resourceful asset for individual prospects and the development of the country. Millions of people worldwide put enormous effort into learning English suggesting that significant economic advantages are widely assumed (Hall & Eggington, 2000, p. 10). Nevertheless, English is not easy to learn since learning challenges naturally take place as learners encounter while receiving and producing a language in communication.
However, they are either subjectively, objectively, or both motivated to accomplish it. For these reasons, a research on learning challenges and motivation toward spoken English skills among TESOL undergraduate students at one of the private Universities in Battambang City, Cambodia, was conducted.
Background of the Study
Under the political turmoil, financial constraints, and social insecurity since the 1970s, Cambodia with the support and assistance of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Dy & Ninomiya, 2003) called for coordinated international assistance for Cambodia’s economic and educational reconstruction and development (John, 2006, p. 97) which has thus brought a tremendous transformation to the Cambodian society including the significance of English language.
These transitions have influenced the country’s foreign language policy – the choice of English as its second language (Takeda, 2015, p. 47). There were three main factors that led to this choice. First, the arrival of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), has undeniably made Cambodian people regard English as an internationally influential language (Ibid.). Secondly, Cambodia entered into the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) whose official language is English (ASEAN Documents Series 2014, p. 286).
As a result, there is pressure on Cambodian representatives as well as the people to develop their English skills so that they can fully partake in the organization. Meanwhile, the most important factor was in 1994, the Law on Investment attracted billions of dollars of foreign direct investment into the country’s urban centers and surrounding areas (Clayton, 2006, p. 24); this investment manifests in hundreds of foreign companies established in metropolitan Phnom Penh has significantly impacted the country’s volume and patterns of trade (p. 47).
Most of the firms operating in Cambodia from bases in other countries, on the other hand, use English as the language of business communication and require knowledge of the English language for managerial-level employees (p. 26). More importantly, it was believed that anyone who could speak English would definitely have more chance to get good jobs, thus making much, or at least enough, money to support their living (IBP, 2016, p. 83).
Cambodians both expressed and acted upon a particular language choice: They had chosen English as their preferred foreign language, and they were making this choice known to university patrons and the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (Clayton,p. 3). For this very reason, most people started learning English; consequently, the number of classes, centers, schools, institutes, and universities quickly began to practice and sprout throughout the nation. In addition, the 1996 decision of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS) to start EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classes from Grade 7 in public schools fortified the dominance of English in Cambodia (Takeda, p. 48); and interestingly, in 2014, MoEYS (2014, p. 25) included English for Grade 6. Hence, English has become the first foreign language and is now taught in schools in Cambodia (Kirkpatrick, 2010, p. 57; Majhanovich, 2013, p. 253).
In 2005, IDP Education (Cambodia) established the Annual CamTESOL Conference Series which is for professionals in the fields of English Language Teaching and related issues, and currently, it has become the premier professional development conference in the Asia Pacific region (The CamTESOL Conference Series, 2016). Most of the Universities in Cambodia provide TESOL or English for Education including the University of Management and Economics (UME), founded in 2000. Its School of Arts, Humanity, and Foreign Language provides three different English majors such as English for Education (or TESOL), English for Communication, and Translation.
Since the courses have been offered, the number of students who register for the English program keeps increasing due to the need for job markets. However, although the quantity has increased, the lecturers’ and the researcher’s observations showed glaring shortcomings in students’ language use, and an understanding of which sentences or parts of sentences are appropriate. In short, they lack communicative competence, especially in spoken English skills.
Therefore, the aims of this study are to determine the learning challenges that the TESOL undergraduate students have encountered and the motivation they obtain to accomplish their English proficiency.
