Causes and Remedies for Secondary School Learners’ Low English Speaking Proficiency in Musanze District, Rwanda

Abstract

This study sought to explore causes and remedies for secondary school learners ’low speaking proficiency in English in Musanze District, Rwanda, using the quantitative approach. Out of the population of 459 teachers and students in three selected schools, the study sampled 27 teachers and 81 students, making a sample of 108 through purposive and random sampling. The questionnaire data was edited, coded, summarized and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences in terms of descriptive statistic. The study concluded that low proficiency in English speaking was due to shyness to practice speaking, lack of English clubs and lack of speaking motivation. Being in an endoglossic country, the students preferred to use their mother tongue (Kinyarwanda) most of their time and were fearful of criticism in attempt to speaking in English. English club and inter-class debate clubs provided positive effect in improving students’ fluency. Therefore, English clubs and inter-class debate clubs constitute a suitable initiative to improve students’ English speaking ability. Therefore, it is important for schools to establish and sustain English club and inter-class debate clubs which will improve the English fluency of students.