Investigating English Communication Barriers for Foreign Teachers in the English for International Communication Program

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to examine the barriers and English communication skills in interactions between foreign English teachers and 1st to 3rd-year students majoring in English for International Communication at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Tak. The study involved 45 undergraduate students from this major during the first semester of the academic year 2021. The research instruments used were a questionnaire and an interview form. Quantitative data collected were analyzed for frequency, percentage, mean (????̅), and standard deviation (S.D.) using the SPSS program. The results indicated that the overall level of English communication barriers among 1st to 3rd-year students was high. The primary issues, in descending order, included: lack of confidence in communicating in English with foreign teachers (????̅ = 3.93; S.D. = 0.80). Fear and difficulty in recalling necessary vocabulary when conversing in English with foreign teachers (????̅ = 3.94; S.D. = 0.84 and S.D. = 0.76). Limited opportunities for students to communicate with foreign teachers in English due to large class sizes (????̅ = 4.00). The analysis summarized the current interactions between students and foreign teachers, highlighting that most students have limited opportunities to interact with foreign lecturers. This limitation is exacerbated by the aggressive behavior and insufficient number of foreign teachers at the university, which hinders students' ability to practice English in daily life.