Spoken English of Saudi Undergraduate Students: Issues and Strategies Fawaz S. Al Mahmud  English Language and Translation Department, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Khulais, Jeddah University, Saudi Arabia Saeed S. Khan English Language and Translation Department, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Khulais, Jeddah University, Saudi Arabia Abstract—This study aimed to explore why some undergraduates at the University of Jeddah struggle with spoken English in personal and professional settings. Employing the explanatory sequential mixed method design, we administered a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to 107 Saudi undergraduate students. This was followed by observing a twenty-student Listening & Speaking class and conducting semi-structured interviews with three serving faculty members at the University of Jeddah. The results indicated that most students experienced difficulties in speaking English in personal and academic contexts. The students' spoken English difficulties could be attributed to the following major factors: limited use of spoken English in everyday personal and professional communication situations lack of linguistic competence, and speaking anxiety. It was also found that there were no significant differences in students' responses based on their year of study, major, and gender. We also suggested strategies and techniques; more precisely, we recommend increasing communication opportunities for students, employing CLT techniques, promoting the use of ICT, and collaborative learning. This study contributes to the current understanding of spoken English problems among Saudi undergraduate students and proposes relevant solutions. Index Terms—spoken English, EFL, ESL, Saudi undergraduates, strategies I. INTRODUCTION Spoken English has been an essential tool of international communication for many decades, widely used across the world (Graddol, 2006). Multinational businesses, economic affairs, technology exchange, popular media, the publication of books and newspapers, and the globalization of education, all extensively use the language (Rao, 2019; Rahman & Singh, 2022). An individual’s communicative competence is a predictor of his self-image, cognitive abilities and knowledge of the world (Luoma, 2004). Thus, considering its status as a lingua franca, obtaining communicative competence in English is highly desirable (Jenkins, 2007). Indeed, professional success largely depends on one’s proficiency in spoken English (Pandey & Pandey, 2014). Those who achieve communicative competence in English are able to avail various opportunities in academia, society, and different professions (Brown, 2001; Cook, 2003; Crystal, 2003). Furthermore, proficiency in spoken English helps dignitaries of a nation collaborate on issues regarding two- sided interests (Phillipson, 1992). However, despite its vital significance, numerous college students who learn English as a second language (L2) find it hard to communicate well in English. Achieving communicative competence in English is not easy in countries where English is not native and is taught and learnt as a second language (ESL) or foreign language (EFL). Students and common people need to apply considerable effort to acquire spoken English proficiency (Luoma, 2004). According to Lazaraton (2014), "speaking is an unfavorably complex and bewildering skill" (p. 107). The complexity of speaking is caused by the fractionation of speech as thought groups, suprasegmental features (stress, rhythm, and intonation), hesitation techniques, and the use of colloquial language (Brown, 2001). Learners struggle with speaking because they are required to synchronize several processes, such as generating ideas, using linguistic knowledge, and employing strategies concurrently (Johnson, 1996). This problem is especially prevalent in Saudi Arabia. Various scholars have conducted substantial research and identified the causes of Saudi students’ low proficiency in oral communication. For example, Al-Sobhi and Preece (2018) explored challenges the students faced while learning spoken English at Saudi School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They identified factors that hampered Saudi students’ learning of spoken English, such as fewer opportunities to communicate in English, almost exclusive use of Arabic in everyday communication, and instructors’ traditional teaching methods. Similarly, Rabab’ah (2016) found that not receiving ample opportunities to communicate in English hindered learners’ acquisition of English. Additionally, learners’ lack of motivation was a serious issue (Ali et al., 2019). Bani Younes and Albalawi (2016) identified learning anxiety, exclusive use of mother tongue, demotivation, fear of being judged by classmates, and traditional teaching methods as the causes of learners’ low proficiency.  Corresponding Author. ISSN 1799-2591 Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 13, No. 9, pp. 2271-2280, September 2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1309.13 © 2023 ACADEMY PUBLICATION