International Journal of English Linguistics; Vol. 9, No. 3; 2019 ISSN 1923-869X E-ISSN 1923-8703 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 211 English Language Speaking Skill Issues in an EMP Context: Causes and Solutions Mohammed Abdulgalil Abugohar 1 , Ma’in Ateyah Al-Hnifat 1 , Omar Ali Al-Smadi 1 , Radzuwan Ab Rashid 1 & Kamariah Yunus 1 1 Faculty of Languages and Communication, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia Correspondence: Mohammed Abugohar, Faculty of Languages and Communication, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, 21300 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia. E-mail: modyjau@yahoo.com Received: March 8, 2019 Accepted: March 31, 2019 Online Published: April 20, 2019 doi:10.5539/ijel.v9n3p211 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n3p211 Abstract A good start in researching on language teaching and learning issues is to first analyse target learners’ actual performance and their needs. This mixed-methods 2-cycle study is aimed to analyse medical-college students’ language needs through two instruments—a self-rated report and a guided focus group. Out of the main four language skills (speaking, reading, listening, and writing), Cycle 1 aimed at exploring the most trouble-provoking skill for EMP students through a 7-item rating report with a sample of 45 participants. Based on the results of Cycle 1 which labelled speaking as the most problematic language skill for the target learners, Cycle 2 proceeded with 9 interviewees to narrow the study focus on the factors contributing to the inefficiency of speaking skills among EMP learners, discussing solutions from the learners’ perspectives. Pedagogically, this research helps practitioners innovate and integrate new techniques in language teaching and learning to overcome the issue of students’ speaking performance that has been deemed below expectations. Keywords: EMP context, oral production, speaking skill issues, English speaking problems, causes and solutions 1. Introduction Speaking is one of the main four language skills (speaking, reading, listening, and writing). It is a communicating process of interaction which is the foundation of all relationships between humans. People who talk a language are called speakers of that language. Speaking is very crucial in second or foreign language learning. Mastering oral skills within the learning process is the most significant aspect of learning a language on which the whole process is assessed; based on the skill to perform a conversation in the target language (Leong & Ahmadi, 2017; Nunan, 1995). Nowadays, in the era of electronic communication and mass media, most data exchanged among people occurs through oral communication. So, out of the four main skills in language learning mentioned earlier, speaking looks to be the most significant one. English oral proficiency is universally viewed as a marker of success; and the Arab world is no exception. A good level of competence in speaking is a pre-requisite for having better jobs here and there. Brown and Yule (1983) stated that oral language is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult components of language learning. In spite of its significance, speaking has been ignored or devalued in schools and universities because of several reasons such as insufficient classroom practices and traditional teaching techniques of chalk and talk. Moreover, true assessment of speaking has been absent from language testing for decades due to the difficulty of evaluating it objectively, and the time it consumes to run speaking tests (Clifford, 1987). Unfortunately, speaking is not a significant part of language instructors’ tests. 1.1 Speaking Definition Many specialists define speaking in different ways. Chaney and Burk (1998) define speaking as “the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols into a variety of context” (p. 13). Another definition is that “speaking is to express the needs-request, information, service, etc.” (Brown & Yule, 1983). So, speaking is not a simple task; it needs a lot of practice and experience. Luama (2004) says that “speaking in a foreign language is very difficult, and speaking competence takes a long time to develop” (p. 1).