Investigation of Chinese College Students’ Perceptions, Needs, and Self-Assessment of Spoken English Competency

Abstract

Spoken English Competency (SEC) remains a critical weakness in English Proficiency (EP) of Chinese college students, particularly when compared with their English competency in writing and reading. Despite years of English learning since elementary school, Chinese college students often struggle to master SEC. Although previous studies have explored Chinese students’ SEC from various perspectives, there is still a significant knowledge gap, especially from students’ perspectives. This study aims to analyze students’ Perceptions and Needs of Spoken English (PNSE) and their Self-Assessment of Spoken English Competency (SA-SEC) with the language output evaluation indicators (including three dimensions: complexity, accuracy, and fluency [CAF]). The study analyzed 2,677 (male = 1,340, female = 1,337) online questionnaires from college students across four English proficiency distinct groups. There are four identified aspects of PNSE (i.e., oral importance, difficulty, purpose, and improvement willingness). Similarly, SA-SEC was analyzed with three dimensions of CAF, namely complexity, accuracy, fluency, and nominal variables like pause type. The findings revealed that gender and EP significantly influenced PNSE and SA-SEC, and correlations were observed between paired variables of PNSE and dimensions of CAF in the SA-SEC section. Notably, complexity was identified as the weakest dimension of CAF for most students. Future studies are imperative to further explore the intricate relationship between PNSE and SA-SEC, and how factors such as pause type influence students’ spoken English performance.