English Speaking as a Second Language for Health Sciences’ Undergraduates: Preferred Activities & Motivators

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Unfortunately, the undergraduates who study for health sciences degrees in English medium of instruction still find it challenging. This has made the faculty administration deliver numerous programs to enhance oral skills, which often fail due to poor turnout. The lack of motivation and reluctance to practice are two reasons visible on the surface. Identifying ways to enhance learner motivation has been considered a key challenge in the present study. The types of activities students were interested in have been examined and reported. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the undergraduates in the Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science programs. Data were gathered using a self-prepared, validated, self-administered online survey questionnaire that was pilot tested for reliability using 10% (n = 21) of the minimum sample size. Cronbach's Alpha values appeared ˃ 0.7. The data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and demotivators was examined using a paired sample t-test. Results There were 277 responses from Pharmacy (33.2%, n = 92), Nursing (45.8%, n = 127), and MLS (20.9%, n = 58). Intrinsic motivation factors had a significant effect (p < 0.001, 95% CI) on speaking skills compared to extrinsic motivation factors. Mean intrinsic motivation and mean extrinsic motivation were 4.16 (n = 277, SD = 0.66) and 3.73 (n = 277, SD = 0.81), respectively. The mean intrinsic demotivation, 3.16 (n = 277, SD = 0.77), and mean extrinsic demotivation, 2.56 (n = 277, SD = 0.91) also showed a significant variation. Findings denoted that students prefer free, relaxing learning experiences over compulsory English-speaking programs. Conclusions The results signified that self-motivation was the primary source of inspiration. It is essential that faculty revisit the compulsory and authoritative program designs to realign them, considering the students' motivation and interests at the center of it. Demotivation English Oral Competence Health Sciences Motivation Second-Language Speaker Speaking Skills Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Introduction Fluency in English speaking is of utmost importance for non-native English speakers in many fields of education and employment (Alkhuzaee et al., 2019 ; Pabodha & Abeywickrama, 2021 ). In particular, when the medium of instruction is English, fluency in English helps students improve their academic performance (AlMously et al., 2013 ; Hayes & Farnill, 1993 ). Ample studies have proved a positive correlation between fluency in English and immediate employment after graduation (Sadeghi et al., 2013 ; Salamonson et al., 2008 ). However, for many reasons, most students find it challenging to communicate in English (Salamonson et al., 2008 ; Wazeema & Kareema, 2017 ). Lack of motivation (Sorayyaei Azar & Tanggaraju, 2020 ) and reluctance to practice speaking skills top the list. This study reports the motivators, demotivators, and preferable activities students are willing to engage in from a Health Sciences Faculty in Sri Lanka. The Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Ruhuna has three Departments, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science (MLS). Currently, it offers a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy, B.Sc. Nursing and B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Science degrees. All undergraduate degrees are delivered and assessed in English medium. To complete the degree, all undergraduates must complete an individual research project and produce a dissertation in English. The proposal presentation and thesis defense are in English (FAHS, 2020 ). Nonetheless, the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination results in the science stream are utilized as the benchmark for choosing students for study programs. Most students complete their advanced-level examination in their mother tongue, i.e., Sinhala or Tamil (Weerakkody & Dharmadasa, 2015 ). Only a small portion of students take the exam in English Language (Weerakkody & Dharmadasa, 2015 ). The abrupt change in the medium of instruction is identified as a leading cause of the underperformance of students during university education (Pabodha & Abeywickrama, 2021 ). This causes failures and sometimes an extension of time taken to complete the degrees (Aluwihare & De Silva, 2016 ; Hill, 2009 ; Weerakkody & Dharmadasa, 2015 ). Moreover, sedentary behaviour, poor soft skills, and narrower career prospects seem to be associated with poor language proficiency (Pabodha & Abeywickrama, 2021 ). These issues have been pinpointed in a few studies conducted with undergraduates of professional degree programs in Sri Lanka. For example, Seefa, 2017 analysed the main difficulties that students encounter in studying English but little attention was paid to identifying teaching methodologies (Weerasooriya, 2021 ) liked by the students. Focusing on the issues with Sri Lankan students admitted to bachelor's programs conducted in English medium, Vidanapathirana and LPS, 2009 observed that the enrolment is extremely selective and students in urban areas are joining the study programs. Further, the accomplishments of students were reliant on their English proficiency level (Vidanapathirana & LPS, 2009 ). Rameez, 2019 suggested that changing student attitudes, motivation to practice, and enhancing self-confidence as solutions to reversing idle behavior in language learning. The question then is how to motivate students and how to get the students to English-speaking practice sessions. In the case of all Pharmacy and health sciences degree programs offered in Sri Lanka, English is offered as a credited or noncredit course unit. In addition, to uphold the English language proficiency of undergraduates’ faculty administration has launched several activities. However, the poor attendance and passive behavior of students make those efforts futile. Thus, the identification of ways to enhance learner motivation has been considered an essential challenge in the present study. The types of activities that students take interest in have been researched and reported. A motivated student is believed to learn better with long-lasting enthusiasm. Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation help in designing proper strategies to keep students enrolled in engaging development activities (Menggo, 2018 ). Further, the use of attractive and dynamic approaches is indispensable, and students need to believe that they are a substantial element in the progression, where their judgment is considered. While the administration serves as a facilitator, students need to believe that they are in charge of the teaching and learning process. Hence, the compulsion to attract undergraduates to the learning and practicing process appears essential. Methods At the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduates in Pharmacy, Nursing, and MLS programs. All the learners in the three Departments from the 1st year to the 4th year were considered for the investigation. The graduates and the students who have completed the final year of academic work were excluded. Among the 466 undergraduates (Pharmacy; 112, Nursing; 251, and MLS; 103) at the Faculty by November 2020, a convenient sample of 277 was included in this survey. The minimum sample size (n = 211) was calculated using the formula 01.(Krejcie et al., 1996) n = sample size, X 2 = Chi-square for the specified confidence level (95%) at 1 degree of freedom, N = Population size (466), P = Population proportion (taken as 0.5), ME = Desired margin of error (5%) Data were gathered using a self-administered online survey questionnaire, which was formulated using simple English language as a Google form. The questionnaire was designed by the authors by reviewing published related literature (Aggouni, 2015 ; Bensoussan, 2015 ; Gardner, 2005 ; Ihsan, 2016 ; Krishnan et al., 2013 ) to study intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation in practicing English speaking skills and to identify the activities that students are willing to engage in to develop speaking. The questionnaire had three parts; Part I, demographic factors of the participants: Part II, a Likert scale (5-point) to check the undergraduate’s level of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation; Part III, the questions on preferred English-speaking activities. The questionnaire was pilot tested for reliability using 10% (n = 21) of students calculated based on the minimum sample size. Reliability for the questions related to motivation, demotivation, and preferred activities and Cronbach’s Alpha values appeared greater than 0.7 for all. Results obtained during pilot testing were excluded from the final analysis. The questionnaire was emailed to all the undergraduates of the three departments through the batch coordinators of each batch to ensure the coverage of all students (n = 466). In the shared questionnaire information about the study was included at the beginning and there was an option to obtain consent for participation. The respondent’s personal information such as email or other personal recognition information was not recorded. Only the data requested via the questionnaire was collected. After one week of distributing the questionnaire, 277 responses were received. All 277 responses were considered for data analysis as the number of responses exceeded the minimum sample size requirement. The unanswered questions were considered to be missing values for the analysis. The data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and demotivators was examined using a paired sample t-test. Results were reported using descriptive statistics. The level of statistical significance was denoted by the p-value ≤ 0.05 at 95% CI. Participants were allowed to add any extra information or comments at the end of the questionnaire. These comments were analyzed to identify three overarching broad themes and categorized into facilitators, barriers, and suggestions. The ethics review committee of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences granted ethical approval for this study and administrative approval was obtained from the Heads of three Departments. Results Altogether there were 277 responses (78.8%, female & 21.2%, male). The number of responses from Pharmacy, Nursing, and MLS students was 33.2% (n = 92), 45.8% (n = 127), and 20.9% (n = 58) respectively. The highest (40.8%, n = 113) number of responses was received from the 1st year undergraduates, followed by 31% (n = 86) from the 2nd year, 20.6% (n = 57) from the 3rd year, and 7.6% (n = 21) from the 4th year students. Most of the students (94.2%, n = 261) had schooled in the Sinhala medium. Only 3.2% (n = 9) of the students learned exclusively in the English medium and 2.5% (n = 7) in the Tamil stream. Table 1 and Table 2 below show the grades obtained for English in the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination and G.C.E. Ordinary Level examinations. Table 1 G.C.E. Advanced Level English results (n = 277) Grade No. of students Percentage A 39 14.1% B 47 17.0% C 76 27.5% S 94 34.1% F 20 7.2% Table 2 G.C.E. Ordinary Level English results (n = 277) Grade No. of students Percentage A 141 50.9% B 67 24.2% C 59 21.3% S 9 3.2% W 1 0.4% Among the study participants, 236 (87.7%) said that speaking was the hardest skill to improve. The difficulty of developing writing, listening, and reading skills were recorded as 46.5% (n = 125), 36.1% (n = 97), and 11.2% (n = 30) respectively. The majority (83%, n = 229) of students paid more attention to developing speaking skills followed by writing (55.1%, n = 152), listening (42%, n = 116), and reading (35.5%, n = 98) skills. Less than 4.8% (n = 13) marked their speaking ability as “very good”, 22.8% (n = 62) as “beginner” and the majority (72.4%, n = 197) as “intermediate”. The reasons mentioned by the respondents to improve their English-speaking ability are shown in Fig. 1 . Figure 2 shows the sources of encouragement for students to pursue English-speaking skills. Table 3 below shows the factors of motivation and demotivation. Table 3 Factors that motivate/demotivate students speaking in English (n = 277) Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation It is my goal to be a good English speaker 277 1 5 4.58 .793 I am very interested in learning effective English communication 276* 1 5 4.51 .798 Every time I get a chance, I speak in English. 277 1 5 3.41 .972 I prefer if the teacher motivates me to deliver speeches. 275* 1 5 3.83 .987 I would like a compulsory English-speaking course. 276* 1 5 3.68 1.151 I would like to have a regulation to speak only in English. 274* 1 5 3.70 1.037 I like to have marks/certificates when I deliver speeches. 275* 1 5 3.75 1.031 I do not speak, because I am worried about making mistakes. 277 1 5 3.39 1.316 I do not speak, because I am nervous. 274* 1 5 3.36 1.295 I am not fluent in English grammar. 275* 1 5 3.37 1.050 I do not speak, because of teachers’ negative comments. 274* 1 5 2.28 1.200 I do not speak, because of other students’ negative comments. 277 1 5 2.43 1.224 I do not speak, because of negative peer pressure. 275* 1 5 2.76 1.226 I cannot find words to make sentences. 275* 1 5 3.05 1.197 I do not have a good accent/pronunciation. 272* 1 5 3.05 1.072 I do not have time to spend learning English. 276* 1 5 2.84 1.099 I do not have enough money. 273* 1 5 3.10 1.181 I do not have an opportunity to talk in English. 275* 1 5 2.80 1.046 * Non-responses were considered to be missing values for the analysis. Mean intrinsic motivation and mean extrinsic motivation were 4.16 (n = 277, SD = 0.66), and 3.73 (n = 277, SD = 0.81) respectively. Intrinsic motivation factors had a significant effect (p < 0.001, 95% CI) on speaking skills compared to extrinsic motivation. Moreover, results signified a variation between the mean intrinsic demotivation and mean extrinsic demotivation. Mean intrinsic demotivation and mean extrinsic demotivation was 3.16 (n = 277, SD = 0.77) and 2.56 (n = 277, SD = 0.91) respectively. Among the participants, 39.4% (n = 108) were willing to attend English-speaking practices every week. This was followed by 26.6% (n = 73) of students who were willing to participate every other week, and 25.2% (n = 69) every month. Students’ preference for activities to improve their English speaking ability and the topics they wish to follow during the discussions are shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 respectively. Table 4 below shows the students' preferences, learning styles, and the support they would expect from the learning environment. Table 4 Preferred learning styles and preferred activities (n = 277) Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation I like to have a separate club for English-speaking practice 277 1 5 3.94 .907 I would like to participate in English-speaking practice sessions. 277 1 5 4.09 .890 I would like an opportunity to read English newspapers. 277 1 5 4.12 .919 I would like an opportunity to read English novels. 277 1 5 4.18 .972 I would like it if the teacher pointed out my mistakes and help me develop them. 277 1 5 4.43 .825 I like teachers’ enthusiasm, helpfulness, and friendliness. 276* 1 5 4.55 .796 I would like a pleasant class environment where everyone can speak freely without fear. 274* 1 5 4.63 .760 * Non-responses were considered to be missing values for the analysis. Seventy-nine participants provided comments at the end of the questionnaire. Table 5 below lists the broader themes identified from the comments as facilitators, barriers, and suggestions to improve the English-speaking skills of Pharmacy and Health Sciences undergraduates. Table 5 Comments by Respondents Comment No of respondents Facilitators Need to improve speaking skills 16 Need to talk with students in other countries to improve English-speaking skills 4 Barriers Speaking in English is a main problem for undergraduates 16 Having English exams create extra stress for students 8 Lack of self-confidence, fear, and anxiety 8 Academic workloads leave no time to practice English 3 Suggestions Do not make compulsory English courses 7 Having a club that can speak freely in English 5 Having English programs without disturbing academic program 5 Organizing English drama/practical sessions 5 Create a culture where everyone speaks English 5 Having student presentations during lectures 4 Provide interesting novels to the library 2 Having a compulsory English program 2 Having monthly speaking clubs 2 Conduct lectures, practical only in English 2 Having an external English diploma course on the weekend 1 Discussion This study examined the factors of motivation, demotivation, and activities preferred by Pharmacy and other health sciences undergraduates in improving English speaking skills. According to the results, a significant difference (p < 0.001, 95% CI ) was observed between the internal and external motivation of learners to advance their English-speaking competence. Most of the students (n = 277, SD = 0.66) were intrinsically motivated. Similarly, internal demotivation was higher than demotivation triggered by external factors. Further, results showed that students prefer free, relaxing learning experiences over compulsory, administrative, and examination-oriented English-speaking programs. Identifying the sources of inspiration and discouragement will help design and cater support programs for students in similar contexts where speaking in a second language is highly recognized in professional practice and career. It is essential that the learning and practicing sessions be integral to enhancing self-motivation and willingness to comprehend English speaking skills. It is well-recognized that speaking English as a second language raises one's social standing and esteem. The requirement to learn more languages to be prepared for life or employment in the twenty-first century (Sorayyaei Azar & Tanggaraju, 2020 ) has been reflected among the study population in this study. The majority rated their current English-speaking level as “ intermediate ”. However, every student’s goal was to become a better English speaker. Students believed that English speaking was the most challenging yet exciting skill among reading, writing, and listening skills. Significant self-motivation was an attribution of the same, which was driven by preparing for future job opportunities, personal development, enhancing self-confidence, and obtaining higher academic scores. Another study conducted in Sri Lanka for science students learning in English showed that most students were interested in language proficiency as it directly contributes to lecture comprehension and classroom interaction (Navaz, 2013). In addition to self-drive, the requirements imposed by the degree conditions and parents' and teachers' encouragement persuaded the undergraduates to speak in English. However, the forms of external sources of motivation were more evident in school children studying English as a foreign language. Krishnan et al., 2013 reported that the highest motivation factor for school children is parental encouragement, followed by the social motivation factor (Krishnan et al., 2013 ). Speaking in a second language triggers a feeling of unease (Pabodha & Abeywickrama, 2021 ). The process of learning is impeded by psychological elements including anxiety, fear, and negative attitudes (Seefa, 2017 ). Among the study population, self-driven demotivation was higher and mostly attributed to apprehension. Most students worry about making mistakes while speaking. Nervousness, limited vocabulary, and poor grammar made them fear speaking in a crowd. As per the research findings, language anxiety could go beyond undergraduate life. A study conducted among Sri Lankan students studying overseas reported that the majority of the students ponder that they are weak in oral skills (Fazeena et al., 2012 ). In addition, a negative attitude towards a target language could create a boundary between the learner and the language (Pabodha & Abeywickrama, 2021 ). In this study, negative attitudes such as a lack of interest to participate in practice sessions were found among the respondents. Though it is not the majority, the researchers argued that the adjustment of the attitude of the learner towards English should commence from an early stage of learning. Hence, measures to eradicate students’ fear, anxiety, and negative attitudes toward English should be a prime priority in practice sessions (Seefa, 2017 ). Local literature reported that some of the culturally embedded behaviors such as ragging (bullying), shyness, and fear to speak in public lead to students’ passive behavior in the classrooms in general (Navaz, 2013). However, this study revealed that the study population had not been affected by negative peer pressure or teachers’ negative comments. By the time this study commenced, ragging had been eliminated from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. Further, respondents were neutral about taking on the English accent and time as limiting factors for improving English speaking skills. Hence social pressure, traditional ideologies, or lack of time were not barriers to mastering English speaking for Health Sciences undergraduates. According to published work in Sri Lanka, inadequate opportunities to use English and practice outside the class were recorded as barriers to developing English communication skills (Pabodha & Abeywickrama, 2021 ; Seefa, 2017 ; Weerasooriya, 2021 ). Additionally, the main external problems students faced included a lack of resources, insufficient facilities, unqualified teachers, improper teaching methods, a shortage of materials, and terrible economic situations (Seefa, 2017 ). Further, the dominant presence of the native language for a longer period than the target language was recognized as a barrier (Weerasooriya, 2021 ). Nonetheless, the majority of research participants in the present study did not concur that there was a lack of opportunity, money, or resources to practice speaking English. Another crucial factor that influences students’ achievement and proficiency in speaking is their motivation to practice speaking (Ihsan, 2016 ). One helpful finding of this study was that most of the students were motivated intrinsically, providing an opportunity to design English practice sessions matching their expectations. Owing to the strict academic curriculums of Health Sciences Degrees, students prefer opportunities to do oral presentations in English during routine academic activities. Further, the majority of the students prefer weekly speaker clubs with resource personnel focusing on professional and day-to-day needs. Topics like humorous or cheerful, stories or films, current events, and scientific friction could increase students' interest in attending the speaking sessions. Certificate-driven English-speaking programs, mock interviews, and games were preferred by many students. Choosing the appropriate approach and teaching style in teaching and learning in a relaxed and upbeat atmosphere in the classroom might help create interest (Mansor & Ishak Badarudin, 2011 ; Sorayyaei Azar & Tanggaraju, 2020 ). The results of the current investigation show that everyone liked it if the teacher points out their mistakes. The majority appreciated having the opportunity to read English newspapers and novels, friendly, helpful teachers, and a welcoming classroom atmosphere where everyone speak freely. Though the English language has become the mainstream of instruction for teaching in almost all Health Sciences Faculties in Sri Lanka, this study was confined to the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Ruhuna. Hence the extension of similar research to other Health Sciences Faculties will improve the generalizability of findings. Future intervention research on English-speaking practice sessions will be invaluable to design study programs to inspire and draw learners to English-speaking practice sessions enthusiastically. Conclusions This study highlighted the motivators, demotivators, and activities preferred by Pharmacy and other health sciences undergraduates to improve their oral competence in English. The results signified the students' self-motivation as the primary source of inspiration, which will help design and cater support programs for students in similar contexts where speaking in a second language is highly recognized in professional practice and career. The outcomes of this study would benefit the faculty administration in developing the overall strategy to enhance the English oral competence of its undergraduates. It is essential that faculty revisit the compulsory and authoritative English-speaking program designs and align them taking the students' motivation and interests at the core of it. Abbreviations MLS Medical Laboratory Science FAHS Faculty of Allied Health Sciences GCE General Certificate of Education Declarations Ethics approval and Consent to participate: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna. Informed consent was taken from the participant before data collection and the administrative approval was taken from the Heads of three Departments. Consent for publication: Not applicable Availability of Data and Materials: The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. References Aggouni, A. (2015). The Role of Motivation in Enhancing Learners’ Speaking Performance in English Classrooms (Issue June). Biskra University. Alkhuzaee, F. S., Al-Mehmadi, A. A., Al-Sehly, A. A., Nahari, M. H., Al-Muwallad, M. A., & Ali, M. (2019). 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F., & Kareema, M. I. F. (2017). Implication of multimedia audio-visual aids in the English language classroom. Proceedings of 7th International Symposium, SEUSL, 7th & 8th December 2017 , December , 433–442. http://192.248.66.13/handle/123456789/3028 Weerakkody, K. A., & Dharmadasa, M. P. P. (2015). The impact of background variables for students ’ Performance : Case of online external degree program in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Conceptions on Management and Social Sciences , 3 (3), 5–9. Weerasooriya, T. N. (2021). Enhancing the English oral competence of undergraduates. The 7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3808971 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Jayasinghe","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ruhuna","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Manori","middleName":"","lastName":"Jayasinghe","suffix":""},{"id":238967784,"identity":"58f2bd7b-5b7b-41f3-9812-f004480f87a5","order_by":1,"name":"Lakeesha Liyanage","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ruhuna","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lakeesha","middleName":"","lastName":"Liyanage","suffix":""},{"id":238967786,"identity":"a7e763e5-cecf-4d39-a70f-24cd53b5b684","order_by":2,"name":"Kanchana Wijesekara","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ruhuna","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kanchana","middleName":"","lastName":"Wijesekara","suffix":""},{"id":238967787,"identity":"4b1107db-cbb0-44f7-8b06-51ce379a29db","order_by":3,"name":"Imendra Kotapola","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ruhuna","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Imendra","middleName":"","lastName":"Kotapola","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2023-09-27 14:14:28","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3392604/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3392604/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":44530995,"identity":"a6728e5f-6cf0-419b-88fc-7d300b762952","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-12 17:39:51","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":18007,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eReasons to improve English speaking.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3392604/v1/041d3214ed728ad6114c66be.png"},{"id":44531905,"identity":"9097e009-6329-4f6a-a824-dc17898478de","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-12 17:47:51","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":9714,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSources of motivation.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3392604/v1/a006aa34a50b6f979ea17236.png"},{"id":44530996,"identity":"dd4b3cb4-611e-42bf-b552-1d191a3cb7a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-12 17:39:51","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":17925,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePreferred activities to improve English speaking skills.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3392604/v1/6d6c226105da7065c7b0065a.png"},{"id":44530998,"identity":"9f0d5463-f45d-49bf-8daf-48443fb4c2fe","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-10-12 17:39:51","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":16172,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTopics \u0026nbsp;of interest to discuss in speaking practice sessions.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3392604/v1/f43013466fe98d033e6e1179.png"},{"id":46351259,"identity":"931e18fc-1303-4ded-88b6-1bb7ad4efcd0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-11-13 15:37:37","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":339710,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3392604/v1/5e155a79-e7e0-4cf6-a0ac-3180d6033bfd.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"English Speaking as a Second Language for Health Sciences’ Undergraduates: Preferred Activities \u0026 Motivators","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eFluency in English speaking is of utmost importance for non-native English speakers in many fields of education and employment (Alkhuzaee et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Pabodha \u0026amp; Abeywickrama, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). In particular, when the medium of instruction is English, fluency in English helps students improve their academic performance (AlMously et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Hayes \u0026amp; Farnill, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1993\u003c/span\u003e). Ample studies have proved a positive correlation between fluency in English and immediate employment after graduation (Sadeghi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Salamonson et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e). However, for many reasons, most students find it challenging to communicate in English (Salamonson et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Wazeema \u0026amp; Kareema, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Lack of motivation (Sorayyaei Azar \u0026amp; Tanggaraju, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) and reluctance to practice speaking skills top the list. This study reports the motivators, demotivators, and preferable activities students are willing to engage in from a Health Sciences Faculty in Sri Lanka.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Ruhuna has three Departments, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science (MLS). Currently, it offers a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy, B.Sc. Nursing and B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Science degrees. All undergraduate degrees are delivered and assessed in English medium. To complete the degree, all undergraduates must complete an individual research project and produce a dissertation in English. The proposal presentation and thesis defense are in English (FAHS, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Nonetheless, the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination results in the science stream are utilized as the benchmark for choosing students for study programs. Most students complete their advanced-level examination in their mother tongue, i.e., Sinhala or Tamil (Weerakkody \u0026amp; Dharmadasa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Only a small portion of students take the exam in English Language (Weerakkody \u0026amp; Dharmadasa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). The abrupt change in the medium of instruction is identified as a leading cause of the underperformance of students during university education (Pabodha \u0026amp; Abeywickrama, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This causes failures and sometimes an extension of time taken to complete the degrees (Aluwihare \u0026amp; De Silva, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Hill, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Weerakkody \u0026amp; Dharmadasa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Moreover, sedentary behaviour, poor soft skills, and narrower career prospects seem to be associated with poor language proficiency (Pabodha \u0026amp; Abeywickrama, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese issues have been pinpointed in a few studies conducted with undergraduates of professional degree programs in Sri Lanka. For example, Seefa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e analysed the main difficulties that students encounter in studying English but little attention was paid to identifying teaching methodologies (Weerasooriya, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) liked by the students. Focusing on the issues with Sri Lankan students admitted to bachelor's programs conducted in English medium, Vidanapathirana and LPS, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e observed that the enrolment is extremely selective and students in urban areas are joining the study programs. Further, the accomplishments of students were reliant on their English proficiency level (Vidanapathirana \u0026amp; LPS, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Rameez, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e suggested that changing student attitudes, motivation to practice, and enhancing self-confidence as solutions to reversing idle behavior in language learning. The question then is how to motivate students and how to get the students to English-speaking practice sessions. In the case of all Pharmacy and health sciences degree programs offered in Sri Lanka, English is offered as a credited or noncredit course unit. In addition, to uphold the English language proficiency of undergraduates\u0026rsquo; faculty administration has launched several activities. However, the poor attendance and passive behavior of students make those efforts futile.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThus, the identification of ways to enhance learner motivation has been considered an essential challenge in the present study. The types of activities that students take interest in have been researched and reported. A motivated student is believed to learn better with long-lasting enthusiasm. Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation help in designing proper strategies to keep students enrolled in engaging development activities (Menggo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Further, the use of attractive and dynamic approaches is indispensable, and students need to believe that they are a substantial element in the progression, where their judgment is considered. While the administration serves as a facilitator, students need to believe that they are in charge of the teaching and learning process. Hence, the compulsion to attract undergraduates to the learning and practicing process appears essential.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eAt the University of Ruhuna in Sri Lanka, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduates in Pharmacy, Nursing, and MLS programs. All the learners in the three Departments from the 1st year to the 4th year were considered for the investigation. The graduates and the students who have completed the final year of academic work were excluded. Among the 466 undergraduates (Pharmacy; 112, Nursing; 251, and MLS; 103) at the Faculty by November 2020, a convenient sample of 277 was included in this survey. The minimum sample size (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;211) was calculated using the formula 01.(Krejcie et al., 1996)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https://myfiles.space/user_files/122228_c8a1650c59388082/122228_custom_files/img1697111719.png\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003en\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;sample size, X\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Chi-square for the specified confidence level (95%) at 1 degree of freedom, N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Population size (466), P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Population proportion (taken as 0.5), ME\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Desired margin of error (5%)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData were gathered using a self-administered online survey questionnaire, which was formulated using simple English language as a Google form. The questionnaire was designed by the authors by reviewing published related literature (Aggouni, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Bensoussan, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Gardner, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e; Ihsan, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Krishnan et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) to study intrinsic and extrinsic factors of motivation in practicing English speaking skills and to identify the activities that students are willing to engage in to develop speaking. The questionnaire had three parts; Part I, demographic factors of the participants: Part II, a Likert scale (5-point) to check the undergraduate\u0026rsquo;s level of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation; Part III, the questions on preferred English-speaking activities. The questionnaire was pilot tested for reliability using 10% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;21) of students calculated based on the minimum sample size. Reliability for the questions related to motivation, demotivation, and preferred activities and Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s Alpha values appeared greater than 0.7 for all. Results obtained during pilot testing were excluded from the final analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe questionnaire was emailed to all the undergraduates of the three departments through the batch coordinators of each batch to ensure the coverage of all students (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;466). In the shared questionnaire information about the study was included at the beginning and there was an option to obtain consent for participation. The respondent\u0026rsquo;s personal information such as email or other personal recognition information was not recorded. Only the data requested via the questionnaire was collected. After one week of distributing the questionnaire, 277 responses were received. All 277 responses were considered for data analysis as the number of responses exceeded the minimum sample size requirement. The unanswered questions were considered to be missing values for the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and demotivators was examined using a paired sample t-test. Results were reported using descriptive statistics. The level of statistical significance was denoted by the \u003cem\u003ep-value\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;\u003cem\u003e0.05\u003c/em\u003e at 95% CI. Participants were allowed to add any extra information or comments at the end of the questionnaire. These comments were analyzed to identify three overarching broad themes and categorized into facilitators, barriers, and suggestions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ethics review committee of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences granted ethical approval for this study and administrative approval was obtained from the Heads of three Departments.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eAltogether there were 277 responses (78.8%, female \u0026amp; 21.2%, male). The number of responses from Pharmacy, Nursing, and MLS students was 33.2% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;92), 45.8% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;127), and 20.9% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;58) respectively. The highest (40.8%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;113) number of responses was received from the 1st year undergraduates, followed by 31% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;86) from the 2nd year, 20.6% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;57) from the 3rd year, and 7.6% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;21) from the 4th year students. Most of the students (94.2%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;261) had schooled in the Sinhala medium. Only 3.2% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9) of the students learned exclusively in the English medium and 2.5% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7) in the Tamil stream. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e and Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e below show the grades obtained for English in the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination and G.C.E. Ordinary Level examinations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eG.C.E. Advanced Level English results (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo. of students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.0%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eG.C.E. Ordinary Level English results (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo. of students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e141\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eW\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Among the study participants, 236 (87.7%) said that speaking was the hardest skill to improve. The difficulty of developing writing, listening, and reading skills were recorded as 46.5% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;125), 36.1% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;97), and 11.2% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;30) respectively. The majority (83%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;229) of students paid more attention to developing speaking skills followed by writing (55.1%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;152), listening (42%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;116), and reading (35.5%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;98) skills. Less than 4.8% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;13) marked their speaking ability as \u0026ldquo;very good\u0026rdquo;, 22.8% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;62) as \u0026ldquo;beginner\u0026rdquo; and the majority (72.4%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;197) as \u0026ldquo;intermediate\u0026rdquo;. The reasons mentioned by the respondents to improve their English-speaking ability are shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shows the sources of encouragement for students to pursue English-speaking skills. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e below shows the factors of motivation and demotivation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFactors that motivate/demotivate students speaking in English (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive Statistics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinimum\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaximum\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd. Deviation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is my goal to be a good English speaker\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.793\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am very interested in learning effective English communication\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e276*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.798\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvery time I get a chance, I speak in English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.972\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI prefer if the teacher motivates me to deliver speeches.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e275*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.987\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like a compulsory English-speaking course.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e276*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.151\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like to have a regulation to speak only in English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e274*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.037\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI like to have marks/certificates when I deliver speeches.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e275*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.031\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not speak, because I am worried about making mistakes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.316\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not speak, because I am nervous.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e274*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.295\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI am not fluent in English grammar.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e275*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.050\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not speak, because of teachers\u0026rsquo; negative comments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e274*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.200\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not speak, because of other students\u0026rsquo; negative comments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.224\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not speak, because of negative peer pressure.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e275*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.226\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI cannot find words to make sentences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e275*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.197\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not have a good accent/pronunciation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e272*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.072\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not have time to spend learning English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e276*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.099\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not have enough money.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e273*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.181\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI do not have an opportunity to talk in English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e275*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.046\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e* Non-responses were considered to be missing values for the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean intrinsic motivation and mean extrinsic motivation were 4.16 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.66), and 3.73 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.81) respectively. Intrinsic motivation factors had a significant effect (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001, 95% CI) on speaking skills compared to extrinsic motivation. Moreover, results signified a variation between the mean intrinsic demotivation and mean extrinsic demotivation. Mean intrinsic demotivation and mean extrinsic demotivation was 3.16 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.77) and 2.56 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.91) respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the participants, 39.4% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;108) were willing to attend English-speaking practices every week. This was followed by 26.6% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;73) of students who were willing to participate every other week, and 25.2% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;69) every month. Students\u0026rsquo; preference for activities to improve their English speaking ability and the topics they wish to follow during the discussions are shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e and Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e below shows the students' preferences, learning styles, and the support they would expect from the learning environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreferred learning styles and preferred activities (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"6\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive Statistics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinimum\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMaximum\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd. Deviation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI like to have a separate club for English-speaking practice\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.907\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like to participate in English-speaking practice sessions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.890\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like an opportunity to read English newspapers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.919\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like an opportunity to read English novels.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.972\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like it if the teacher pointed out my mistakes and help me develop them.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.825\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI like teachers\u0026rsquo; enthusiasm, helpfulness, and friendliness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e276*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.796\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would like a pleasant class environment where everyone can speak freely without fear.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e274*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.760\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e* Non-responses were considered to be missing values for the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeventy-nine participants provided comments at the end of the questionnaire. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e below lists the broader themes identified from the comments as facilitators, barriers, and suggestions to improve the English-speaking skills of Pharmacy and Health Sciences undergraduates.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComments by Respondents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo of respondents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFacilitators\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNeed to improve speaking skills\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNeed to talk with students in other countries to improve English-speaking skills\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBarriers\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpeaking in English is a main problem for undergraduates\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving English exams create extra stress for students\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLack of self-confidence, fear, and anxiety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcademic workloads leave no time to practice English\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSuggestions\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo not make compulsory English courses\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving a club that can speak freely in English\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving English programs without disturbing academic program\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrganizing English drama/practical sessions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCreate a culture where everyone speaks English\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving student presentations during lectures\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProvide interesting novels to the library\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving a compulsory English program\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving monthly speaking clubs\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConduct lectures, practical only in English\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving an external English diploma course on the weekend\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examined the factors of motivation, demotivation, and activities preferred by Pharmacy and other health sciences undergraduates in improving English speaking skills. According to the results, a significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001, 95% CI\u003cem\u003e)\u003c/em\u003e was observed between the internal and external motivation of learners to advance their English-speaking competence. Most of the students (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.66) were intrinsically motivated. Similarly, internal demotivation was higher than demotivation triggered by external factors. Further, results showed that students prefer free, relaxing learning experiences over compulsory, administrative, and examination-oriented English-speaking programs. Identifying the sources of inspiration and discouragement will help design and cater support programs for students in similar contexts where speaking in a second language is highly recognized in professional practice and career. It is essential that the learning and practicing sessions be integral to enhancing self-motivation and willingness to comprehend English speaking skills.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is well-recognized that speaking English as a second language raises one's social standing and esteem. The requirement to learn more languages to be prepared for life or employment in the twenty-first century (Sorayyaei Azar \u0026amp; Tanggaraju, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) has been reflected among the study population in this study. The majority rated their current English-speaking level as \u0026ldquo;\u003cem\u003eintermediate\u003c/em\u003e\u0026rdquo;. However, every student\u0026rsquo;s goal was to become a better English speaker. Students believed that English speaking was the most challenging yet exciting skill among reading, writing, and listening skills. Significant self-motivation was an attribution of the same, which was driven by preparing for future job opportunities, personal development, enhancing self-confidence, and obtaining higher academic scores. Another study conducted in Sri Lanka for science students learning in English showed that most students were interested in language proficiency as it directly contributes to lecture comprehension and classroom interaction (Navaz, 2013). In addition to self-drive, the requirements imposed by the degree conditions and parents' and teachers' encouragement persuaded the undergraduates to speak in English. However, the forms of external sources of motivation were more evident in school children studying English as a foreign language. Krishnan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e reported that the highest motivation factor for school children is parental encouragement, followed by the social motivation factor (Krishnan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpeaking in a second language triggers a feeling of unease (Pabodha \u0026amp; Abeywickrama, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). The process of learning is impeded by psychological elements including anxiety, fear, and negative attitudes (Seefa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Among the study population, self-driven demotivation was higher and mostly attributed to apprehension. Most students worry about making mistakes while speaking. Nervousness, limited vocabulary, and poor grammar made them fear speaking in a crowd. As per the research findings, language anxiety could go beyond undergraduate life. A study conducted among Sri Lankan students studying overseas reported that the majority of the students ponder that they are weak in oral skills (Fazeena et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, a negative attitude towards a target language could create a boundary between the learner and the language (Pabodha \u0026amp; Abeywickrama, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). In this study, negative attitudes such as a lack of interest to participate in practice sessions were found among the respondents. Though it is not the majority, the researchers argued that the adjustment of the attitude of the learner towards English should commence from an early stage of learning. Hence, measures to eradicate students\u0026rsquo; fear, anxiety, and negative attitudes toward English should be a prime priority in practice sessions (Seefa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal literature reported that some of the culturally embedded behaviors such as ragging (bullying), shyness, and fear to speak in public lead to students\u0026rsquo; passive behavior in the classrooms in general (Navaz, 2013). However, this study revealed that the study population had not been affected by negative peer pressure or teachers\u0026rsquo; negative comments. By the time this study commenced, ragging had been eliminated from the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. Further, respondents were neutral about taking on the English accent and time as limiting factors for improving English speaking skills. Hence social pressure, traditional ideologies, or lack of time were not barriers to mastering English speaking for Health Sciences undergraduates.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to published work in Sri Lanka, inadequate opportunities to use English and practice outside the class were recorded as barriers to developing English communication skills (Pabodha \u0026amp; Abeywickrama, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Seefa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Weerasooriya, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, the main external problems students faced included a lack of resources, insufficient facilities, unqualified teachers, improper teaching methods, a shortage of materials, and terrible economic situations (Seefa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Further, the dominant presence of the native language for a longer period than the target language was recognized as a barrier (Weerasooriya, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Nonetheless, the majority of research participants in the present study did not concur that there was a lack of opportunity, money, or resources to practice speaking English.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnother crucial factor that influences students\u0026rsquo; achievement and proficiency in speaking is their motivation to practice speaking (Ihsan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). One helpful finding of this study was that most of the students were motivated intrinsically, providing an opportunity to design English practice sessions matching their expectations. Owing to the strict academic curriculums of Health Sciences Degrees, students prefer opportunities to do oral presentations in English during routine academic activities. Further, the majority of the students prefer weekly speaker clubs with resource personnel focusing on professional and day-to-day needs. Topics like humorous or cheerful, stories or films, current events, and scientific friction could increase students' interest in attending the speaking sessions. Certificate-driven English-speaking programs, mock interviews, and games were preferred by many students. Choosing the appropriate approach and teaching style in teaching and learning in a relaxed and upbeat atmosphere in the classroom might help create interest (Mansor \u0026amp; Ishak Badarudin, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e; Sorayyaei Azar \u0026amp; Tanggaraju, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The results of the current investigation show that everyone liked it if the teacher points out their mistakes. The majority appreciated having the opportunity to read English newspapers and novels, friendly, helpful teachers, and a welcoming classroom atmosphere where everyone speak freely.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThough the English language has become the mainstream of instruction for teaching in almost all Health Sciences Faculties in Sri Lanka, this study was confined to the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Ruhuna. Hence the extension of similar research to other Health Sciences Faculties will improve the generalizability of findings. Future intervention research on English-speaking practice sessions will be invaluable to design study programs to inspire and draw learners to English-speaking practice sessions enthusiastically.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003e This study highlighted the motivators, demotivators, and activities preferred by Pharmacy and other health sciences undergraduates to improve their oral competence in English. The results signified the students' self-motivation as the primary source of inspiration, which will help design and cater support programs for students in similar contexts where speaking in a second language is highly recognized in professional practice and career. The outcomes of this study would benefit the faculty administration in developing the overall strategy to enhance the English oral competence of its undergraduates. It is essential that faculty revisit the compulsory and authoritative English-speaking program designs and align them taking the students' motivation and interests at the core of it.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cp\u003eMLS \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;Medical Laboratory Science\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFAHS \u0026nbsp;Faculty of Allied Health Sciences\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGCE \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;General Certificate of Education\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and Consent to participate:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna. Informed consent was taken from the participant before data collection and the administrative approval was taken from the Heads of three Departments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of Data and Materials:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAggouni, A. (2015). \u003cem\u003eThe Role of Motivation in Enhancing Learners\u0026rsquo; Speaking Performance in English Classrooms\u003c/em\u003e (Issue June). Biskra University.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlkhuzaee, F. S., Al-Mehmadi, A. A., Al-Sehly, A. A., Nahari, M. H., Al-Muwallad, M. A., \u0026amp; Ali, M. (2019). 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Enhancing the English oral competence of undergraduates. \u003cem\u003eThe 7th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS)\u003c/em\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;10. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3808971\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Demotivation, English Oral Competence, Health Sciences, Motivation, Second-Language Speaker, Speaking Skills","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3392604/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3392604/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eIntroduction\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFluency in speaking English as a second language is critical for non-natives in Allied Health Sciences. Unfortunately, the undergraduates who study for health sciences degrees in English medium of instruction still find it challenging. This has made the faculty administration deliver numerous programs to enhance oral skills, which often fail due to poor turnout. The lack of motivation and reluctance to practice are two reasons visible on the surface. Identifying ways to enhance learner motivation has been considered a key challenge in the present study. The types of activities students were interested in have been examined and reported.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional survey was conducted among the undergraduates in the Pharmacy, Nursing, and Medical Laboratory Science programs. Data were gathered using a self-prepared, validated, self-administered online survey questionnaire that was pilot tested for reliability using 10% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;21) of the minimum sample size. Cronbach's Alpha values appeared ˃ 0.7. The data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and demotivators was examined using a paired sample t-test.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere were 277 responses from Pharmacy (33.2%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;92), Nursing (45.8%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;127), and MLS (20.9%, n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;58). Intrinsic motivation factors had a significant effect (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001, 95% CI) on speaking skills compared to extrinsic motivation factors. Mean intrinsic motivation and mean extrinsic motivation were 4.16 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.66) and 3.73 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.81), respectively. The mean intrinsic demotivation, 3.16 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.77), and mean extrinsic demotivation, 2.56 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;277, SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.91) also showed a significant variation. Findings denoted that students prefer free, relaxing learning experiences over compulsory English-speaking programs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results signified that self-motivation was the primary source of inspiration. It is essential that faculty revisit the compulsory and authoritative program designs to realign them, considering the students' motivation and interests at the center of it.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"English Speaking as a Second Language for Health Sciences’ Undergraduates: Preferred Activities \u0026amp; Motivators","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2023-10-12 17:39:46","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3392604/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e6161028-d5a9-4b17-81d9-15dbe53dab27","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 12th, 2023","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2023-11-13T15:29:29+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2023-10-12 17:39:46","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3392604","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3392604","identity":"rs-3392604","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"iFTdqyg4nuje_uAy1AHro","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}