An empirical study on factors contributing to limited oral English proficiency among English majors in an under-resourced context

Despite a burgeoning body of research on oral English proficiency among English majors, this issue is largely unexplored in under-resourced contexts. Therefore, this study examined the factors influencing the proficiency of English majors. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, 120 English majors completed a survey, and qualitative data were also collected from students (N = 8) and teachers (N = 6) through group discussions and interviews. Descriptive analysis revealed that students perceive a compensatory linguistic gap, avoidance-driven L1 use, and speaking anxiety as the most salient barriers. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a significant negative relationship between oral proficiency and avoidance-driven L1 use, but speaking anxiety indicated only a marginal negative correlation. At the same time, other factors showed no significant direct correlations. However, a multiple regression analysis controlling for all variables simultaneously identified two significant predictors: avoidance-driven L1 use negatively predicted proficiency, and the compensatory linguistic gap emerged as a positive predictor—a relationship not apparent in the bivariate analysis. Moreover, the qualitative data analysis revealed the following factors that impeded the development of oral proficiency: Speaking anxiety, instructors’ behavior, limited linguistic competence, use of L1, and speaking-curriculum-related issues. A series of instructional strategies is recommended to mitigate the factors. The study provides implications for teachers and students regarding the development of oral proficiency and its contributing factors.