Speaking activities that students undertake in groups or pairs are common in classrooms where students are learning English as a foreign language.This study examines the thoughts of Japanese university students on obstacles that hinder them from participating more fully in such activities.Common obstacles were presented to students in a list, which students rated in terms of frequency and amount of negative impact.Interviews were then conducted with students to discuss obstacles that were found to be the most important, and potential solutions for them.While there was some agreement among the students, there were also differing opinions, in particular about the teacher's role in fostering a positive environment.The implications of the results for further research are discussed.KeywordsEFL, group work, pair work, obstacles, student perspectives I don't have a big enough vocabulary to say what I want to say in English.
Steven T. URICK (Fri,) studied this question.