Teachers’ and Learners’ Atitdues towards the Place of the Speaking Skill in the EFL Curriculum

The teaching of the speaking skill is given very little weight in the EFL curriculum at many educational institutions due to decision makers' conviction that listening and speaking are not as important as the "academic" skills of reading, writing, and grammar. The present study investigates the attitudes of students and English teachers toward the importance of teaching the speaking skill within the EFL curriculum. Forty-two students and ten English teachers participated in the study, which was designed on a survey basis using an open-ended questionnaire. Analysis of the data revealed participants' appreciation of the role that this skill plays in communication and their enthusiasm for a more prominent place for speaking in the program. Results also showed differences between the two groups of participants regarding how speaking should be taught, what needs to be emphasized, and the factors that lead to a successful speaking session.