Exploring Issues in Developing EFL Learners’ Oral English Communicative Competence: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Oral Communicative Competence, English as a Foreign Language, Teaching Methods, Assessment Methods, Systematic ReviewsAbstract
This systematic review aims to critically examine current research to explore issues affecting English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' oral communicative competence (OCC), focusing on factors contributing to their difficulties and the teaching and assessment methods utilized to enhance OCC. To achieve this, 54 of the 431 studies retrieved from SpringerLink, SCOPUS, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, published between 2010 and 2024 in various EFL contexts, were thoroughly analyzed. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies conducted in native English-speaking contexts and non-empirical studies were excluded. The findings reveal that teaching resources and methodologies are the predominant challenges impacting learners’ OCC in EFL settings. Notably, the adoption of technology in teaching and assessing OCC is on the rise across diverse EFL contexts. This review highlights several critical implications for future researchers and academics: it underscores the need to address environmental, psychological, and linguistic obstacles, along with enhancing teaching and learning resources, to improve the development of oral English communicative competence in EFL learners. By doing so, it contributes valuable insights to the field and encourages the adoption of integrated and technology-based approaches to language education.