Challenges in developing productive skills in English: learners’ insights

Academic writing and speaking are important skills that English major students must acquire during their four years of study. However, they face significant challenges. The aim of this research is to identify the main challenges in productive skills faced by students majoring in English at the Technical University of Cotopaxi from the fifth to the eighth semester. This research used a quantitative approach and with a descriptive statistical methodology. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire that consisted of 4 sections: demographic data, students' perceptions of academic speaking and writing, challenges of academic writing, covering language, structure, and content. Lastly, academic speaking, covering speech clarity and voice quality, language correctness, and audience interaction. The population of this study were 46 students from fifth to eighth semester of the English major. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel statistic programs. The results of this research showed that in academic writing and speaking the challenges that students have are in terms of language, clarity of speech and voice quality. In addition, an interconnection was found between the content of academic writing, and speech clarity and voice quality, language correctness and interaction with the audience. In conclusion, this research identified challenges in academic writing (content, structure, and language use) and academic speaking (clarity of speech and voice quality, language correctness and audience interaction). These challenges highlight the crucial role of clear communication in students’ learning process