Why Can’t Most Indian College Students Speak English Effectively? A Brief Diagnosis of Indian College Students’ Spoken-English Skills

Abstract

This paper investigates the reasons behind the poor spoken-English proficiency of Indian college students despite the language’s central role as a global link language and a gateway to academic and professional mobility. Grounded in applied linguistics and English language teaching research, the study reports findings from an empirical investigation conducted among final-year undergraduate students studying Commerce at different constituent colleges of the University of Delhi. Using a mixed-methods research design, the author collected spoken English samples through structured telephonic interviews and analysed them quantitatively and qualitatively.

In the quantitative phase, recorded speech samples were evaluated by two experienced English language experts using a five-point scale adapted from the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). The results revealed that nearly half of the participants demonstrated average or below-average oral proficiency, marked by lack of fluency, grammatical inaccuracies, pronunciation errors, and limited vocabulary. The qualitative analysis further categorised learners into high-, middle-, and low-level speakers and identified distinct linguistic features characterising each group. While high-level speakers displayed coherence, lexical range, and appropriate stress and intonation, average- and low-level speakers exhibited frequent pauses, code-mixing, faulty grammar, L1 interference, and breakdowns in communication.

The paper situates these findings within the Indian socio-educational context, highlighting challenges such as heterogeneous learner backgrounds, exam-oriented pedagogy, limited classroom interaction, and insufficient exposure to authentic spoken English. Based on the analysis, the study offers pedagogical recommendations including learner-centred teaching methods, use of role-plays and simulations, cooperative learning, integration of digital communication tools, and creation of stress-free environments to encourage oral expression. The paper concludes that systematic instructional reform is essential for developing effective L2 speaking competence among Indian undergraduates.