English as a Foreign Language in Tanzanian Secondary Schools: Teacher’s Voices on Classroom Oral Language Assessment

Oral language skills in a second or foreign language are essential areas that students need to master to participate effectively in the teaching and learning processes. This study highlights the challenges that teachers of English as a foreign language face in assessing the oral language skills of students in secondary schools in Tanzania. The study adopted a phenomenological research design, using interviews as the primary method of data generation. Prior to conducting the interviews, eight classroom observations were carried out involving the same teachers who were later interviewed. The generated data were analysed using thematic analysis, following the approach outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). Findings revealed that many factors hindered classroom oral language assessment, with the major issues being teachers’ lack of in-service training on foreign language pedagogy and the absence of oral language assessment in the final examination, which certifies students and serves as a selection criterion for further education. It is recommended that oral language skills be strengthened to support students in their learning and job competencies.