Common Mistakes in English Language Sophomores’ English Speaking in the In-service Program – Problems and Solutions

This study examines common mistakes in English Language sophomores’ English speaking in the in-service program at a university in the Mekong River Delta and solutions to them related to the imitation technique through English storytelling. The data were collected when the author was teaching these sophomores ‘Listening and Speaking B1’ and from their performance on recorded final English-Speaking tests. The results indicated that the common mistakes were associated with fluency, grammar, and pronunciation. Based on these findings, Emma Jakobi’s imitation technique through English storytelling was offered as a possible solution. This technique should be studied carefully by English Language sophomores in the in-service program and English-speaking teachers. Furthermore, the Student Association and the Rector Board at this university should support the imitation technique by organizing extra-curricular activities and English contests in which it is applied, so that English Language sophomores in the in-service program, in particular, and English majored students in general, can speak English more fluently, confidently, and naturally.