Learning a foreign language develops the memory of the children, as well as enriching their imagination [1, 2]. Teaching a foreign language involves practicing four language skills and training learners accordingly. Communicative competence is generally emphasized in foreign language instruction. This term contains proficiency of four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) [3], besides their involvement in the process of language teaching [4, 5]. The merit of learning a foreign language has been stressed for a long while and a large spectrum of related programs and researches have been represented [6]. Accordingly, compulsory education was enhanced to twelve years in Turkey in 2012 [7], in which education involved three steps. The initial step involves primary school education for four years [8]. The next step refers to secondary school education lasting for four years as well. Further, the last step involves high school level for four years [9]. Improvements and transformations in EFL curriculum are composed of improving the main language skills and the fundamentals of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages which refers to learning, teaching, and assessing a foreign language [10]. The Ministry of Turkish National Education declared that PISA scores suggest that Turkish students are not equipped with the required knowledge and skills for international standards [11]. The situation seems to be the same [12, 13].
Turkish people frequently state that they can comprehend English but they cannot speak it [14-16]. Thus, inability to speak English has turned to be a syndrome in Turkish society [17-19]. Since it has been found out that education is a must for the long-term economic development and for diminishing both economic and social disadvantages, inequality in education and its consequences have appeared to be some of the main issues in several countries [20-23]. Accordingly, Turkey may be given as a good example to evaluate the relations between regional inequalities, class, and education in which education is firmly a classassociated matter [24]. The view that though the learners can attain high levels of competency in reading, writing, and listening, they are not able to speak English is so common in Turkey [25]. This is a tragic concept since the students own obligatory and optional English lessons during their obligatory school education [26]. This problem has been previously attributed to learner autonomy, learning anxiety, flaws in teacher training and empowerment, as well as inadequacy of the required technology and materials in foreign language classes [27]. Considering all these aspects, this study inquires the issue of EFL proficiency within Turkish context.
