Meanwhile, 11 other respondents wrote that they were unable to keep up with certain parts of a conversation or
discussion in the classroom because they were either not familiar with the topic or the speakers spoke too fast. It
resulted in them asking the speakers for clarification or temporarily putting aside the ambiguous topic and
seeking clarification at a later period.
In addition, nine respondents related their experience about being unsure of meanings of certain words during a
conversation which made them reluctant to respond or reply to the speakers. They feared the speakers would
view them negatively as being incompetent in the language. 10 of the respondents who were satisfactory and
proficient users (Band 4 and 5) had almost no problem in listening.