Investigating Students’ Problems in Learning Speaking English at Mts Al-Kautsar School Pekanbaru
Abstract
This study aims to identify the speaking barriers experienced by ninth-grade students at MTS Al-Kautsar School in Pekanbaru. A qualitative approach was employed, using observation and interviews to investigate the factors that hinder students' ability to speak English. The participants consisted of 20 ninth-grade students. The findings revealed nine major speaking barriers experienced by the students. The most prevalent barriers were the use of the native language and limited vocabulary, both reported by all participants. Other frequently identified barriers included difficulty expressing ideas spontaneously, shyness during debates and speeches, anxiety in formal speaking situations, and low participation in speaking activities. Additionally, fear of making mistakes, psychological barriers, and lack of self-confidence were reported by nearly half of the students. In contrast, lack of motivation to speak was found to be the least common barrier. Overall, the findings suggest that both affective factors, such as anxiety and self-confidence, and linguistic factors, such as vocabulary limitations, play a significant role in hindering students’ English-speaking performance.
References
Aftat, M. (2008). Motivation and genuine learning. English Teaching Forum, 46(1), 2-11.
Aini, D. N. (2020). Implementasi pembelajaran bahasa Inggris secara Islami berbasis pendekatan komunikatif. Cendekia: Jurnal Studi Keislaman, 6(2), 234–244. Retrieved from https://www.ejurnal.staiha.ac.id/index.php/cendekia/article/view/99
Akbari, R. (2015). Reflections on EFL teacher education: Historical perspectives and future directions. In D. Borg (Ed.), Researching English language teacher education (pp. 1–20). Routledge.
Ambalegin, A., & Arianto, T. (2019). An analysis of the pronunciation errors made by Indonesian EFL junior high school students. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 2(3), 158-169. https://doi.org/10.12928/eltej.v2i3.1144
Arifudin, O. (2025). Application of STEAM learning methods to increase student creativity and innovation. International Journal of Teaching and Learning (INJOTEL), 3(1), 97–108.
Arikunto, S. (2010). Prosedur penelitian: Suatu pendekatan praktik (Edisi Revisi). Rineka Cipta.
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Sorensen, C., & Razavieh, A. (2010). Introduction to research in education (8th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Baldwin, C. (2010). Overcoming shyness in speaking. Cambridge University Press.
Biyaem, S. (1997). Learner training: Changing roles for a changing world, educational innovation for sustainable development. Chulalongkorn University.
Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.). Longman.
Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.
Byrne, D. (1986). Teaching oral English (2nd ed.). Longman.
Cameron, L. (2012). Teaching languages to young learners. Cambridge University Press.
Dalimunte, L. H. (2024). Peningkatkan kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris dengan model talking stick pada siswa kelas VII 1 SMPN 1 Bilah Hulu. Journal Education and Government Wiyata, 2(1), 93-104.
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Franscy, & Ramli, S. (2022). Problems encountered by Indonesian EFL learners in mastering speaking skills. Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, 14(1), 1–15.
Gebhard, J. G. (2006). Teaching English as a foreign or second language: A self-development and methodology guide (2nd ed.). University of Michigan Press.
Gilakjani, A. P. (2016). English pronunciation instruction: A literature review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.ijree.1.1.1
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (4th ed.). Pearson Longman.
Harris, D. P. (1969). Testing English as a second language. McGraw-Hill.
Heriansyah, H. (2012). Speaking problems faced by the English Department students of Syiah Kuala University. Lingua Didaktika: Jurnal Bahasa dan Pembelajaran Bahasa, 6(1), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.24036/ld.v6i1.4
Hinkel, E. (2006). Current perspectives on teaching the four skills. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 109–131.
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132.
Juhana. (2012). Psychological factors that hinder students from speaking in English class. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(12), 100-110.
Kamaliasari, S., & Amrizal, A. (2021). Aktifitas pembelajaran bahasa Inggris di Pondok Pesantren Nurul Hidayah Bantan dalam meningkatkan speaking performance santri. Akademika, 17(1), 14–30. Retrieved from https://www.neliti.com/publications/361469/
Kemendikbud. (2019). Pidato Mendikbud pada upacara bendera pada Hari Guru Nasional Tahun 2019. Retrieved from https://www.kemdikbud.go.id/main/blog/2019/11/pidato-mendikbud-pada-upacara-bendera-peringatan-hari-guru-nasional-tahun-2019
Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi. (2022). Keputusan Kepala Badan Standar, Kurikulum, dan Asesmen Pendidikan Kemendikbudristek Nomor 008/H/KR/2022 tentang Capaian Pembelajaran pada Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, Jenjang Pendidikan Dasar, dan Jenjang Pendidikan Menengah pada Kurikulum Merdeka. Kemendikbudristek.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International Publisher.
Langley, P., & Simon, H. A. (1981). The central role of learning in cognition. In J. R. Anderson (Ed.), Cognitive skills and their acquisition (pp. 361-380). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Leech, G. N. (1974). Semantics: The study of meaning (2nd ed.). Penguin Books.
Leong, L. M., & Ahmadi, S. M. (2017). An analysis of factors influencing learners' English speaking skill. International Journal of Research in English Education, 2(1), 34-41. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.ijree.2.1.34
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Mukminatien, N. (1999). The differences of students' speaking competence taught through whole language approach and conventional approach. TEFLIN Journal, 10(1), 87-95.
Nation, I. S. P., & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL listening and speaking. Routledge.
Nunan, D. (2013). Learner-centered English language education: The selected works of David Nunan. Routledge.
Nurasiah. (2017). English language teaching in Indonesia: Current situation and challenges. Journal of English Education, 2(1), 1–10.
Pahleviannur, M. R., De Grave, A., Saputra, D. N., Mardianto, D., Hafrida, L., Bano, V. O., & Sinthania, D. (2022). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif. Pradina Pustaka.
Purba, H. (2023). Komunikasi interpersonal guru bahasa Inggris dalam meningkatkan keterampilan berbicara bahasa Inggris pada siswa di SMP Negeri 3 Lintong Nihuta. EDU RESEARCH, 4(4), 155-164.
Puspasari, N. M. S. D. (2024). Investigating students' problems in learning speaking English at SMP Negeri 13 Palu [Undergraduate thesis, Tadulako University].
Ratminingsih, N. M., Budasi, I. G., & Widiartini, N. K. (2018). Local culture-based storybook: Its effect on English reading competency. Journal of Education and Learning, 12(3), 470–476.
Riyati, Y. (2020). The importance of learning in developing everyone's life. Journal of Education Research, 1(2), 45–52.
Rohimajaya, N. A., Hartono, R., Yuliasri, I., & Fitriati, S. W. (2022). Kurikulum 2013 dan Kurikulum Merdeka dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris untuk SMA di era digital. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Pascasarjana UNNES 2022, 825-829.
Rofii, A. (2023). Kesulitan berbicara siswa sekolah dasar dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris. Jurnal Elementaria Edukasia, 6(4), 1895-1904.
Rusdin, M., & Purwati, O. (2023). Speaking up: A comprehensive investigation of EFL secondary students' speaking skill problems in Indonesia's Islamic school context. Elsya: Journal of English Language Studies, 5(2), 236-249.
Sari, M. (2021). An analysis of students' speaking skill at the sixth grade of elementary school of An Namiroh Pekanbaru (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Islam Riau).
Sartika. (2014). Pengembangan model pembinaan kompetensi pedagogik guru bahasa Inggris sekolah menengah atas berbasis lesson study dengan peran ahli dan siswa 'LS PAS'. Educational Management, 3(2), 88–98.
Sayuri. (2016). Problems in speaking faced by EFL students of Mulawarman University. Indonesian Journal of EFL and Linguistics, 1(2), 157–172.
Setiawan, R., Syahria, N., Andanty, F. D., & Nabhan, S. (2022). Pengembangan modul ajar Kurikulum Merdeka mata pelajaran bahasa Inggris SMK Kota Surabaya. Jurnal Gramaswara, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.gramaswara.2022.002.02.05
Suastra, I. M., Budiarsa, M., & Padmadewi, N. N. (n.d.). Speaking for academic purposes course: An analysis of language functions. Unpublished manuscript.
Sulistyaningrum, S. D., Dewanti, R., Iskandar, I., Sumarni, S., Mardiana, R., Herawati, A., & Putri, R. S. (2023, October). Digitalisasi rancangan pembelajaran berbicara bahasa Inggris terinfusi keterampilan berpikir kritis berbasis microlearning ke dalam virtual reality bagi guru SMP Kabupaten Agam. Prosiding Seminar Nasional Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat, 4, SNPPM2023SH-1.
Sugiyono. (2012). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Alfabeta.
Sugiyono. (2018). Metode penelitian kualitatif (3rd ed.). Alfabeta.
Taveepadung, W., & Sarobol, N. (2018). Factors affecting problems in learning English language among secondary school students in a public school Bangkok (No. 166756). Thammasat University.
Tsui, A. B. M. (1996). Reticence and anxiety in second language learning. In K. M. Bailey & D. Nunan (Eds.), Voices from the language classroom (pp. 145-167). Cambridge University Press.
Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge University Press.
Ur, P. (2012). A course in English language teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Wiriyachitra, A. (2002). English language teaching and learning in Thailand in this decade. Thai TESOL Focus, 15(1), 4-9.
Zua, L. (2008). Exploring the affective factors influencing teaching of spoken English. Online Submission, 1-8.
Copyright (c) 2026 Febri Abshor, Andi Idayani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with JPI: Jurnal Pustaka Indonesia journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the JPI: Jurnal Pustaka Indonesia journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
1.png)
_(3).png){kind=small}
