CHALLENGES IN LEARNING SPEAKING ENGLISH AT SMP PLUS SALSABILA SAMARINDA

Abstract

Riyanti, Revi Auliya. 2024. Challenges in Learning Speaking English at SMP Plus Salsabila Samarinda – Undergraduate Thesis. Supervisor: (1) Dr. Umar Fauzan, M.Pd. (2) Anis Komariah, M.Pd.

English language skills are very important to have in the current era as an international language. If you cannot master English, it is feared that it will cause things that are troublesome for yourself in the future. In addition, an important component in learning English is being able to master accuracy in speaking and fluency; this has a very important role in speaking English. The problem is not everyone is good at speaking English. Therefore, this becomes one of the backgrounds for the emergence of the problem formulation, namely what are the challenges in learning to speak English. The purpose of this research is to find out what are the challenges in learning English speaking skills at SMP Plus Salsabila Samarinda.

This research uses a descriptive qualitative research design, with data collection methods through purposive sampling techniques. Because researchers have certain criteria in determining research subjects, the subjects of this study were 3 students of SMP Plus Salsabila Samarinda in the 2023/2024 school year who had the highest, medium, and lowest English scores. Data were collected in this study with qualitative research through observation, interviews, and documentation to describe the progress of the action. Then data was collected from in-depth interviews with 3 students at SMP Plus Salsabila Samarinda.

The results of this study indicate that the challenges in learning to speak English felt by students at SMP Plus Salsabila Samarinda can be concluded that there are five things that become challenges in learning to speak English, namely the ability to believe in high motivation, accuracy in speaking, fluency, and the last is the environmental and cultural aspects. However, most students admitted that they felt the biggest challenge was in the aspects of accuracy in speaking and fluency, because this was felt by students with the highest, medium, and lowest scores, and for aspects of confidence, motivation, and the environment to be the umpteenth aspect compared to these two aspects.