AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES ON SPEAKING SKILL AT THE EIGHTH GRADE OF MTs ASY-SYIFA BALIKPAPAN IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2022/2023

Abstract

Wafiah Izzati Millah, 2023. “An Analysis of English Learning Difficulties on Speaking Skill at the Eighth Grade of MTs Asy-Syifa Balikpapan”. Thesis, English Education Study Program, Teacher Tarbiyah and Training Faculty, State Islamic University Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris Samarinda. This research is under the guidance of Mrs. Rostanti Toba, M.Pd., as the first advisor and Mrs. Widya Noviana Noor, M.Pd., as the second advisor.

Speaking is one of many tools that all people use to communicate from one person to another. This is one of the important skills that must be mastered by students. Speaking skill is one of the English skills that requires interaction with other people so that English skills and influential speakers increase. Speaking is the process between speaker and listener and it is a productive skill; when speaking, they send information or ideas to another person. Speaking is one of the difficult skills for foreign English learners, including students in MTs Asy-Syifa Balikpapan who face difficulties in English. This research aimed to analyze the English learning difficulties on speaking skill at the eighth grade of MTs Asy-Syifa Balikpapan.

The research design of this study is qualitative research. The subject of this research is students of the eighth grade at MTs Asy-Syifa Balikpapan. The data were collected using three instruments, namely observation, interview, and documentation. This research consists of three data components: data reduction, data display, and conclusion. The technique of data validity uses triangulation method.

The researcher found that there are some difficulties in speaking skill at the eighth grade of MTs Asy-Syifa Balikpapan. They are linguistic problems and psychological problems. From the linguistic problems, they are lack of pronunciation and lack of vocabulary, and from psychological problems, they are lack of confidence, anxiety, and shyness. There are some possible solutions to reduce students’ linguistic and psychological problems that negatively affect students’ speaking skill. The possible solutions are good conditions in the classroom, combining lessons with games, teachers doing brainstorming, role play, and also giving motivation to the students.