AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILL AMONG EFL LEARNERS AT SMAN 12 BANDA ACEH

This research aimed investigate the challenges faced by students in improving their speaking skills at SMAN 12 Banda Aceh. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach using interviews and questionnaires as research instruments. Four students were interviewed, while thirty students participated in the questionnaire.The interview results showed that all respondents agreed that vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar are significant linguistic difficulties in speaking English. Meanwhile, the questionnaire results showed that psychological factors were the most dominant challenge, with nervousness when speaking in front of the class and fear of making mistakes getting the highest percentage (17.4%). These psychological factors also triggered other problems, such as lack of self-confidence, anxiety to speak spontaneously, and shyness, which directly affected students' willingness to speak. In conclusion, the findings show that the main difficulties in speaking English among students are primarily rooted in linguistic and psychological aspects. Linguistically, limited vocabulary, incorrect pronunciation, and grammatical difficulties hinder students’ speaking ability. Psychologically, anxiety, lack of confidence, and shyness were found to be the most dominant barriers. Social aspects, such as peer support, showed mixed effects on students’ speaking performance. These findings suggest the need for targeted strategies to address both linguistic and psychological barriers to enhance students’ speaking skills.