STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN SPEAKING CLASS

Abstract

The objective of this research is to identify the primary factors contributing to students' difficulties and to understand how these factors manifest in both classroom participation and social contexts. The study employed a descriptive qualitative methodology, focusing on fourth-semester students of the English Education Program at Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng. The participants have completed the "Speaking for Argumentation and Debate" course. Data were collected through unstructured, open-ended interviews. The interview was conducted in Bahasa Indonesia to ensure participants could fully reflect on their lived experiences and emotional states during the course. The findings revealed that speaking difficulties are deeply rooted in psychological manifestations of anxiety rather than mere linguistic incompetence. This research provides significant theoretical contributions to the field of EFL anxiety and offers practical insights for educators to design more supportive, empathy-based teaching strategies.