Difficulties in English Speaking Encountered by Students at Universities

Abstract

This research aimed to find out difficulties in speaking English encountered by Indonesian language education students, the strategies used by them to overcome their speaking English difficulties and their perception in learning English process. This research design used mixed method. The data collection technique used were questionnaire and interview. The researcher applied cluster random sampling to gain the data. There were 39 students participated as the respondent and this research conducted in Faculty of Languages and Literature Universitas Negeri Makassar. The result of this research showed that there are various difficulties encountered by Indonesian language education students refer to internal and external factors include, psychology (the students have anxiety to speaking English in public afraid of making mistake, linguistics aspect (lack of vocabulary), contextual factors (using of mother tongue and learning environment). In addition, there were found strategies used by Indonesian language education students to overcome their difficulties. The result showed students used a way to describe something, students had practice speaking English to make their speaking well, students used some gestures to express something. In additions, the students also explained another strategy which they like to do, such as memorizing vocabulary, watching English video and movie and listening English music. Also, the student’s perception in learning process in the classroom the lecturer is used the right strategy in learning process in the classroom, the respondents understand well the material delivered by the lecturer, but sometimes in explaining the material the lecturer use English language.