Vol. 4, No.

1; April 2020
E-ISSN 2579-7484
Pages 94-103

English Foreign Language Students’ Strategies in Overcoming Speaking

Problems

Ari Prasetyaningrum1, Zahratul Fikni2, Laila Wati3

Universitas Hamzanwadi 1,2,3, Indonesia

Correspondence: Ari Prasetyaningrum, Universitas Hamzanwadi. Indonesia. e-mail: [email protected]

Submitted: February 02, 2020 Revised: April 06, 2020 Accepted: April 24, 2020
DOI: 10.29408/veles.v4i1.1914 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.29408/veles.v4i1.1914

Abstract
This study aimed at knowing types students’ dominant barriers in speaking and
their strategies in overcoming their problems. The researcher used descriptive qualitative
research. The participants of this study were 12 students of the second semester in physics
education study program at Hamzanwadi University taken by opportunistic sampling technique.
Observation, interview and questionnaire were used for collecting data. The data analysis was
conducted by qualitative methodology. The result finding showed that students’ got problems in
speaking, the students’ dominant problems those were anxiety of speaking, unavailability
environment and lack of vocabularies. In solving the students’ problem in speaking, the students’
used some strategies those were role-play, telling-story and games.
Keywords: Speaking strategy, students’ problem

1. Introduction
Listening , reading, writing and speaking are four skills found in teaching and learning
English. Those skills are interconnected each other and cannot stand independently. Speaking is
one way to communicate and idea through a message or orally. Tarigan (1981) states “speaking
is a skill to convey an articulation of speech and to express an utterance in order to produce
thoughts and intentions”. As one of language skills, speaking is an oral communication between
the locutor and interlocutor in order to convey the intention of the speakers. The goals of
speaking are to tell the speakers’ ideas or purpose all along a dialogue or discussion, when
people initites their talk then the interlocutor understand the speaker are telling or share their
ideas to the people whom he/she intends to. Nunan (1991) states that “speaking is the same as
oral interactions which is a convention way of to deliver information; expressing idea and wish
we bear in our mind”. Generally, speaking is spoken communication where both the locutor and
interlocuter need to consider meaning of ideas during a conversation, the ideas are used to

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confirm that someone has understood something or they are doing something. It means that, the
interaction between speaker and listener happens when they are communicating. In this case, the
locator or the speaker has to understand the correlation between the thoughts expressed orally. In
real condition, students’ at the second semester of Physics education study program of
Hamzanwadi University found it difficult to speak English well. Having done the pre-
observation, there were some problems that students’ face such as lack of vocabulary, less of
motivation, and lack of ideas. The results of this study are useful as an additional contribution on
how lecturers understand types of students’strategies and how they overcome the encountered
problems in English foreign language classroom especially fon non English education study
program students in which they do not learn English every day, yet they are demanded to
understand technical terms in English dealing with physics field either from oral or written
sources.
The difficulties encountered by the students are as follows. 1. Anxiety which related to
someone’s psychology. Anxiety is a feeling of sweating, chest pain, palpitations and worry that
strike suddenly which caused students’ fearful of criticism and simply shy to speak English.
Essau (2003) states “anxiety is one of the prevalent mental healths concern for children and
adolescents”. 2). Inadequate vocabulary knowledge. Lack of vocabulary is the biggest obstacles
in speaking. According to Huyen (2003) “the reasons causing low proficiency of vocabulary is
students assume that the teachers just explain how to define certain words, pronounce, spell and
recognize part of speech of each word”. In this case, the students felt that those things
mentioned have nothing to do to learn vocabulary. 3). Low proficiency of grammar pattern.
Grammar is the set of structural rule of words that are put together to form proper sentences.
Dykes (2007) defines that “grammar is a rule to talk about language correctly. Some EFL
students would think about the particular grammar item being involved before producing
utterance”. 4) Poor pronunciation. The real difficulty faced by students in mastering English is
pronouncing English words. Liu (2007) states “in several contexts, especially for non native
English learners, they do not have self-esteem to make a conversation because they are not able
to pronounce a certain words“. Some students have trouble in pronouncing some particular
vowels, consonants and intonations. 5) Lack of motivation. Many students who cannot speak
English and do not want to speak become the contribution of problem in speaking. Furthermore,
they have low motivation in speaking English and they are not aware of being able to speak
English. Littlewood (1987) states “the necessities may be pretty short or long term in learning. It
may be because of factors dealt directly to the context of teaching and leaning process, such as
short term behavioral targets”. 6) Poor listening facilities. Listening is a receptive skill language
skill. Without listening, students cannot produce language. Thus, listening plays an important
role in enrichment of language, so people’s outputs are varieties. In contrast, some students have
poor of listening facilities as their obstacle in producing speaking. Vandergrift (1999) states “
listening skill is the first skill acquired in English acquisition, yet it is not easy to master by a lot
of non native English learners, listening is the skill they feel desperate”. 7) Unavailability of the
environment to speak English Gan (2012) reveals that “when students finish their classes and

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their first language is dominantly used in environment”. Students’ are unable to speak and
improve their speaking skill, because their environment is first language and make the students’
get the difficulties in speaking. 8) Inappropriate strategy .Teaching strategy acts as an main role
during an instruction process. Al Hosni (2014) claims that “lack of teaching speaking strategy
gives negative impact in students speaking performance”. In line with Gan (2012) stated that
style of teaching speaking such as little interaction in small group can be a difficulty in speaking
in EFL students. 9). Inappropriate curriculum. Curriculum is an important role in classroom
circumstances because the entire classroom activities are run by curriculum. A study by Al Hosni
(2014) reveals that “curriculum implementation was not appropriate to teach English speaking
skill”. Brown (2004) states” speaking refers to a skill and thus has to be designed and learnt
separatedly from the curriculum of grammar. It indicated that all of the problems above are the
main speaking problems encountered by EFL students either from the students itself or from the
environment. Thus, one of ways to solve those problems is the students’ must be able to solve it
by certain strategies in overcoming their speaking problems in the classroom.
Strategy meant a series of procedure to obtain a certain goal. During instructional process,
strategy contains certain steps which have to be followed by an instructor with the purpose that
he/she could manage the classroom intruction process smoothly. It is well-known that teacher
has the first place to plan strategy and then followed by the students in classroom instrucion.
Hamruni (2009) states that ‘strategy is a plan, method, or series of procedures intended to obtain
a certain pedagogical aims’. Then Silver, et al, (2007, p. 1) state “the aim of teaching is to
encourage a conversation that unifies the unfamiliar people into similar subject matter”.
Strategies were the different kinds or types of procedures that teachers apply to reach certain
objectives. Appropriate strategy has been chosen and applied by a lot of teachers and lecturers
as well. Having done observation in the classroom, the present researcher was interested in
investigating about “English Foreign Language Students’ Strategies in Overcoming Speaking
Problems. The present author intended to find out speaking problems and how to overcome the
problems by the non english education department students, specifically physics education
study program students in which during their daily course,they did not learn English skill and
other elements of language, yet the author had a commitment to teach them speak English well
where a lot of studies have been conducted to know high school students or students’ in English
department problem and strategies in learning speaking.
2. Method
The present researcher conducted a case study as the research method.
Yin (1984) defines “case study is a hypothetical analysis that examines latest issues within its
real environment; when the limits between phenomenon and context are not clearly proved; and
in which various sources of proofs are used”. In addition, case study is the one of methodology
in qualitative research that observes directly the real life phenomenon through detail contextual
by knowing the dominant problems of the students’ speaking and their strategies in overcoming
the problems.

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2.1 Participants
In this study, the author present focused on types of students’ speaking problems and their
strategies to solve the obstacles of speaking faced by the second semester students in academic
year 2019-2010 and the participants of this research consisted of 12 students’ of the physics
study program at Hamzanwadi university. They were taken through opportunistic sampling
technique (Gokhale, Nair, & Chaudhuri, 2016; Hamada & Ryan, 2016; Sugiyono, 2008; Wilson,
2016)
2.2 Data Collection
In this research, the author presented to collect data by doing the following techniques.
Those were observation, interview and questionnaire.
a. Observation
Observation was a way to collect data which involves selection, observation and recording
action and characteristics of human, object or events. The present researcher conducted the
research at the second semester of physics education study program at Hamzanwadi University
in the academic year 2019-2020. The author observed the situation of the class and checked the
lesson plan. Then, the researcher focused on the students’ motivation during instructional
process. In the classroom, the students’ were not able to speak well in English due tolackof
vocabulary and poor pronunciation. When the teacher asked them to speak in English they took
long time to think what they want to say. Finally, the researcher focused on how students’
strategies to overcome their speaking problems.
b. Interview.
An interview was a conversation to collect information and opinion. As Ary (2010) states
“interviews are conducted to collect data about participants’ idea, decribtion and opinion about
the situation in their own describtion”. In this study, an interview involves an interviewer, who
coordinates the process of the conversation and asks interview. In this interview the researcher
used face to face with the participants related to students strategies to overcome speaking
problems. In-depth interviews are basically used to get more data and to re-check the trust in
previous information in the questionnaire; so the protocol was almost similar to the
questionnaire.
c. Questionnaire.
Questionnaire was the list of questions or statements that are given to the participants.
Brown (2001) states “questionnaires refers to all written instruments that provides respondents
with the several questions or statements to which they will respond either by joting down the
answers or selecting the existing choices”. In this research, the researcher used 1-5 items with
Likert’s scale that related to students strategies in overcoming speaking problems. First, the
researchers constructed a questionnaire related to (1) participants’ motivation in learning
English, (2) their opinion on the learning environment, (3) strategies of learning they preferred,
(4) their statement on English course in delivering the materials, and (5) their problems in
learning English. The questionnaire consist of 10 items and has five scale (strongly agree, agree,
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moderate, disagree, strongly disagree).Then the researchers developed interview protocol as

interview guide.
2.3 Data Analysis
The data in qualitative research was analyzed by using observation, interview and
questionnaire. The data analysis was done based on some steps. First, all questions item were
collected to be processed by the present researcher. Second, the data were tabulated using
percentage. The data were classified into two that correlated to the students’ problems and
students’ strategies. And then, the researcher classified the students’ dominant problems of
speaking and their strategies to solve their problems.
3. Results
The result study was divided into three types of data collection those were observation,
interview, and questionnaire.
1. Observation Result
The author tried to know the students’ problems in speaking for three months and observed
the classroom for three times. During this step, the researcher observed the students’ condition
during teaching and learning process. Having done the observation, the researcher discovered
that the students’ problems in speaking were anxiety of speaking, low proficiency of vocabulary,
lack of participation, motivation, self-confident and finally lack of ideas. In observation time,
when the teacher asked them to speak they were still confuse how to say and took long time to
connect they needed to say. On the other hand, the students’ were really not confident when they
want to say something and arrange the ideas in English speaking.
2. Interview Result
After observation, the researcher interviewed the students. The present researcher asked 10
questions that related to the students’ problems and the strategies to overcome their speaking
problems. The researcher focused on the participants’ strategies to overcome their speaking
problems. Most of students stated that they have some problems when they learn English
speaking. In the interview, the researcher tried to invite them to speak and the researcher finished
the interview one by one face to face with the students’ as participants. After interviewing the
students’, the researcher recorded the students’ answer as the result of interview section.
3. Questionnaire Result
To collect data from the field research, the present researcher conducted questionnaire
research. The type of questionnaire used two close-ended. Close-ended questionnaire used to
record the dominants type of students’ problems in speaking and their strategies to overcome
their problems and there were 12 participants of the eleventh grade of the study. In this study
there were two questionnaires first questionnaire consisted of 8 items and the second consisted of
8 items to be asked. The result of two close-ended in the questionnaire was presented in the
Table 1.

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Table 1. Students’ Problems in Speaking Class

No Students’ Problems in Speaking Score Percentage
1 Anxiety of speaking 60 15.1%
2 Lack of vocabularies 48 12.15%
3 Lack of grammar pattern 24 6.0%
4 Poor pronunciation 28 7.0 %
5 Lack of motivation 48 12.1%
6 Poor listening facilities 48 12.1%
7 Unavailability environment 54 13.6%
8 Inappropriate teaching strategy 45 11.3%
9 Inappropriate curriculum 40 10.1%
Total 395

Based on the illustration from the table above, the author discovered the dominant students’
problems in English speaking. The first was anxiety of speaking (15.1%), the second was
unavailability environment (13.6%) and the third was lack of vocabularies (12.15%).
Speaking anxiety referred to fearful of something make worry that strike suddenly and
simply shy when the students’ begin to speak in English. This anxiety was one of factor that the
students’ were feeling afraid about something especially in English speaking. Unavailability
environment referred to the students’ unable to speak in English because their environment used
first language. Lack of vocabularies referred to the students’ who have poor vocabularies
because students’ considered of teacher explanation only to find out the definition of words,
pronounce the words and part of speech.
Table 2. Students’ Strategies in Solving Their Speaking Problems
No Students’ Strategies Score Percentage
1 Prepared talks 60 17 %
2 Role-Play 72 20.5 %
3 Brainstorming 24 6.8 %
4 Oral interview 30 8.5 %
5 Debate 36 10.2 %
6 Games 60 17.1%
7 Telling-Story 64 18.2 %
8 Discussion 40 11.4 %
Total 350

Having analyzed the table above, the researcher discovered that the students’ strategies in
overcoming their English speaking problems were Role-Play (20.5%), Telling-Story (18.2%)
and games (17.1%).
Role-Play referred to the activities that pertinent manner of integrating skills in the language
classroom that getting the students’ to speak in different social context. Telling-Story referred to
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tell other people stories about what, where, when, why and how something happened. In this
context, teacher asked studens to read story in their books, understood the story content, noted
the important points, and encouraged them for a retelling story activity. Games refer to
entertainments or an activity in which the learners use their motoric skill and mingle with the
other and also games can be one of the alternatively manner in comprehend the learner study
quickly by some games that making player became creative.
4. Discussion
This research was conducted to discover the students’ dominant problems in English
speaking and the students’ strategies in overcoming their speaking of the second semester of
physics education study program at Hamzanwadi University. Several main findings could be
found from this study. First, regarding the result analysis of observation, interview, and
questionnaire, the most dominant of students’ speaking problem was anxiety. MacIntyre
(1998,p.27) says ”language anxiety means the fear and physicological uneasiness emerged
during studying or speaking a foreign language because they were afraid when they want to
speak in English, the role of anxiety was in line with Zheng & Cheng (2018) statement that
worried learners are often more confused easily,and the way they cope with the situation caused
by nervosity will impede with the access of insight in learning. The second was unavailability
environment because the students’ environment using first language and that making them low in
understanding English speaking. According to Miller (2016) “ learning environment plays an
important effect on the students’ interest- a setting for unstressful language learning will improve
outcome for achivement”. The third students’ problem was lack of vocabulary. Vocabulary
learning is an imperative part of learning foreign language (Shmitt & Carter, 2000). If students
who learn English are without having enough vocabulary stock, they will not show the desired
results in language learning process. Auguto,Carlo, Dressler and Snow (2005) express “foreign
language learners who have limited vocabulary take more time to learn new vocabulary item
and are less able to involve in comprehending text and lack involvement in oral communication
with their peers”.
Second, regarding the students’ strategies, it was showed that that the their problem in
speaking in English speaking could be solved by the students’ with some strategies that included
as follows; the first was Role-Play, telling- story became the second and the third was games.
Those were the strategies that students’ needed to solve their speaking barriers. In general, the
relationship was observed among all students’problem and their strategy. specifically,
students’problem in speaking dominantly was anxiety of speaking,then they cope the anxiety by
making a role play because in role play activity, they must perform in pair or in team so their
anxiety could be decreased. Bailey in Nunan (2003, p.57) states “role plays are also acceptable
technique to speaking in the very comfortable setting classroom. In a role-play, each student will
act as a particular character and then talk in the target language. Role play offers learners to
practice the foreign language orally before they implement in a real setting”.Then because of
lack supported environment, the students created a telling story activity among them to improve
their speaking and listening skill as well. Cameron (2001, p.11) says that “storytelling can be
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applied as an appropriate technique for improving both listening and oral skill”. Besides,
storytelling as a teaching technique has been extensively used in preschools and elementary
schools up until university level where the teacher can choose stories from folk tales, guide
books, literary tales, real life stories, festivals, and mythology.
A similar study was conducted by Lukita Sari (2008) which described students’strategies in
overcoming speaking problems. The study purposes were to find out students’ problems in
speaking and the strategies in overcoming speaking problems at the first semester of English
department Muhammadiyah University of Malang. The results of the study showed that the
students get the problems with their speaking ability particularly in term of inhibition, nothing to
say, low or uneven participant and mother tongue used. The second study was taken from
Hanunah (2009). She investigated about students’ strategies in overcoming speaking problems in
speaking class of second semester at English Department of Tarbiyah Faculty IAIN Sunan Ampel
Surabaya. There were three purposes in this thesis, those were to find out problems that the
second semester students faced in learning speaking, the causes of the problems and their
strategies in overcoming those problems. The result of this study showed that the students’ had
difficulties in their speaking ability particularly in terms inhibition, nothing to say, low or uneven
participation, mother tongue used. Based on the description previously, this study has similar
titles as mentioned by the researcher above. Besides, the difference of the previous studies with
the recent study was Lukintasari (2008), and Hanunah (2009) chose participants of English
department, yet this study was conducted for physics education students (non English study
program participants).
5. Conclusion
Based on the finding result that the researcher got the data from observation, interview and
questionnaire, that learning speaking process emerged cerrtain problems along with the strategies
to cope with the problem. During this study,the problems encountered by the participants were
anxiety of speaking, insufficient vocabulary, inability of grammar pattern, poor pronunciation,
low motivation,poor listening facilities, unavailability environment,inapproprite teaching
strategy and inappropriate curriculum. At the same time, the students struggled by performing
some strategies. As the result showed that, the students strategies were prepared talk, role play,
brainstorming, oral interview,debate, games, telling story, and discussion. With these points, the
study presented here aims to offer an idea about the possibilities of designing an appropriate
curriculum and strategy which fulfills the students’ needs in learning speaking. Students who
learn speaking with proper curriclum and stratgey are expected to be competence in English as
general knowledge and English for profession. They may prefer learning English since they
received strategy which enable them to learn in comfortable environment.

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