<![CDATA[Explore how role-play activities can enhance junior high school students’ self-efficacy in speaking English as a foreign language. EFL students often face difficulties in developing speaking skills due to low confidence and anxiety, which hinder their ability to participate actively in classroom communication. Role-play is proposed as a practical aid to address this issue by offering authentic, interactive language practice in a supportive learning environment. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected from eighth-grade students at a junior high school in Garut, West Java through observations, interviews, and reflective journals. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis framework. The results revealed three major themes: (1)Role-play as fun learning strategy and facilitating understanding of the material, (2) Building Speaking Self-Efficacy through Practiceand (3) Emotional Challenges and Growth. The findings support Del Mar Haro-Soler self-efficacy theory, demonstrating that role-play provides all four factors of self-efficacy—mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional state. Students who were initially anxious and hesitant gradually became more confident, fluent, and engaged as they progressed through the stages of role-play. The study concludes that role-play not only enhance speaking performance but also fosters students’ self-efficacy and belief in their speaking skill, making it a valuable pedagogical tool in EFL classrooms.]]>
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