INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa
Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa

Speaking Performance and Obstacles Encountered by University-Level English Major Students

Engelina Salainti (Unknown)
Alfrits Roul Sinadia (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Mar 2026

Abstract

This study investigates the speaking difficulties experienced by English major students, addressing the limited qualitative insights into how these learners perceive and manage such challenges in real communicative contexts. Employing a qualitative case study approach, data were collected from four university students through semi-structured interviews, recorded as mobile voice notes and transcribed verbatim to ensure accuracy. The findings reveal that linguistic obstacles, particularly difficulties in vocabulary retrieval and grammatical construction, contribute to frequent use of fillers such as “ee” and “hmmm,” indicating processing challenges during speech production. In addition, psychological factors, especially anxiety and fear of negative evaluation, significantly hinder students’ speaking performance by increasing their affective filter. Environmental factors, including an overemphasis on theoretical instruction, further limit opportunities for meaningful speaking practice. Despite these challenges, students demonstrate strategic competence by employing paraphrasing, simple expressions, and non-verbal cues to maintain communication. These findings suggest that effective language instruction should balance linguistic development with psychological support and provide more opportunities for communicative practice in supportive learning environments.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

interactionjournal

Publisher

Subject

Education Environmental Science Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Other

Description

The focus of INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa is to provide a platform for researchers, educators, and practitioners to share innovative research and practical insights within the realm of language teaching and literature. The journal particularly emphasizes studies that explore effective ...