<![CDATA[This study aims to investigate the challenges faced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in opinion-based speaking activities. Although previous studies have emphasized vocabulary limitations and grammatical difficulties as the primary barriers to speaking performance, limited research has specifically examined the challenges that emerge when students are required to express opinions, an activity that demands idea generation, argument construction, and spontaneous communication in English. This study employed a quantitative descriptive survey design involving 278 students of SMAN 6 Kediri selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire covering five aspects of speaking challenges: linguistic limitations, pronunciation concerns, fear of negative evaluation, cognitive load, and contextual classroom barriers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, and mean scores. The findings revealed that students experienced speaking challenges at a moderate level overall. However, pronunciation concerns, grammar uncertainty, and cognitive load emerged as the most dominant challenges. The results indicate that students’ difficulties in expressing opinions are not solely related to linguistic accuracy but also to concerns about being understood by listeners and their ability to manage ideas and information simultaneously during communication. Therefore, opinion-based speaking activities require pedagogical support that focuses not only on linguistic competence but also on students’ cognitive readiness and communicative effectiveness.]]>
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