<![CDATA[Spontaneous speaking is challenging for EFL learners because it requires real-time language processing through an evolving interlanguage system influenced by the first language (L1). Although interlanguage has been widely studied, relatively few studies examine its processes in spontaneous speaking, particularly from an exploratory gender perspective. This study investigated interlanguage processes in unprepared oral production and explored gender-related patterns. A qualitative case study was conducted with six first-semester students (three males and three females) in the Department of English Education, Universitas Muria Kudus, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through field notes, semi-structured interviews, audiovisual recordings, and non-opt-in classroom observations. Selinker’s (1972) five interlanguage processes provided the analytical framework. Four processes were sufficiently supported by the data: L1 transfer, the most frequently coded process, followed by overgeneralization, communication strategies, and learning strategies. Transfer of training was included in the coding framework but excluded from the final frequency count because the data did not establish a sufficient link between observed expressions and specific classroom instruction or practice. Descriptively, males produced more L1-transfer instances overall, whereas communication strategies appeared slightly more frequently among females. These observations are exploratory and should not be interpreted as general gender tendencies given the small sample. The findings suggest that spontaneous speaking can provide a productive context for revealing interlanguage processes and offer practical implications for supporting EFL learners’ speaking development.]]>
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