Psychological Factors in Speaking Skills for EFL: A Case of Senior High School in Indonesia

Abstract

The number of studies related to hindrance in speaking skills has been extensively conducted. However, psychological factors in EFL context were still under investigated. The study aimed at describing psychological factors that hinder students from speaking and the causes of the factors as well as the possible solutions to overcome the factors. The information was gathered through classroom observations, questionnaires, and interviews. According to the study's findings, psychological factors such as fear of making a mistake, shyness, anxiety, lack of confidence, and lack of motivation prevent students from speaking in English class. Those factors, like fear of making mistakes, were commonly caused by their fear of being laughed at by their friends. Most students believed that motivating them to be more confident in speaking English was a viable solution to overcome those psychological factors.  This research shows that teachers need to pay closer attention to their pupils' barriers to speaking in class.