ANALYZING STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF SPEAKING SKILLS IN ENGLISH AS FOREIGN (EFL) CLASSROOMS

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the factors that influence tenth-grade DKV students' awareness of their speaking skills in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom at SMKN 3 Tasikmalaya. The research employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and involved 50 students selected from a total population of approximately 150 learners. Data were collected through a Likert-scale closed-ended questionnaire consisting of 18 validated and reliable items representing psychological and linguistic factors. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. The findings reveal that both psychological and linguistic factors influence students' awareness of their speaking skills. The overall mean score of all questionnaire items was 56, with a standard deviation of 7.1, indicating a moderate to high level of speaking awareness among students. Psychological factors (M = 3.21) showed a slightly higher influence than linguistic factors (M = 3.16). Students frequently reported feelings of nervousness, fear of making mistakes, and a lack of confidence when speaking in English. Linguistic challenges, such as vocabulary recall, grammatical accuracy, pronunciation difficulties, and fluency issues, also significantly affected their speaking awareness. Hence, the study concludes that psychological barriers particularly self-assessment, self-confidence, and self-awareness are slightly more dominant in shaping students' speaking awareness compared to linguistic difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of addressing both emotional and linguistic needs in the EFL classroom to enhance students' speaking development. The study recommends that teachers create supportive learning environments, provide positive feedback, and offer more speaking opportunities to build students' confidence and linguistic competence.

Keywords: Keywords: speaking awareness, psychological factors, linguistic factors, EFL learners, vocational high school.