STUDENTS’ CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING ENGLISH AT SMP NEGERI 35 MEDAN

Abstract

Students at SMP Negeri 35 Medan experience a lack of confidence in speaking English, especially during classroom speaking activities. They often feel nervous, afraid of making mistake, worries about negative evaluation, and hesitant to express their ideas. This study aims to analyzer the factors influencing students' lack of confidence in speaking English. The research employed a descriptive qualitative method involving five students for interviews and seven students open ended questionnaires selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzer using the interactive model proposed by Matthew B. Miles, A.Michael Huberman, and Jhonny Saldana. The finding reve that students' lack of confidence is influenced by psychological factors, such as anxiety and fear of negative evaluation, as well as linguistic factors, including limited vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation difficulties. These factors cause students to remain silent and avoid speaking activities in class.