International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences

Vol-7, Issue-6; Nov-Dec, 2022

Journal Home Page Available: https://ijels.com/

Journal DOI: 10.22161/ijels

Analysis Problems of Low Skill English Speaking for

Senior High School Students in Indonesia
Ahmad Nasihin, Oktarini

SMA Negeri, Padang, Indonesia

Received: 22 Aug 2022; Received in revised form: 04 Sep 2022; Accepted: 11 Dec 2022; Available online: 17 Dec 2022
©2022 The Author(s). Published by Infogain Publication. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Abstract— Indonesian students learn to speak English from elementary school to university, but they still
get lower skill in using English actively especially in speaking. It shows that there is serious problem of
learning English in Indonesia. This research to elaborate the real problem of student in senior high school
in learning English especially in speaking. Survey method is used in this study to find responses from students
in Empat Lawang regency South Sumatera, Indonesia. After analysing data, the result of research can be
presented as: the first, in the mind of students of senior high school English is difficult, not substantive for
their future and only formality subject. Secondly, students’ problem in learning especially speaking skill such
as unconfident mentality, low motivation and lack of practice. So it can be concluded that problem of learning
English for senior high school is from inner and outer class room. It recommended that teaching English in
senior high school must be designed as interesting and necessity based for students.
Keyword— English Speaking Skill, Senior High School Student, Learning Problem.

I. INTRODUCTION can pass the exam based the standard, but they can pass the
English become one of main lesson in Indonesia exam by remedial or portofolios tasks. From this condition,
from elementary to Senior High School but Indonesian still it can be known that final examanition of English skill in
has very lower in active user English in communication for Senior High School is only formality and it is not the view
Senior High School students. English courses in Indonesia of real skill the students’ get as senior high school graduates.
are many to aid Indonesians who want to go broad or get Many English courses have members from
scholarship at English user country. So, it can be stated there graduated students from Senior High school who want to
are many problems of English lesson implementation in continue to university or to get job. So, it can be seen that
Indonesia. English learning in the school could not help students to
As the study of English in Vocational School by continue their steps after finishing school.
Nasihin (2019) that students of third years in Vocational So, from the problems above, it is needed to be
school has lower competence in using English to investigated the real problems of low competence of using
communicate in Industri. It can be suprised that students active English of Indonesian Students by research questions
who had been followed English class for ten years still get below:
big problem in communication. Tambunsaribu (2021) also How is posisition English lesson for speaking in senior high
found that internal problem of learning English they are; a) school?
students feel compused to English lesson (77%); b) Students
How is the students problem of learning Engish speaking in
hate English subject (15 %); and c) Students think English
senior high School?
is not important (8%).
Data from National Based exam in Senior High
school in Indonesia, teachers stated that very litle students

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Nasihin and Oktarini Analysis Problems of Low Skill English Speaking for Senior High School Students in Indonesia

II. LITERATURE REVIEW in senior high school based national curriculum does not
2.1. Speaking English teaching In Indonesia for Senior work efectively. More chance to practice in speaking group
High School may be one of solution for lower skill in speaking.

Teaching English for senior school in Indonesia

has goal to prepare students to be skilled in listening, III. METHODS
speaking, reading and writing to face global competition 3.1. Participants
(Kurikulum, 2013). In fisrt year of senior high school,
Seven hundreds students of senior high school in
students get twelve materials; in second year they get ten
south Sumatera Indonesia exactly in Empat Lawang
materials and in third year the get 8 materials. If we look at
regency become participnat of survey. They are students of
the content of materials, we can predict that the indonesia
third years or the last level in senior high school. They
students will be active English users exactly.
participated in giving reponses to survey about problems of
In Indonesia senior high school English Speaking learning and mastering English speaking in senior high
standar is social standar communication such as how to school.
introduce self and others, how to invite to such agenda,
3.2. Instruments
saying opinion, etc (Curriculum of Indonesian National,
2018). From the standar skill of speaking for senior high Following Kountur (P. 110, 2009) said that survey
school students in Indonesia curriculumn, it can be seen that is the best method in collecting real data in field.
exactly desain of curriculum has fairly good goal in Questioners about English position for student to
mastering English. investigate perception and motivation of student to English
lerning and teaching in Senior High School. Then questiners
2.2. Problems in mastering English Speaking for Senior
also are given to students abour English learning problems
High school students
to get data of problems caused low competence of students
Speaking still become problem of second and senior high school. Data are technical learning and teaching
foreign language speakers. Indonesia is one of user English English problem in the class room.
as foreign language. For this condition, many problems rise
3.3. Data analysis
in mastering English exactly in speaking skill. Indrianty
(2016) finds in her study about students problem in learning Data of research are analysed by uisng SPSS to
English that two types of anxiety were evidenced, i.e. trait know the percentage of each problems in mastering English
anxiety and state/situational anxiety and the students‟ speaking in Indonesia senior high school. After taking
anxiety in English speaking class was derived from three percentage of each students responses, the study presents
main sources of anxiety, i.e. communication apprehension, data of students’ problem of low skill in speaking English
test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. Negative from Senior High school in Indonesia.
perception of students in learning English still become
serious problem.
IV. RESULT
Nasihin (2019) finds that lower motivation of
This research is survey about the problem of low
students in learning English become one factor of lower
skill in speaking English for Senior High School students in
skill in using English. So, about motivation in learning
Indonesia. The fokus of this research are (1) to find out the
English still become seriouse problem for Indonesian
students motivation and perception of learning English
learners. Students only follow the duty in learning English.
activity in Senior High School: (2) The problem of lerning
They do not have more hope in English class. More over
English speaking in Senior High School. So the result of this
Nasihin, et .al (2022) concluded in their research that lower
research can be presented below:
motivation of learning English caused by teacher failled in
building students’ perception English position for helping 4.1. Position English lesson in Senior High school
their future. according to Senior High School Students
Afifah (2018) said that lack of practicing become From survey participants from students give responses as
problem of speaking skill for students, so practicing is very in tabel 4. 1 below:
important. English learning strategy which is implemented

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Nasihin and Oktarini Analysis Problems of Low Skill English Speaking for Senior High School Students in Indonesia

Table 4.1. Responses of Senior High School students about English role for them
Response Item Strongly Agree Not Strongly Disagr Total Percenta
agree sure disagree ee ge
English is only a formality 300 150 73(10,4 120 57 700 100%
subject/ lesson in my school (42,86%) (21,43%) 3%) (17,14%) (8,14%
)
English is only my obligation as 470 (67%) 130 (19%) 40 (6%) 50 (7%) 10 700 100%
student. (1%)
I only hope to pass and get 320 (46%) 213 (30%) 50 (7%) 37 (5%) 20 700 100%
minimum score for English (3%)
Lesson.
I do not hope can speak English 500 (71%) 120 (17%) 10 (1%) 50 (7%) 20 700 100%
fluently too much from my (3%)
Senior High School.
I study English in my class room 375 (54%) 125 (18%) 5 (1%) 125 (18%) 70 700 100%
only as passive student. (10%)

From data of survey above it can be stated that 64,29 % they are passive students in English class for their senior high
students have negative spirit in learning English, they school.
adimired that English is only formality subject in Senior 4.2. The students problem of learning English Speaking in
High School. Then, 76% students stated that they only felt Senior High School
English is their obligation, they get burder and some times
After conducting survey by questionaires to senior high
get problems in learning English by narrow motivation.
school students, it can be presented the resposes of
More over, the intention of students only to pass the
participants about the problem of learning English which
minimum score or passing grade is 87% students. Then, for
caused low skill in speaking English or being active English
92% students are hopeless in getting good competence in
users. The result as in tabel 4.2. below.
English especially speaking by following English class in
their senior high school. Finally, for 87% students stated that
Table 4.2. The responses of senior high school student toward learning English problem to get speaking skill.
Response Item Strongly Agree Not Strongl Disagree Total
agree sure y
disagree
I hate English lesson exactly 124 376 44 65 91 (13%) 700
(17,70%) (53,71%) (6,28%) (9,28 %) (100%)
English is very difficult to be 309 151 50 70 120 700
mastered (44,14%) (21,57%) (7,14%) (10%) (17,14%) (100%)
I think I do not need English so 288 360 42 (6%) 3 7 (1%) 700
much in my future. (41.14%) (51,42%) (0,42%) (100%)
I get difficult to practice speaking 209 271 43 72 105 (15%) 700
English because lack of (29,86%) (38,71%) (6,14%) (10,29% (100%)
vocabularies for English )
English difficult because 217 322 74 57(8,14 20 700
different spelling, pronunciation (31%) (46%) (10,57% %) (2,86%) (100%)
and meaning. )
I hate to the English Teacher 134 350 49 65 101 (13%) 700
because she or he gives (17,70%) (53,71%) (6,28%) (9,28 %) (100%)
compused presentation for me

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Nasihin and Oktarini Analysis Problems of Low Skill English Speaking for Senior High School Students in Indonesia

From table abave it can be described that the first, students find some point to effect students’ achievement in learning
who said that they hate English lesson exactly are 71,41%. English, one of them is good motivation.
Secondly, students who said that English is very difficult to More over, Tuyen. Le (2022) finds that student-
be mastered are 65,71%. Thirdly, students wo said that related factors, teacher-related factors, and environment-
they do not need English so much in my future are 92,56%. related factors had a significant influence on the teachers’
Fourthly, students wo said that they get difficult to practice teaching of English in their classrooms, and that the teachers’
speaking English because lack of vocabularies for English perceptions of the factors affecting their teaching had no
are 68,57%. Fifthly, students wo said that English is statistically significant difference. So problem of lower
difficult lesson because it has different spelling, motivation and negative perception from senior high school
pronunciation and meaning are 77%. The last, Students wo students must be solved by school, teacher and students
said that they hate to the English Teacher because she or he their selves.
gives compused presentation for them are 71,41 %.
5.2. The students problem of learning English Speaking in
School
V. DISCUSSION English as foreign language brings difficulty in
5.1. English lesson Position in Senior High School mastering it. The study shows that students get problem in
Data of research show that according to English learning from too high curriculum or materia, lack
respondents, English in senior high school is only formality. of basic skill, lack of vocabulary in mind and wrong
English lesson class in senior high school could not give motivation to get raport score only. This finding is in line
really skill in speaking especially and others commonly with Safnil (2019) who found that one difficulty in writing
because low motivation, low skill basic and too high article is lack of English skill. Phan, L. H. (2017) also found
curriculum target. It is inline with study of English in the problem of teaching English in Vietnam.
Vocational school by Nasihin (2019) that the motivation of More over Nasihin (2019) found that the students
vocational school students in learning English is low of automotive do not want to study English seriously
because the curriculum is too general not really related to because speaking is difficult and compused for general
their needs to get job. More over Nasihin (2022) also find object such as about computer, about foods or about physic.
by giving information about the useful English for getting Finding in this research also shows that the third
job, getting good career and reputable style for students’ years student could not introduce self; they could not state
future, the students’ motivation in automotive class about hours and they could not state opinions. From this
increased. finding it can stated that students of senior high school are
Safnil (2000) also said that English teaching for in big problem in English skill after following the English
learning must be in simple and suitable to the goal of class. This finding is in line with Indrianty (2016), Nasihin
learners after class. So from this statement, it can be (2020), and Safnil (2010), they discuss about Indonesian
concluded that in English curriculum for Senior High students problem in learning English as foreign language. It
School or Vocational School must be developed in simple is contradictive to the position of English in the world. It is
and suitable curriculum. Randu, Azmi.et.al (2020) said that the most important language in the world suc as Jain and
English teaching in Indonesia exactly to prepare Indonesian Patel said that English is now one of the most frequently
inorder to be able to speak English. spoken languages on an international market (Jain & Patel,
The finding also shows that students admired 2008).
English as formality subject not necessity subject for them. Moreover, Nasihin. et.al (2022) also said that
This is in line with Nasihin (2022) found that student of English curriculum must be changed and differresd between
automotive in learning by general material admired English vocational school and senior high school because they have
is not so important subject, they only need automotive skill different focus. Qin, M (2013) also suggest strategy for
for their future. So the position English in students’ mind is improving skill in teaching English especially for tourism
negative and it makes English difficult. It caused lower skill class. Prachanant (2012) stated his anlysis about English
of speaking English after graduating from senior high curriculum related to the students’ skill in Tourism Industry
school. Rahayu (2018) also finds that problem in learning calss.
English for students as: (1) negative perception and lower Lack of vocabularies and practicing also become
motivation in practising to speak English; (2) less of one of findings in as students’ problem in mastering English
practicing English and (3) Students are not confident to on this research. Farrell, et.al (2013) said about reflecting
practice English. More over El-Omari, A. H. (2016) also on ESL teacher belief’s and classroom practice, they

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Nasihin and Oktarini Analysis Problems of Low Skill English Speaking for Senior High School Students in Indonesia

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