An Analysis of Pronunciation Difficulties Faced by Seventh Grade Students in English Speaking Activities

Abstract

Pronunciation is an essential component of English speaking proficiency that directly influences students’ intelligibility and communication success. However, many Indonesian EFL learners continue to struggle with accurate pronunciation due to linguistic and environmental factors. This qualitative descriptive study aims to analyze the pronunciation difficulties experienced by seventh-grade students at SMP Nurul Falah Johar during English speaking activities. Data were collected through pronunciation performance tasks, classroom observation, and semi-structured interviews with five selected students. The findings reveal three major pronunciation challenges: (1) difficulties in producing unfamiliar English phonemes, particularly sounds such as /θ/ and /ð/ due to first language interference; (2) confusion between English spelling and pronunciation, which leads to frequent mispronunciations; and (3) limited exposure and inconsistent speaking practice outside the classroom that negatively affect pronunciation development and confidence. The study concludes that pronunciation-focused instruction, increased exposure to authentic English input, and supportive peer interaction are necessary to help learners improve their intelligibility and fluency. The results are expected to provide useful implications for English teachers in designing effective pronunciation activities that support students’ speaking development from an early stage of learning.