SMP Negeri 3 Satu Atap Wonotunggal Students' Strategies to Overcome Speaking Anxiety in EFL Classrooms

Abstract

Speaking anxiety remains a significant affective barrier in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, particularly among junior high school students in Indonesia. However, research specifically examining how these students actively cope with speaking anxiety using a comprehensive theoretical framework remains limited. This study aims to investigate the types of strategies used by junior high school students to overcome speaking anxiety and to examine how these strategies are applied during English classroom activities. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach involving 11 students at SMP Negeri 3 Satu Atap Wonotunggal, Batang, Central Java. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 selected participants (P1-P11) and analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's (1994) interactive model. The findings indicate that students employ all five coping strategies proposed by Kondo and Ying Ling (2004): Relaxation, Peer-seeking, Positive Thinking, Preparation, and Resignation. Strategy application occurs across two distinct temporal phases: before speaking activities and during speaking activities. These findings contribute to the theoretical extension of Kondo and Ying Ling's framework to younger EFL learners and offer practical implications for English teachers in designing supportive classroom environments that facilitate students' active participation in speaking activities.