The Students’ Ability in Performing Personal Experience at the Tenth Grade of SMKN 6 Padang

Abstract

Speaking is one of the essential language skills that enables learners to communicate ideas effectively in English. However, many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students still encounter difficulties when delivering oral presentations, particularly those based on personal experiences. This study aimed to analyze students’ speaking ability and identify the difficulties they encountered in performing personal experience oral presentations. A descriptive quantitative design was employed involving 30 tenth- grade students at SMKN 6 Padang. The data were collected through a speaking performance test in which students delivered oral presentations about their personal experiences. Students’ performances were assessed based on five speaking components: comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency. The data were analyzed using mean scores and percentage calculations. The findings revealed that the students’ overall speaking ability was categorize as high. Most students demonstrated satisfactory performance in comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, while fluency remained the most challenging aspect of their speaking performance. The results indicate that although students were generally able to deliver  personal experience oral presentations effectively, they still required greater opportunities to develop fluency and confidence through continuous speaking practice and presentation-based learning activities. This study provides insight for English teachers into students’ speaking performance  and highlights the importance of incorporating to enhance speaking proficiency in EFL classrooms.