Students Strategies in Overcoming Speaking Problems in Conversation at SMKN 1 Percut Sei Tuan

The objective of this study were to find out the strategies used by students to overcoming
speaking problems in conversation at SMKN 1 Percut Sei Tuan. This research was conducted
by using the descriptive qualitative method to investigate the data discovered. The data were
collected through questionnaire sheets and interview. The research subjects were thirty-six of
tenth grade students. The findings showed that students’ difficulties in speaking English are not
only caused by psychological and linguistic barriers, but also by the dynamics of classroom
conversation. The students faced four main problems in speaking English during conversation:
inhibition, having nothing to say, low or uneven participation, and frequent use of the mother
tongue. The result of the data showed that most students relied on strategies of avoiding
communication, using non-linguistic resources, switching to their native language, and seek
for help from others to dealing with their speaking problems.