Abstrak
This study aimed to identify the difficulties and factors contributing to students' challenges in speaking English. This research adopted a descriptive qualitative approach with purposive sampling, focusing on the X-B class at SMA Muhammadiyah Tarakan, consisting of 37 students. The instruments used in this study include observation, questionnaires, and interviews. The researcher employed the Miles and Huberman framework for data analysis, which involves data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing or verification. The findings revealed two primary factors contributing to students' difficulties: linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Linguistic issues included limited vocabulary, pronunciation problems, fluency, and grammar. Non-linguistic issues encompass anxiety, lack of self-confidence, shyness, fear of making mistakes, and low motivation. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that the most dominant factors influencing students' English-speaking abilities are limited vocabulary and anxiety.