The Effect of Speaking Anxiety and Students' Confidence towards Students' Pronunciation at Senior High School in Kuningan

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of speaking anxiety and students’ confidence on students’ pronunciation, aiming to determine whether both variables individually and simultaneously influence pronunciation performance in English learning among senior high school students. This study applied a quantitative research design with multiple linear regression analysis, involving 272 students from State Senior High School 1 Mandirancan and State Senior High School 1 Cilimus, selected through stratified proportional random sampling, with data collected using a closed-ended questionnaire. The findings revealed that speaking anxiety had a significant negative effect on students’ pronunciation, while students’ confidence had a significant positive effect; furthermore, both variables simultaneously influenced pronunciation, with the coefficient of determination showing that 45.9% of the variation in pronunciation was explained by these two factors. The results can be applied in the field of English language education, particularly in pronunciation teaching, as teachers may design supportive classroom strategies that reduce students’ speaking anxiety and enhance their confidence to improve oral communication skills. This research contributes originality by providing evidence of the simultaneous role of speaking anxiety and confidence in influencing pronunciation, highlighting that both variables jointly account for nearly half of the variation in pronunciation and offering a more comprehensive perspective to advance teaching practices.