Arda Lestari, 2026. An Analysis of Students’ Strategies in Improving English Speaking Skills Among Sixth-Semester at STAIN Mandailing Natal

This study aimed to identify the strategies used by sixth-semester students at STAIN Mandailing Natal to improve their English speaking skills and to describe how the strategies were implemented. This research used a descriptive qualitative design. The participants were 21 sixth-semester students of the English Education Department at STAIN Mandailing Natal. The data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed using the data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing stages proposed by Miles and Huberman. The findings showed that the students used three types of learning strategies based on O’Malley and Chamot’s theory: metacognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective strategies. Cognitive strategies were the most frequently used, followed by metacognitive and socio-affective strategies. The strategies were implemented through planning speaking practice, managing practice time, repeating words and sentences, learning vocabulary, using dictionaries, listening to English songs, watching English content, practicing with friends, asking for help, receiving feedback, and managing nervousness. These strategies supported students in practicing and improving their English speaking skills.
Keywords: learning strategies, speaking skills