The Correlation Between Students' Affective Factors and Their Speaking Ability at SMP IT Tahfizh Al Ikram Bengkalis in The Academic Year of 2024/2025

Many students at SMP IT Tahfizh Al Ikram Bengkalis experience low speaking skills, which hinder their participation in class activities such as discussions, presentations, and expressing opinions. This study aims to investigate the relationship between students' speaking ability and three affective factors: self-confidence, motivation, and anxiety. A quantitative correlational research design was employed, involving 42 students from class VIII A (27 students) and class VIII B (15 students), selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and a speaking test. The findings reveal that students’ anxiety, motivation, and self-confidence do not have a significant influence on their speaking ability. Despite generally high levels of motivation and self-confidence, these factors did not significantly predict students’ speaking performance. Based on these results, it is recommended that educators implement strategies to reduce anxiety in speaking situations. Additionally, future research should consider other potential predictors of speaking ability, such as linguistic competence and exposure to English outside the classroom.