BRIDGING THEORY AND PRACTICE: HOW TRANSLATION ENTERPRISES ELEVATE STUDENT SPEAKING COMPETENCY

Globalization and increasing workplace demands have heightened the need for strong oral communication skills in English, yet traditional language teaching methods often fail to develop students' practical speaking abilities. This study investigates how translation enterprises can enhance speaking competency among English Education students through questionnaire-based research. Using a descriptive quantitative approach, data were collected from 30 fourth- and sixth-semester English Education students at Universitas Widya Gama Mahakam Samarinda (UWGM) through structured questionnaires about their participation in translation projects. The questionnaire results revealed significant findings: 66.66 percent of respondents acknowledged improved theory-practice integration, 60% reported decreased speaking anxiety, and 50 percent demonstrated enhanced communication abilities through their translation project experiences. Particularly noteworthy were the improvements shown by sixth-semester students nearing graduation. The study concludes that incorporating translation projects into language curricula effectively bridges the gap between academic learning and professional communication requirements. By utilizing questionnaire data, this research provides insights into students' self-perceived competency development. The findings support creating structured partnerships between language programs and translation enterprises as an effective pedagogical strategy for developing workplace-ready speaking skills in tertiary education.