The Chaos of Speaking: How Do Learners Adapt to Spontaneous Speech Challenges?

Spontaneous speech presents a significant challenge for EFL learners, requiring them to process and produce language in real time while managing cognitive, linguistic, psychological, and social demands. This study explored how university students prepare and enhance their spontaneous speaking. A mixed-method approach was used for the study; 313 students completed a questionnaire, and 30 students participated in semi-structured interviews. The quantitative study results revealed that students prefer to use cognitive strategies such as mental rehearsal and metacognitive awareness, linguistic strategies such as paraphrasing and discourse markers, psychological strategies such as self-efficacy and anxiety regulation, and social strategies like peer learning and role-play. The qualitative findings also depict how learners apply and understand these strategies in real-time speaking situations and how they affect communication. These results agree with previous research, which has also highlighted the role of strategy in spontaneous speech.