The Impact of Mother Tongue on Students’ Speaking Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59065/jotes.v3i1.271Keywords:
Communicative Competence, EFL Speaking, L1 Interference, Mother Tongue Use, TranslanguagingAbstract
This study aims to describe the impact of mother tongue use on students' English-speaking skills in terms of fluency, accuracy, confidence, expression, and response. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach and was conducted at SMP Negeri 7 Mappakasunggu, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi. The research subjects consisted of six eighth-grade students selected through purposive sampling based on their tendency to use their mother tongue in English-speaking activities. Data were collected through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews, then analyzed using the interactive analysis model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. The results showed that excessive use of the mother tongue had an impact on low fluency, grammatical errors, limited vocabulary, underdeveloped expression, and slow and brief responses. However, this study also found that the mother tongue has a positive and constructive role, particularly in helping students understand the material, formulate ideas before speaking, and increase their sense of security and courage through translanguaging practices. Thus, the mother tongue does not only function as an obstacle, but can also be a source of support for learning to speak English when used in a targeted manner.
Downloads
References
Altunel, İ. (2019). Bridging the gap: A study on the relationship between mindset and foreign language anxiety. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching, 6(3), 690–705.
Amaliah, S., Baa, S., Wahyuni, I. Y., Mansyur, M., & Sakkir, G. (2025). Exploring the role of polysemy awareness for “get” and “make” in podcasts on EFL learners’ collocational speaking ability. ARRUS Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(2), 929–942. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.social21356
Amar, N., Sakkir, G., & Radhiyani, F. (2023). Students’ perception of PowerPoint use in vocabulary mastery. Journal of Technology in Language Pedagogy (JTechLP), 2(1), 169–178. https://doi.org/10.32996/jtechlp.v2i1.123
Atmowardoyo, H., & Sakkir, G. (2021, November). The development of language learning theory based on best practice: A literature review. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Languages and Arts (ICLA 2021)(pp. 172–184). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.211129.028
Atmowardoyo, H., Sakkir, G., & Sakkir, R. I. (2023). Students' English skills and their ways of learning. Celebes Journal of Language Studies, 333–338. https://doi.org/10.51629/cjls.v3i2.156
Brown, J. D. (2001). Using surveys in language programs. Cambridge University Press.
Chaney, A. L., & Burk, T. L. (1998). Teaching oral communication in grades K-8. Allyn and Bacon.
Ellis, N. C. (2008). Implicit and explicit knowledge about language. In Encyclopedia of language and education (Vol. 6, pp. 1–13). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30424-3_136
Fitrah, A. I., Korompot, C. A., Sakkir, G., & Fauzan, M. M. (2024). Assessing self-confidence levels in EFL students’ speaking performance. Celebes Journal of Language Studies, 215–224. https://doi.org/10.51629/cjls.v4i1.189
Goh, C. C., & Burns, A. (2012). Teaching speaking: A holistic approach. Cambridge University Press.
Haidir, A. M., Dollah, S., Basri, M., & Sakkir, G. (2025). The implementation of the collaborative learning approach in teaching speaking: A case study of an Indonesian EFL classroom. Ethical Lingua: Journal of Language Teaching and Literature, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.30605/25409190.712
Hardianti, H., Dollah, S., & Sakkir, G. (2023). Retelling story through picture series to improve speaking skill the eleventh grade students of SMAN 6 Pangkep. Journal of Excellence in English Language Education, 2(1), 109–115. https://doi.org/10.35580/jeele.v2i1.456
Harmer, A. J., & Cates, W. M. (2007). Designing for learner engagement in middle school science: Technology, inquiry, and the hierarchies of engagement. Computers in the Schools, 24(1-2), 105–124. https://doi.org/10.1300/J025v24n01_08
Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1986.tb05256.x
Leong, L. M., & Ahmadi, S. M. (2017). An analysis of factors influencing learners’ English speaking skill. International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 6(2), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.23.2017.62.34.41
Musri S, A., Muliati, A., & Sakkir, G. (2022). The utilization of presentation activities in online speaking class. Journal of Technology in Language Pedagogy (JTechLP), 1(2). https://doi.org/10.32996/jtechlp.v1i2.45
Rahman, H., Sakkir, G., & Khalik, S. (2021). Audio-lingual method to improve students’s speaking skill at SMP Negeri 1 Baranti. La Ogi: English Language Journal, 7(1), 31–40. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/7z2m8
Richards, J. C. (2008). Teaching listening and speaking (Vol. 35). Cambridge University Press.
Sakkir, G., Dollah, S., & Ahmad, J. (2022). Students’ perception of the presentation activities in online speaking class. EduLine: Journal of Education and Learning Innovation, 2(3), 255–260. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.eduline1115
Sulfitriani, L., Korompot, C. A., & Sakkir, G. (2025). Students’ learning styles and their speaking proficiency: Evidence from MAN 1 Makassar. Journal of Teaching and Education for Scholars, 2(2), 140–150. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.jotes2214
Skehan, P. (1996). A framework for the implementation of task-based instruction. Applied Linguistics, 17(1), 38–62. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/17.1.38
Wahyuni, I. Y., Ariyani, A., Sakkir, G., Amaliah, S., & Mansyur, M. (2025). Enhancing first-year English education students’ speaking skills through storytelling training at State University of Makassar. ARRUS Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(4), 1110–1118. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.social2235
Zuhri, N. A., Salija, K., & Sakkir, G. (2022). The impacts of speaking anxiety on students’ learning process. Journal of Technology in Language Pedagogy (JTechLP), 1(3). https://doi.org/10.32996/jtechlp.v1i3.89
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Azzahra Ellyasari Parawansyah, Geminastiti Sakkir, Muhammad Miftah Fauzan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JOTES are fully open-access. The use, distribution, and reproduction of published material are strictly regulated under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Under this license, users are free to:
-
Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
-
Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Condition: Users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
