Journal of English Education

ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES OF STUDENTS AT MTS PONDOK PESANTREN DDI PATOBONG

Muh Afiz — 2026-05-12

Learning difficulties have significant impacts on students’ English learning capabilities. This study investigated students’ difficulties in learning English and the factors contributing to these difficulties at MTs Pondok Pesantren DDI Patobong. The methodology used in this research was qualitative descriptive design. The participants consisted of one English teacher and five students from class VIII.A. Data were collected through interviews and analysed using data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing techniques. The findings showed that the students experienced difficulties in three main aspects. First, in the cognitive aspect, students had limited vocabulary, which hindered their understanding of English words and meanings. Second, in affective aspect, students experienced difficulties to finish task independently. Third, in the psychomotor aspect, students lacked self-confidence in speaking English and explaining the materials in English. The study further found that students’ learning difficulties were influenced by internal factors, especially low intrinsic motivation, and external factors related to school environment. However, English learning activities conducted in the school environment also contributed positively to students’ improvement in learning English.

THE READING COMPREHENSION: THE USE OF START SIMPLE STORIES EXTENSIVE READING METHOD AT SMAN 5 PINRANG

Fahrul Fauzi — 2026-05-26

Reading comprehension remains a fundamental skill in English learning because it determines students' ability to obtain information, identify main ideas, and interpret written texts. This study aimed to examine whether the Start Simple Stories Extensive Reading (SSS ER) method could improve the reading comprehension of tenth-grade students at SMAN 5 Pinrang. The study employed a quantitative pre-experimental design with a one-group pre-test and post-test model. The sample consisted of 29 students from class X.4 selected through purposive sampling because the class needed instructional support in reading comprehension. Data were collected through multiple-choice reading tests administered before and after the treatment. The findings showed a clear increase in students' achievement. The mean score increased from 45.86 in the pre-test to 82.07 in the post-test, while the standard deviation decreased from 14.52 to 7.74. The t-test value was 14.48, which was higher than the t-table value of 1.701. These results indicate that SSS ER was effective in improving students' reading comprehension. The method also encouraged students to read easier and more interesting texts independently without relying heavily on dictionaries.

STUDENTS' ERROR ANALYSIS IN COMPLETING TOEFL READING SECTION AT IAIN PAREPARE

Wahyu Pradana T — 2026-05-31

This study analyzed students' errors in completing the reading section of the TOEFL test at IAIN Parepare and identified the factors that influenced those errors. The research responded to the need to understand specific reading-test difficulties faced by English Education students, particularly because TOEFL scores are commonly used for academic requirements and language proficiency evaluation. A descriptive qualitative design was employed. The participants were 28 English Education students selected through random sampling. The instruments consisted of TOEFL reading-section documentation containing 50 items and an interview guide. The data were analyzed through reduction, display, conclusion drawing, and percentage calculation. The findings showed that students made errors across all TOEFL reading aspects: main idea questions (62.14%), definition from structural clues (58.93%), tone, purpose, and course questions (65.00%), implied detail questions (67.86%), transition questions (66.43%), stated detail questions (63.57%), unstated detail questions (69.64%), and pronoun reference questions (65.48%). The most dominant error appeared in unstated detail questions. Interview results indicated that time management, unfamiliar vocabulary, and lengthy reading passages were the major factors influencing students' errors. The study concludes that TOEFL reading preparation should strengthen vocabulary mastery, skimming-scanning skills, and timed reading practice.

ANALYSIS OF STUDENT DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING THESIS IN ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM AT IAIN PAREPARE

Muh Riswan — 2026-06-03

Thesis writing is a central academic requirement for English education students, yet many students experience difficulties in converting ideas, research procedures, and academic language into a coherent thesis manuscript. This study aimed to describe the types of difficulties experienced by English Education Program students at IAIN Parepare in writing a thesis and to identify the factors that caused these difficulties. The study applied a descriptive quantitative design. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 25 seventh-semester students and analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean scores, and percentages. The findings show that academic difficulties were slightly more dominant than non-academic difficulties. Academic difficulties accounted for 51.68% of the total difficulty score and included academic writing style, grammatical rules, paraphrasing, and limited vocabulary. Non-academic difficulties accounted for 48.32% and included low motivation and limited feedback. The causal factors were also relatively balanced, with internal factors reaching 51.23% and external factors reaching 48.77%. The study concludes that thesis-writing support should integrate academic writing training, systematic feedback, vocabulary development, and stronger supervisory and institutional support.

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY THROUGH THE FOCUS ON FORM APPROACH

Dea Amanda Putri — 2026-06-06

This study examined whether the Focus on Form (FonF) approach improved students' speaking ability at the second grade of MAN 2 Barru. The research responded to students limited oral practice, anxiety, grammatical inaccuracy, restricted vocabulary, and hesitation in classroom speaking. A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was applied. Twenty students were selected from the second-grade population through simple random sampling. The instruments consisted of speaking tests and an observation checklist. The treatment used WH-question materials integrated with communicative practice and corrective feedback, including recast, elicitation, metalinguistic clues, clarification requests, and repetition. The findings showed that the students' mean score increased from 30.4 in the pre-test to 62.8 in the post-test. The standard deviation decreased from 7 to 3, indicating more consistent achievement after treatment. The t-test value was 3.19, which was higher than the t-table value of 1.743 at the 5% significance level. The results indicate that FonF significantly improved students' speaking ability, especially in fluency, vocabulary use, pronunciation, and grammatical accuracy.