Building Students' Self-confidence in English for Young Learners (EYL) Speaking Class

Abstract

English speaking skills offers a challenging for Elementary school students because of their fear of making mistakes and less of confidence. In the English for Young Learners (EYL) learning context, the teacher role is important in creating a supportive learning environment for students to be confident in speaking. This research aims to explore the strategies used by a teacher in building students' self-confidence when speaking English in the EYL class. The method used is a qualitative method with a narrative inquiry design. The data were collected through interviews and classroom observations with one English teacher at an Elementary school in Ciamis. The results showed that the teacher implemented two main strategies, namely scaffolding and positive reinforcement. The scaffolding strategy is practiced by giving examples before students are asked to speak, while positive reinforcement is given in the form of verbal praise for every effort made by students. Both strategies can create a comfortable and supportive learning environment, so the students are more confident speaking English. The findings suggest that effective strategies from the teacher can help EYL students overcome fear and increase their active participation in classroom speaking activities.