Exploring How Peer Interaction Shapes English Speaking Skills among Indonesian Senior High School EFL Students
A Qualitative Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/foster-jelt.v7i4.549Keywords:
Academic Support, EFL Students, Emotional Comfort, Peer Interaction, Speaking SkillsAbstract
While peer interaction is recognized in EFL learning, limited qualitative evidence explores how specific peer dynamics concurrently address affective and cognitive barriers in localized secondary contexts. This study investigated the peer interaction aspects influencing EFL students’ English speaking skills, particularly in mitigating speaking anxiety, vocabulary limitations, and scarce practice opportunities. Employing a qualitative case study design, the study focused on nine 11th-grade students in the English Specialization Program (Package F) at a senior high school in Bone Regency. Data were gathered through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews, followed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s qualitative data analysis. The findings revealed three interconnected aspects: interaction modes, academic support, and emotional comfort combined with interaction frequency. Uniquely, the study demonstrates that practice frequency is not a standalone variable but a direct outcome of affective comfort, where peer scaffolding reduces anxiety and fosters linguistic risk-taking. Academically, these findings extend Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory by mapping peer dynamics at a micro-level, proving that emotional safety is a prerequisite for cognitive-linguistic growth. Practically, educators are advised to strategically align student groupings based on sociometric closeness and structure communicative tasks with peer feedback to optimize both affective security and oral proficiency.
References
Aji, H. P., & Irawan, R. (2023). Improving Junior High School Students’ Speaking Skills through Role-Play and Peer Feedback. FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching, 4(2), 79–92.
Alruwaili, A. R. (2025). How Emotional Intelligence Shapes Anxiety and Enjoyment in Learning English: Insights from Saudi University Students. Forum for Linguistic Studies. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11253
Ayiz, A., & Tauchid, A. (2024). Mitigating public speaking anxiety among EFL learners through peer teaching: An evaluative survey study. Indonesian Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 1(3), 174–184.
Ayiz, A., & Tauchid, A. (2025). Enhancing public speaking skills among EFL learners through the peer teaching method: A mixed-methods study. ETERNAL (English Teaching Journal), 16(1), 125–137.
Ayu, H. K., Thamrin, N. S., Dewi, A. K., & Kamaruddin, A. (2026). Peer support and confidence in English speaking proficiency among EFL students. Journal of General Education and Humanities, 5(1), 1233–1240.
Burhanuddin, B., Hudriati, A., & Juniansyah, D. (2023). EFL higher education students’ psychological factor in speaking classroom activities at Universitas Muslim Indonesia: A research report. ELT Worldwide Journal of English Language Teaching, 10(1), 52.
Butarbutar, R. (2025). Unpacking online collaborative learning in teaching EFL speaking: Insights from three rural area case studies. Available at SSRN 5176667.
Cahya, N., & Churnia, E. (2026). Communication Anxiety and Speaking Performance in EFL Learners: A Systematic Review of Counseling and Pedagogical Strategies. Indonesian Journal of Educational Counseling, 10(1), 74–86.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). A Book Review: Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. In SAGE Publications, Inc.: Vol. Fourth Edi. https://doi.org/10.13187/rjs.2017.1.30
Darwin, Rusdin, D., Mukminatien, N., Suryati, N., Laksmi, E. D., & Marzuki. (2024). Critical thinking in the AI era: An exploration of EFL students’ perceptions, benefits, and limitations. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2290342.
Emylia, M. (2025). An Analysis Of English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Learners’problems In Speaking Skills Based On Their Perception At Senior High School. Uin Raden Intan Lampung.
Fikry, M. A., & Zuraida, Z. (2025). Assessing the Impact of Peer Interaction on the English Speaking Proficiency of the 2nd Semester Students of English Education Study Program at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sriwijaya University. Journal Sains Student Research, 3(6), 650–662.
Homayouni, M. (2022). Peer assessment in group-oriented classroom contexts: On the effectiveness of peer assessment coupled with scaffolding and group work on speaking skills and vocabulary learning. Language Testing in Asia, 12(1), 61.
Kos, T. (2023). Exploring peer support among young learners during regular EFL classroom lessons. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 33(2), 169–189.
Li, X., & Hu, W. (2024). Peer versus teacher corrections through electronic learning communities and face-to-face classroom interactions and EFL learners’ passion for learning, speaking fluency, and accuracy. Heliyon, 10(4).
Loor, K. V. A., Mero, J. A. Z., Rodríguez, A. M. M., & Caicedo, C. L. (2024). Cooperative, collaborative learning enhances students’ ability to improve their oral communication in an English classroom. Ciencia Latina: Revista Multidisciplinar, 8(6), 1939–1953.
Meilasari, T. A., Rofi’i, A., Kustini, T., & Herdiawan, R. D. (2023). Integrating cooperative learning in EFL classroom to alleviate students’ speaking (fluency) anxiety. IJLECR (International Journal of Language Education and Cultural Review), 9(2), 1–11.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Nhan, L. K. (2024). Exploring students’ perceptions of peer interaction in developing English speaking skills. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 9(9), 2333–2343.
Okyar, H. (2023). University-level EFL students’ views on learning English online: A qualitative study. Education and Information Technologies, 28(1), 81–107.
Phan, H. (2021). Using think-pair-share strategy to support students in speaking lessons. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 3(4), 1–8.
Prawitna, A., Pramerta, I. G. P. A., & Krismayani, N. W. (2026). “Let’s Discuss”: Picture-Based Small Group Discussion as a Strategy to Enhance EFL Students’speaking Skills. Jurnal Santiaji Pendidikan (JSP), 16(1), 137–144.
Purwanti, E., Adli, G. R., Hatmanto, E. D., & Agustina, N. Q. (2026). Peer tutoring in EFL higher education: Exploring students’ learning through the lens of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Teaching English as a Foreign Language Journal, 5(1), 49–65.
Rahman, F. T., Mulyani, K. S., & Amaliah, H. (2026). Improving EFL Learners’ Speaking Fluency through Peer Discussion Activities. Socio Politica : Jurnal Ilmiah Jurusan Sosiologi. https://doi.org/10.15575/socio-politica.v16i1.53510
Rusdin, R., & Purwati, D. (2023). Speaking up: A comprehensive investigation of EFL secondary students’ speaking skill problems in Indonesia’s Islamic school context. Elsya: Journal of English Language Studies, 5(2), 236–249.
Saeid, S. F. (2024). Using peer interaction to improve listening and speaking skills in secondary EFL context. Journal of Philology and Educational Sciences, 3(2), 23–37.
Setiawan, A., Rahman, A., Jupri, J., & Meraj, M. (2025). Exploring the Role of Peer Feedback in Enhancing EFL Learners’ English Speaking Fluency and Accuracy. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 5(2), 461–471.
Tajuddin, A. A., & Shafie, H. (2025). Peer interaction in English speaking skills. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(24), 651–659.
Thi, N. A., & Thien, N. T. Q. (2025). The role of peer interaction in enhancing students’ oral presentation: Perceptions of Vietnamese EFL pre-service teachers at a university. T?p Chí Khoa H?c ??i H?c ??ng Tháp, 14(7), 32–46.
Vacalares, S. T. (2023). English-only versus mother tongue: an analysis on students’ fluency and self-confidence. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 7(02), 1148–1159.
Wotring, A., Chen, H., & Fraser, M. (2024). They are talking, but is it productive? Exploring EFL students’ small group talk. Tesol Quarterly, 58(1), 251–279.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Asmarani Asmarani, Geminastiti Sakkir, Muhammad Arham Basri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
.jpg)
1.jpg)
.jpg)
