BACKGROUND FACTORS OF THAI STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LEARNING

In learning English as Foreign Language, there are many background factors that
play important roles to be success in learning. In the case of foreign students who study
English in non-English speaking country, these factors become more complex. This study
aims to analyze the background factors of Thai students’ speaking achievement and the
different background factors between student’s high and low scores of speaking achievement.
This study used mixed method design as method of study. The theories of factors were used
to answer the objective of this research such as self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, anxiety,
empathy, extroversion, introversion, motivation, attitude, language exposure, and social
situation. The subject was five students from Thailand who studied at Muhammadiyah
University of Surabaya. The finding was that each of students mostly possessed different
background factors. However, their intensity and ability were different among of them. All
of those factors were greatly influence their acquiring of TEFL as well. There were two
students who had the highest and lowest scores in their speaking achievement after several
years they have learned English in Indonesia. The different background factors between both
of them were self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, anxiety, extroversion, introversion, attitude,
and social situation factors. Their background factors in speaking were supported by many
factors to reach a good achievement. Therefore, the factors mainly play important roles to
tend students learning foreign language successfully.
Keyword: Background factors, Speaking achievement, Thai students,
English as a Foreign Language