THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS MOTIVATION AND SPEAKING SKILL OF SEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP NEGERI HINDU 3 BLAHBATUH IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025

There are four main skills of English, including listening, reading, writing and speaking. Speaking is a tool for communicating with other people. It is an activity carried out by a person to communicate with other people to express ideas, feelings, opinions. This study aims to investigate the correlation between motivation and speaking skill among seventh-grade students of SMP Negeri Hindu 3 Blahbatuh during the academic year 2024/2025. Employing an ex-post facto correlational research design, the study involved 107 students selected through cluster sampling from three classes. Data were collected using questionnaires to measure motivation and speaking tests to evaluate students' speaking skills. The results revealed a positive and significant correlation between students' motivation and their speaking skills, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.210. This indicates a weak but meaningful relationship. The study concluded that motivation is an essential factor influencing speaking skill development. The findings are expected to provide insights for educators to enhance students' motivation in language learning, particularly in improving their speaking skill. It also serves as a reference for further research exploring the relationship between psychological factors and language acquisition.