THE CORRELATION BETWEEN INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND SPEAKING PROFICIENCY IN EFL CLASSROOM

Speaking proficiency is a crucial component in English language learning, yet many students struggle to develop effective speaking skills in EFL classrooms. One of the major influencing factors is motivation, especially intrinsic motivation. This research was conducted to examine whether there is a significant correlation between intrinsic motivation and students’ speaking proficiency in an EFL context.

The problem investigated in this study is: "Is there any significant correlation between intrinsic motivation and students’ speaking proficiency in the EFL classroom?" The objective of this research is to determine the correlation between the two variables, based on the Self-Determination Theory by Ryan and Deci (2020), which posits that intrinsic motivation can significantly enhance students’ engagement and performance.

This research used a quantitative correlational design. The population was 81 students of grade X at Madrasah Aliyah Al Hidayah, Jember. The instruments used were a questionnaire adapted from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) to measure students’ intrinsic motivation, and a speaking test scored using the rubric developed by David P. Harris to assess speaking proficiency. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment correlation.

The result showed a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and speaking proficiency (r = 0.579, p < 0.001). Among the subscales of intrinsic motivation, Enjoyment-Interest had the strongest correlation (r = 0.474), followed by Effort-Importance (r = 0.448), Pressure-Tension (r = 0.358), and Perceived Competence (r = 0.242).

Based on the results, it can be concluded that students who possess high intrinsic motivation tend to achieve better speaking proficiency. Therefore, encouraging students’ intrinsic motivation can play a significant role in improving their speaking skills in the EFL classroom.