| Summary: | This paper looks at the factors affecting the English spoken by Turkish students learning English. The research took place in one of the private language institutes in Istanbul, Turkey. Of the fifty participants, twenty-five were males and twenty-five were females. The participants' age range was between sixteen and twenty-two years of age. The research showed that lack of opportunity to speak, fear of making mistakes, lack of self-confidence, and not being comfortable speaking in the class are negative factors affecting their speaking ability. In addition, lack of speaking and listening, different grammar structures of Turkish and English, lack of vocabulary, shyness, and, most importantly, thinking in the first language and then translating in the target are other factors hindering progress. To counter these obstacles, this paper recommends that teachers create a natural environment, be patient with learners, and build confidence while teaching.
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