THE CONCEPTUALIZATION AND DISTINCTIVE ATTRIBUTES OF SPEAKING SKILLS IN THE CONTEXT OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Speaking is a key skill that helps us communicate and interact in both personal and work environments. It is a complex process that involves more than just saying words. Languages are used by both native and non-native speakers. English is a widely spoken international language with large populations using it around the world. This language has four main skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Speaking is a productive skill, meaning it involves creating spoken words. According to Chaney (1998), speaking involves creating and sharing meaning using both verbal and non-verbal symbols in various contexts. This means that speaking is not just about saying words but also about organizing and conveying ideas. It is important for speakers to understand the meaning before they share it. This understanding can be enhanced by using non-verbal language to organize thoughts and emphasize points, especially when students are speaking.Nunan (2003) also defines speaking as producing English speech sounds and patterns; using word and sentence stress, intonation patterns, and rhythm in appropriate social settings, with the right audience, situation, and subject matter. It involves organizing thoughts in a meaningful and logical order, expressing values and judgments, and using the language quickly and confidently with minimal unnatural pauses, which is known as fluency.