The Reading–Speaking Connection: EFL Students' Perceptions of How Reading Habits Foster Self-Confidence and Fluency

Abstract

Reading is widely regarded as a foundational language skill, yet its role as a direct input for oral communication is less understood, particularly the authentic, self-initiated reading students pursue outside formal instruction. This qualitative study examined how ten students from the English Language Education and English Literature programs at a private university in Jakarta perceived the relationship between their reading habits and their self-confidence and fluency in speaking English. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, complemented by observation of five participants' recorded speaking performances and by member checking to strengthen credibility, then analyzed using Creswell's interactive qualitative analysis procedure. Findings show that participants perceived reading as the primary source of vocabulary, sentence patterns, and ideas that prepared them to speak, generating a self-reinforcing cycle in which reading built confidence, confidence encouraged speaking practice, and practice consolidated fluency. Fluency was largely context-dependent, and speaking anxiety, while universal, was actively managed through reading-based preparation. The study underscores the pedagogical value of treating reading, including students' everyday digital reading, as a deliberate strategy for developing oral English proficiency.