Academic speaking proficiency is essential for English Education students preparing to become professional educators. This study explores the challenges faced by 58 sixth-semester students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, focusing on fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, anxiety, discourse structuring, interaction with lecturers, peer collaboration, and confidence. Using a quantitative approach and a Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from Anam (2023), the findings show that fluency, pronunciation, and anxiety were the main challenges, while positive results in discourse structuring and collaboration suggest a supportive environment. The study highlights the need for targeted teaching strategies, ongoing speaking practice, and anxiety-reducing methods.