This research was aimed at knowing students difficulties in speaking
English and also the strategies used to cope with the difficulties faced by fourth
semester students of English department in Muhammadiyah University of
Purwokerto in academic year 2013/2014. The research was conducted in June and
July 2014 in Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto. The sample was 26
students of class B. The method used was descriptive method. In collecting the
data, the writer found an appropriateness between the result of questionairre and
interview that the students had some strategies to solven speaking difficulties. The
percentage of each speaking strategy was 84.61% for seeking help, 77.88% for
creating new words, 75.00% for adjusting the message, 71.15% for switching to
the native language, 68.26% for using approximation, 67.30% for using
paraphrasion, and the last was 60.57% for using non-linguistic resources.
Meanwhile the difficulties found were grammar as a stumbling block, inadequate
vocabulary, and unproper pronunciation.