Having worked in multiple South Korean middle schools, I noticed varying degrees of communicative ability in English among students who had similar knowledge of the language. I wanted to understand the reasons for this fluctuation in oral proficiency with the goal of better assisting those who struggled to communicate on the same level as their peers. It transpired that a student's willingness to communicate was greatly effected by their motivation and self-perceived confidence. In order to improve their speaking ability these factors need to be addressed both in and out of the classroom.