The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors affecting EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ participation in speaking lesson in English classrooms on some selected preparatory schools in Kembata Tembaro Zone. It was a descriptive study. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate the problem in the schools. Twelve (12) English teachers and three hundred (300) students from Shinshicho, Hedero and Doyogena were taken as a sample population. Therefore, from 300 students, 147=males and 153=females were taken as sample representatives of participants of the study. Students were selected using through simple random sampling techniques. From total twelve teachers at Shinshicho, Hedero and Doyogena Preparatory Schools. They selected using through availability sampling techniques. The instruments that were used for data collection were: questionnaire, interview, and classroom observations. Six selected teachers from some selected preparatory school and eight students who filled the questionnaire were selected by using purposive sampling techniques and they were interviewed. The findings were described through using frequencies/percentage and narrative description. Analysis of the data was ran descriptively. The results of the study indicated that the students faced many problems in relation to teacher, teaching resources and students’ their own role related factors, like: teachers way of teaching, class sizes, lack of motivation, using mother tongue and material related factors. Based on the results and discussions, some recommendations were given for both teachers and students in order to develop students speaking skill in English language, like: teachers should understand participatory ways of teaching, there should be 25 students in one class, students should be motivated to participate in speaking activity, teachers and students should minimize over use of mother tongue in English speaking classrooms were major recommendations.