THE EFFECT OF USING TALKING STICK TECHNIQUE ON
THE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY
A THESIS
Submitted to the English Department, Faculty of Language and Arts, State University of Medan, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the
Degree of Sarjana Pendidikan
BY
PUTRI ILMI RANGKUTI
Registration Number: 2103121036
ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTEMENT
LANGUAGES AND ARTS FACULTY
ABSTRACT
Rangkuti. Putri Ilmi. 2103121036. The Effect of Using Talking Stick Technique on The Students’ Speaking Ability. A Thesis. English Department. Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Medan, Medan: 2015. This study deals with The Effect of Using Talking Stick Technique on The Students’ Speaking Ability. This study was conducted by using experimental research.. The population of the research was grade VIII of MTs Parmiyatu Wasa’adah, which consisted of 56 students. The research was divided into two groups: experimental and control groups. The instrument used to collect the data was describing pictures orally. To obtain the reliability of the test, the writer applied Spearman Brown’ formula. The result of the reliability was 0.94, and it was found that the test was reliable. The data were analyzed by using t-test formula. The analysis showed that the scores of the students in the experimental group were significantly higher than the scores of the students in the control group at the level of significant µ = 0.05 with the degree of freedom (df) 54, t-observed value 6.33 > t-table value 2.004. The findings indicate that using Talking Stick Technique significantly affected the students’ speaking ability. So, English teachers are suggested to use Talking Stick Technique in order to improve students’ speaking ability.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
First of all, the writer would like to express her deepest gratitude to Allah
SWT, and Prophet Muhammad who inspired the writer to be strong and patient
in completing this thesis which entitled: The Effect of Using Talking Stick Techinique on The Students’ Speaking Ability. This thesis is aimed to fulfill one of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan of the English
Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Medan
(UNIMED).
In completing this thesis, the writer realized that she faced some problems
and she had received the academic guidance, suggestions, and comments and got
a lot of assistance and moral support from many people. Therefore, the writer
would like to express her gratitude and special thanks to:
Prof. Dr. Ibnu Hajar Damanik, M.Si., as the Rector of State University of Medan.
Dr. Isda Pramuniati, M.Hum., as the Dean of Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Medan.
Prof. Dr. Hj. Sumarsih, M.Pd., as the Head of English Department,
Dra. Masitowarni Siregar, M.Ed., as the Head of English Education Study Program.
Dra. Sri Juriati Ownie. M.A., her Thesis Advisor. Drs. Johan Sinulingga, M.Pd., her Academic Advisor.
Prof. Amrin Saragih, M.A., Ph.D., Neni Afrida Sari, M.Hum., as her Reviewer And Examiner.
All the lecturers of English department who have taught, guided, and advised her throughout the academic years.
Yusuf, S.Ag., as the Headmaster of Mts. Parmiyatu Wasa’adah, for his
mental and everything that they have given to the writer.
Her beloved friends Surya Arizona, Dody Faisal Riza, Batsyeba Silaen, Magdalena Simanjuntak, Samuel Nicko Panjaitan. For their support, love, motivation and attendance in hard situation.
Her friendship Reguler Dik. C’ 2010, as her great class for the love and togetherness throughout four years, her friends in PPLT SMPN 1 SIPISPIS,
for many experiences and togetherness and also other comrades that can be
mentioned one by one.
The writer realizes that this thesis still has the paucity; She conveniently
welcomes anysuggestions, comments critics, and advices that will improve the
quality of this thesis. She hopes that this thesis would be useful for those who are
read and interested in the field of this study.
Medan, April 2015 The writer,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Theoretical Framework ... 6
a. The Implementation of Talking Stick ... 18
G. Technique of Analyzing Data ... 30
CHAPTER IV THE DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS A. The Data ... 32
B. Data Analysis ... 36
1. Analyzing the data by using t-test ... 36
C. Reliability ... 37
D. Testing Hypothesis ... 37
E. Research Finding ... 38
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion ... 39
B. Suggestion ... 39
REFERENCES ... 41
LIST OF TABLES
Pages
Table 3.1 Research Design... 22
Table 3.2 Scenario of Treatment for Experimental Group ... 24
Table 3.3 Scenario for Control Group ... 26
Table 3.4 Assessment of Speaking ... 28
Table 3.5 The Students’ Score Will Be Listed in The Following Table ... 29
Table 4.1 The Pre-Test Result of Experimental Group ... 32
Table 4.2 The Post-Test Result of Experimental Group ... 33
Table 4.3 The Pre-Test Result of Control Group ... 34
LIST OF FIGURE
LIST OF APPENDICES
Pages
APPENDIX A ... 44
APPENDIX B ... 49
APPENDIX C ... 51
APPENDIX D ... 52
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.Background of the Study
Nunan (1991: 8) states that “oral communication is a two way process
between speaker and listener and involves the productive skill of speaking and the
receptive skill of understanding (listening with understanding).” Speaking as one
of four basic skills is used by people to communicate to other people. Learners
encouraged say words in English after listening to some words whether it is
spoken or written. Because English is one of important language that used and
being an international language as the tool of communication, it is expected that
the students will be able to use it at least in a simple oral communication as a tool
in making a good interaction in English communication.
In process of teaching English, students think that speaking is very
difficult to learn or to practice. When the teacher asks the students to say anything
like say their opinions or ideas, orally, most of them are afraid and ashamed.
Therefore, this reason makes the students become lazy to take the part in speaking
field practice. Based on the writer’s experience through PPL (Field experience
program) of grade IX junior high school at SMPN 1 Sipispis, Serdang Bedagai,
The writer found that the students cannot reach the minimum completeness
criteria (KKM) which about 75. From the 3 different classes that the writer has
already observed which consist of 79 students, writer found that just 24 students
teachers of English subject still using the traditional ways of teaching process,
which the teachers is a central point of teaching process and the students
assembled in rows of desks, all facing the chalkboard. Moreover, the teachers just
teach the students with all the materials of the book, even in every meeting
teacher ask the students to do all the tasks of their handbook page by page.
Dr. Locust (1998) stated that, Traditional classroom speaking practice
often uses a script which one student asks a question and other student gives an
answer. By using the script, the question and answer already reorganized,
structured and predictable. It just demonstrates the ability to ask and answer the
question. But the main purpose of teaching speaking skills is to encourage the
learners to communicate in English fluently.
In different chance, The writer made a mini observation at MTS
(Madrasah Tsanawiyah Swasta) Parmiyatu Wasa’adah, Deli Serdang. In this
school, the writer observed the value of the students in English matter particularly
in speaking. The writer found the data of grade IX and VIII that showed 60% of
students cannot reach the minimum completeness criteria (KKM) which is 75.
The writer also interviewed some students to ask about their difficulties in
learning English especially in speaking practice. From the interview the writer
found that the students always getting confuse about English vocabulary and
grammar. Actually they know what they want to say by using their mother tongue
in Indonesia, but they do not know how to say it in English. It’s proven by their
ability in arranging sentence or translating English words into Indonesia and vice
opinions, they started silent and have no confident to speak. They are afraid of
grammatical rules and their friends’ or teacher’s comment about their speaking
ability. It happens not because of the students’ capacity, but also the wrong way of
their teachers in teaching process.
The problems above can be solved by one of the techniques, called
Talking Stick technique. Talking Stick technique work with the students makes a
circle and running together with simple song such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little
Star” and then only the student or the team member holding the stick is allowed to
speak. He or she may hold the stick for an agreed-upon length of time (usually
one minute) before passing the stick to the next person on the team. A Talking
stick is usually decorated in some manner. When teams are newly formed have
them create a team Talking Stick as a team-building activity. The team sticks
could be decorated to represent the team’s name or the content currently being
studied by the class. When each student is in possession of the stick, he or she is
asked to speak whatever comes to their mind based on the topic. This technique
first time was known as Native American technique to let everyone speak their
mind during a council meeting, a type of tribal meeting.
St Hartina (2009)already prove that the talking stick technique in
improving students’ speaking ability in her thesis “Using Talking Stick Technique
to Improve the Speaking Ability of The Second Year Students at SMA Negeri 1
Maiwa Kabupaten Enrekang.” At her thesis, she told that the data showed that the
students speaking ability before and after the treatments were significantly
proved that the used of talking stick technique in learning activity contributed to
the students’ more effective in teaching speaking. Using talking stick technique
can improve the students speaking ability even though the results of them were
different. It can be seen through their increasing score from pre-test to post-test.
Based on the explanation above, I would like to make a study by using this
technique to help the students of MTs Parmiyatu Wasaadah to improve their
speaking ability through talking stick technique, where everyone can speak
without worry about their speaking is not being listened.
B.The Problem of the Study
In conducting a research, the problem of the study must be clearly stated
so that the objective of the study and media used can be well determined. In line
with the background, the problem of the study is formulated in the form of a
question as follows:“Does the application of Talking Stick Technique significantly
affect the students’ speaking Ability?”
C.The Objective of the Study
In connection with the research problem, this study is aimed to investigate
whether the using of Talking Stick technique could affect the students’ ability in
D.The Scope of the Study
This research deals with solving students’ problem in speaking by using
Talking Stick technique. Kinds of activities can be applied such as communicative
games, telling picture, question-answer activities and this study is focused on the
effect of using talking stick technique by using pictures.
E.The Significance of the Study
As this thesis is concerned with the effect of using Talking Stick technique
on grade VIII students speaking ability, the findings will provide valuable input to
be useful and considered to be used to improve the teaching and learning process.
Not only English but also in other subjects. This study is also expected to
encourage the students to develop their speaking ability through talking stick
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION
A.Conclusions
After analyzing data, it is found that the talking stick technique
significantly affects on students’ speaking ability. It’s proved by the result of the
data analysis by using t-test. The calculation showed that t-observed value was
higher than t-table value at p=0.05 (6.33 >2.004)
The students who are taught by using talking stick technique have higher
ability than the students who are taught without using talking stick technique. In
other words, talking stick technique has significantly effect on students’ speaking
ability. Beside that, students who are taught by using talking stick technique have
many chances to express their idea or to practice their English.
B.Suggestions
Based on the conclusion above, the writer offers some suggestions:
1) English teacher should give many chances to the students to speak or to
practice their English in the classroom, because English is a foreign
language in Indonesia. In out of classroom activities, students have less
2) The students should apply talking stick technique on learning speaking
process, because by using talking stick technique they can be forced to
speak in English.
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