1
AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY INSPEAKING ACTIVITY IN THE CLASSROOM
A Study at Second Semester Students of STKIP PGRI West Sumatera
Oleh:
Yogi Fernanda *)
**) Mayuasti dan ***) Elmiati Staff Pengajar Program StudiPendidikanBahasa Inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat
ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif deskriptif untuk menganalisa kemampuan berbicara mahasiswa dalam kegiatan berbicara didalam kelas oleh mahasiswa semester dua jurusan Bahasa inggris STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat. Untuk kerangka analisa, peneliti memggunakan pendekatan Simple Random Sampling dalam untuk menentukan sampel dan utk menjawab pertanyaan penelitian. Untuk mengumpulkan data, peneliti melakukan observasi di kelas, dengan menggunakan alat penelitian seperti Observasi ceklis, catatan lapangan, rubrik penilaian, dan alat rekaman. Data tersebut di analisa dengan menggunakan teori yang terdapat pada penelitian ini. Data yang diperoleh dari partisipasi siswa tersebut dikumpulkan, kemudian disesuaikan berdasarkan kemampuan siswa. Hasil dari analisa in terdapat 36 orang mahasiswa sebagai sampel dari 184 orang mahasiswa STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat semester dua jurusan Bahas Inggris. Dari 36 orang mahasiswa tersebut menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan berbicara mahsiswa terdapat pada level 2, dimana mahasiswa tersebut lebih cendrung bagus pada kepercayaan diri mereka dan juga dalam interaksi mereka dalam berbicara Bahasa Inggris. Hanya saja mereka tidak menguasai kosa kata, struktur, cara pengucapan dan juga kelancaran mereka dalam berbahasa karena tidak menguasai beberapa komponen dalam berbicara tersebut. Berdasarkan temuan tersebut, dianjurkan kepada dosen Bahasa Inggris untuk memberikan kesempatan secara merata untuk berbicara kepada mahasiswa.
*) Penulis
**) Pembimbing I
***)Pembimbing II
2 INTRODUCTION
Classroom activity is important component of English language course for most students that develop the ability to communicate through speech.
Therefore, speaking ability should be taught and practiced in the language classroom. So, the lecturer should know how the best teaching to increase the students speaking ability. In order to makes language learning more meaningful and benefical in preparing students for real life situation. The students become more confident and comfortablein delivering their thoughts. In speaking activity, they have definite opportunities to practice by using the language more frequently during speaking class. At this point, the teacher can encourage and promote foreign language development especially to improve speaking ability.
In speaking activities, the students are hoped to be active. The students could not express their ideas using appropriate vocabulary and grammatical forms. Students did not know the English words and how to apply them in various grammatical forms problem is many students have incorrect pronounciation. In speaking activities, the students should be able to express English fluently. On the other hand, if the right activities are taught in the right way, speaking in class can be a lot of fun and make the students more active in the learning process and at the same time make their learning more meaningful and fun for them.
Definition of Speaking
Speaking is very important to the students because athrough speaking the students can express their idea, opinion and information the skill orally.
In speaking the students do not only practice alone but also build interaction with other. Therefore speaking activities have to be mastered by students in helping them to achieve the learning goals and to communicate well.
Speaking is kind of communication, according to Richard and Renandya (2002: 210), speaking is one of the central elements of communication. In teaching english, it is an aspect that needs speacials attention and instruction. In order to provide effective instruction. It means that speaking is kind of communication must need speaking. So, speaking cannot be separated with communication and speaking can give effective instruction more than others skills in communication.
Furthermore, speaking is activity to produce opinion and construct the meaning, Nunan(2003:48) state that speaking is the productive aural or oral skill, it consist of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning. In
the other hand, speaking is oral activity in producing sound that expression opinion and construct the meaning. Therefore the students can get information and can understand the meaning of information and the students can share the information to other students.
Speaking relates someone to others in changing information. Moreover, Powers (2010: 2) states speaking is the basic communications, so it is the most important skill among the others language skills. This argument is clearly states that speaking is the most skill than other basic like, listening, reading, and writing. It is because speaking relates someone to others in changing informationeven some people assumes that someone is great English if that guy or girl is good when speakingthis a assumption is like a notation for speaking skill as the basic and the most important skills than others.
From the explanation above, it was considered as the basic skill than others. The combination aspect of language like verbal and nonverbal and functional describe that speaking skill is the most difficult skill than others for the students. Therefore speaking fluently and confidently in variety of situation is a central human need and an important goal of education.
Components of Speaking
Brown (2001:406-407) says Speaking as development of the relationship between speaker and listener. In addition speaking determining which logical linguistic, psychological a physical rules should be applied in a given communicate situation”. It means that the main objective of speaking is for communication. Brown says,there are some aspects in speaking, grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, pronunciation. The explanation of this theory will be explain in appendix I (see appendix I)
The researcher discussed about the components of speaking. Hornby (1996) state that speaking component are pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluently, self confidence.
a. Pronunciation
Hornby defines pronunciation as the way in which a language is a spoken, way in which a word is pronounced (Hornby, 1996:669). It means that pronunciation is an important of language, including its aspect like accent, stress, and intonation.
b. Grammar
Grammar and pronunciation has a close relationship. In addition to the sound system learners must be taught by using structure system of language. Learners must be given insight into word
3 order, inflection and derivation into the other meaningful features of the English language. It will help students to speak fluently.
c. Vocabulary
Hornby (1996:979) defines vocabulary is range of words known or used by a person in trade, profession, etc. If students have many vocabularies, it will be easier for him to express his idea.
d. Fluently
Hornby (1996:330) defines fluency as the quality of being able to speak smoothly and easily.
It means that someone can speak without any hesitation. Someone can speak fluently even though he makes errors in pronunciation and grammar.
e. Self-Confidence
Self confidence becomes an important factor in speaking learning process. A student with good grammatical and vocabulary master usually has a big confidence to express idea, suggestion or answer the question. He feels like that, so he thinks he knows what will he say and how to express.
This theory explains that spaekin components consist of prununciation and grammar, vocabulary and fluently, self confident. Grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary has a relationship, because without grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary, the students difficult to explore their ideas. After that, followed by fluently and self confidence to make the student easier talking English to other.
To speak with other, everyone must have a good pitch, tone and other to give a good information. Furthermore, Turk (2001:131), describes that the components of speaking are pitch, tone, timbre, and pattern of stress. It can be comprehended that in speaking the speakers need to consider those smallest things while speaking. And the speakers have to be able to make sure that tone, timbre, and pitch of their voices are used well during they get speaking activity. Some words or some sentences that is mentioned by the speakers during speaking process have to be arranged in a good stress, so the speakers can put the right stress in the right words or sentences.
In speaking activity, there are some componentsthat include in it. Another definition of speaking components comes from Easterbrook’s and Estes (2007: 13) statecomponents of the speaking skill are suprasegmental, vowels, dipthongs, word, phrases, and connected speech.
They are the building block of spoken language our main targets or objective. It can be described that in speaking activity, the speaker should know detail component of speaking such as suprasegmental, vowels, diphthongs, word, phrases, and connected speech. Thus, speaking components will make the
students speaking well. As a result, a vowels help the students to say the word by word fluently, diphthongs help the students tyo produce phrase with a good stress, it will make the students enjoy to speak and make good intearaction.
In communication with other, speaker must do interaction like speaking to others. In addition, Matsumoto (2011:141) defines that the components of speaking are social unit, participants, and interactions. This theory explains that when people are going to do speaking interaction means that they are going to do social interaction, and an interaction that has been done by them will be included in communication process. In the other word, speaking is not only an activity but also a complex unit of human interaction.
In conclussion, about the components of speaking above, speaking is a complex skill.
Component of speaking such as pronunciation will help the students to say the word, grammar and vocabulary will help the students to make a good sentences in their speech. In doing speaking interaction, the speakers have to have an ability to develop all of the speaking components in order to ensure the goal of communication can be achieved and comprehended. Thus, the speakers are ask to be able in putting a level of speaking interaction based on the context of communication, whether formal or non-formal conversation.
Definition of Speaking Activity
In the classroom, if the students repeat what they said to make them know all about they learn it is speaking activity. According to Baker and Heather (2003 : 07)speaking activity is that the students repeat sentence or dialogs and chant English word. Repetition is only one useful way of practicing new language. It meansthat the students in speaking activities have to repeat what they said to make them know all about they learn to increase their speaking ability in English.
In speaking activity the students can control their emotional brain. Furthermore, Claes et al (2008 : 181) explain speaking activity done both for pleasure and for learning about themselves and others, its will help the students to control their emotional brain, competencies and capabilities.
Thus, speaking activity is activity when they students learn and feel pleasure with themselves, because when they speak it will control their emotion and make they know what students to say.
Moreover, Richards (2002 : 228) states that speaking activity is require talks as performances, these might includes clarity of presentation is the extends to which the speaker organizes information in an easily comprehensible
4 order, and then use of discourse makers, repetition and stress to emphasize important points. It can be concluded speaking activity is can make the speaker organize all information in an easily.
Wallwork (2001: 73) states that There are six broad types of oral communication activities that might be incorporated into curricula in many fields of study. Most are conducive to either formal or informal assignments. Some are realistically possible only in smaller classes or recitation sections, while others are appropriate for large lectures as well.On their own, any of them can help students learn course materials or ways of thinking (speaking to learn). Incorporated more systematically into a broader curriculum or major, they can together help move students to become more proficient speakers by the time they graduate (learning to speak).
1. One-on-One Speaking (Student-Student or Student- Teacher): Can range from moments punctuating a lecture, where students are asked to discuss or explain some question or problem with the person next to them, to formal student conferences with their instructor.
2. Small-Group or Team-Based Oral Work:Smaller- scale settings for discussion, deliberation, and problem solving. Appropriate for both large lectures and smaller classes and allows levels of participation not possible in larger groups.
3. Full-Class Discussions (Teacher- or Student- Led): Typically less agonistic, argument-based, and competitive than debate and deliberation but still dialogic in character. Often times has the quality of creating an atmosphere of collective, out-loud thinking about some question, idea, problem, text, event, or artifact. Like deliberation and debate, a good way to encourage active learning.
4. In-Class Debates and Deliberations: A structured consideration of some issue from two or more points of view. Debates typically involve participants who argue one side throughout, while deliberation allows for movement by individuals within the process. Both feature reason-giving argument. Can be applied to issues of many kinds, from disputed scientific facts to theories, policy questions, the meaning of a text, or the quality of an artistic production. Can range from two participants to a lecture hall.
5. Speeches and Presentations: Classically, the stand- up, podium speech delivered by an individual from an outline or script. Also includes group presentations or impromptu speaking. A strong element of monologue, but dialogue can be built in with question and answer or discussion with the audience afterward.
6. Oral Examinations: Can take place in the instructor’s office, in small groups, or before a whole class. Range from one oral question on an otherwise written exam to an oral defense of a written answer or paper to an entirely oral quiz or examination. Difficult with very large groups, but an excellent way to determine the depth and range of student knowledge and to stimulate high levels of preparation.
Furthermore, Harmer (2001: 3) states that A popular kind of speaking activity involves an information gap. Students have different information and they have to solve a problem by swapping facts to bridge the information gap between them. Another kind of activity which provokes the kind of speaking we are considering, involves the students in conducting surveys. These can be on any subject: they can question each other about their daily lives (habits, family,) or preferences (food, films, books). In a popular speaking activities, the students have a simulation.
Where the students be themselves or be different characters in their in the differents situation.
Related to all definition of speaking above, the researcher can conclude that speaking activity is done both for pleasure and learning, they students have to repeat what they said to make them know all about they learn and they have to can control their emotional brain, capacities and capabilities.
And to learning the English there are some speaking activities for the students, one on one speaking is speaking between srudent and others students, amall group oral discussion, full class discussion can make a good way to learning, deliberation is can range from two participants to a lecture hall, and then speech or presesntation is dialogue can be built in with question and answer or discussion with the audience afterward, the last is oral examination, where the students ask to one oral question on an otherwise written exam to an oral defense of a written answer or paper to an entirely oral quiz or examination.
Definition of Speaking Ability
According to William O’Grady,et.al (1996:4), speaking ability is the students’ ability in expressing their ideas orally which is represented by the scores of speaking. This theory explains that speaking ability is students ability to make a scores in speaking with do a presentation, where the students will make a good presentation with a good speech.
The speaking ability can converse or to express the students ideas fluently with precise vocabularies and good or acceptable pronunciation.Then, Wallace (1998:98) states that
5 speaking ability is oral practice have meaningful to students when they have to pay attention what they are saying. Thus, the students can learn better on how to require the ability to converse or to express their ideas fluently with precise vocabularies and good or acceptable pronunciation.
Speaking is a difficult ability more than other skill in communication. Freeman in Risnadedi(2001: 56-57) state that speaking ability more complex and difficult than people assume, and speaking study like study other cases in study of language, naturalize many case to language teachers. Thus, speaking ability ia a complex skill, because the student have to choose a good word to make a good phrase and the students must have a good grammar.
Dealing with the theories above, speaking ability is students’ ability in expressing their ideas orally fluently with precise vocabularies and good or acceptable pronunciation which is represented by the scores of speaking. It will done by students with a good speech, the students make a good speech with a good word, pronunciation, grammar and others. The students can express their ideas because they can choose a good word and use that word more efficient.
RESEARCH METHOD
This research design was descriptive qualitative research, because the researcher tried to analyze the Students’ Speaking Ability in Speaking Activity in the Classroom at second semester students in STKIP PGRI West Sumatera.
According to Gay and Airisian (2000:275), descriptive research was used to investigate the variety of educational problems and issues. It means that descriptive research is a research that started of collecting and analyzing the data to find the answer question. In this research, for answering the research question the researcher described and analyzed theStudents Speaking Ability in Speaking Activity in the Classroom.In this researh, the researcher used participants as a sample. According to Baker and Ellece (2011 : 87 ), participants are people who take part in social activity. Thus, participants of this research was English students of STKIP PGRI West Sumatera at the Second Semester students academic year 2014/2015 that done classroom discussion as their activity in teaching learning process. In this research, the researcher took 5 classes which contains36 students.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
The researcher described the finding of the research question as there 36 participant as a
sample in this research. The researcher found so many mistakes in students’ speaking ability when they spoke english in the class, although the students have many mistake in speaking, but the students have many strengthness when they spoke english with others. Firstly in communication in the class, The students have a good self confidence to speak English in the class. They never shy to conversation in speaking with their friends or pairs with teacher in front the class.
Based on the expert explanation about the students peaking ability level, the researcher concluded which the students speaking ability in level 3, it mean that the students able to speaking English in the class, in grammar, the students can control their grammar. The students are able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy in participated effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topic. They could not be expressed himself simply with someone circumlocution and the students could not accent the word with correctly accent. In fluency and Interactive communication, they can discussedparticular interested of competence with reasonable ease.
Rarely has to grope for words.
CONCLUSION
In this part, the researcher gave the conclusion of this research. Based on the pre- observation that had been done and discussed by the researcher. The researcher saw the phenomena about how the students’ speaking ability in speaking activity in the classroom. Based on the phenomena, the researcher wants to know the students speaking ability in the speaking activity in the classroom. To know about the students speaking ability, the researcher constructs a research question. In answering the research question, the researcher used observation. To observe the participant, the researcher used observation, checklist, field note and recording tool. Observation was used to know the students speaking ability in speaking ability , whereas checklist, field note and recording tool are used to support the observation.
After the researcher got the data from those instruments the researcher analyzed the data one by one. The students contributed to fulfill indicator in speaking activity, exactly in speaking ability. The researcher found that most of participants gave contributed to actively involves in speaking activity. Whereas, From the data that had been found, the first year students’ speaking ability in speaking activity in the classroom in level 3.
6 SUGGESTION
In this section, the researcher gives suggestions. There are suggestions for students and also for the lecturers. This suggestion can be benefit for the students to help the students to increase their speaking ability.
First, for the students in speaking class, the students must prepare themeself before start the teaching learning process. The students have to bring dictionary, because their vocabulary in speaking are limited, it make the students could not express their ideas clearly.Sometimes the students used their mother tongue to express their ideas. The students could find the suitable word in the dictionary if they do not have the suitable word when they express their ideas. Second, the students have to interested to speak English, it can help the students be self confidence in front of the class. The students have to practice English with their friend to help the students speak English flunetly. Third, the students could practice their pronunciation with listening the conversation, music or poetry to help the students in speak English., so the students ideas can understand by others easily.
Then, suggestion for the lecturers, based on the result of the students’ speaking ability in speaking activity that has been done by the researcher. It is as consideration for the lecturers to encourage the students’ in speaking activity, such as control that activity, forbid the students to do other activities during the speaking class, and give suggestion to all of student to understanding more about material, not only students who are performing in the class but also all of students in the classroom.
Thus, the researcher hopes that the students’ speaking ability will be better than before, because the students of English Department will be candidate of teacher in the future. It can motivate the students to improve their speaking ability, because it can improve the students self confidence
to speak in front of the public. Besides that, the lecturer should help the students to encourage students in speaking activity, and the lecturer do not just give the chance to students which the lecturer know. Sometimes the lcturer just give a chance to the students some speacial students. So the lecturer have to give a chance and give other students the question to improve their speaking ability.
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