IMPROVING
SPEAKING ABILITY BY USING SERIES OF PICTURE
By: Erwin Hari Kurniawan
Abstract:
The problems of this research were
how to improve speaking ability using series of picture and how to motivate the
students to speak English. The research was guided by a conceptual framework
leading to the using series of pictures through pair work to improve their
motivation to speak English during the process of classroom communication
interaction. The research type was an action research. The subject consisted of
20 students of the third special class of SMP Ar Risalah Kediri in 2007-2008
academic years. The research data were collected using test (test after first
treatment and test after the second treatment), observation for collecting data
on the students’ motivation in improving speaking ability using series
pictures. Data on speaking ability using series of picture were analyzed using
the descriptive and statistic analysis, using the increasing of mean after the
first and the second treatment. The study concluded that using series of
pictures through pair work as a teaching strategy variation has brought a new
nuance in English language teaching in improving their ability to speak
English.
1.
BACKGROUND
Students’ learning outcome, which is
still considered as unsuccessful, has always been the focus of criticism
towards the failure of teaching of English in Indonesia. As a consequence
English teachers are demanded to be responsible for the failure in making the
students capable of using English for communication both productively and
receptively. To alleviate this ordeal, educators, practitioners, and policy
makers quite often pay very much attention to research dealing with the
curriculum, methodology and teachers excluding such significant variables as
the learner perspective. They have rarely taken the learner perspective into
consideration as a very important contribution to the learning process.
Does the failure have any relations
to these factors? Some English textbooks written for young learners seem to
neglect these factors. As a matter of fact, many research findings have shown
the powerful role of the students in improving their learning outcome.
Teaching speaking in Indonesia is
considered to be the most difficult, pronunciation, structure, discourse, and
the social context of culture and situation. In short, it needs the mastery of
the linguistic and the cultural competence. Besides, as speaking is difficult,
more effort is required on the part of the students and teachers. It is not
enough for the students to listen or to speech only. The teachers need to give
the students’ activities to practice the new speech among the four basic skills
of language. Bourdons in Nunan (1993) stated that spoken language needs the
mastery of vocabulary habit. This means that practice speaking needs much time
to fulfil the requirements of the mastery of spoken English, either from school
or the environment.
Teaching English at Junior High
School in Indonesia as stated in Curriculum 2004 revised in 2006 covers
abilities four aspecs of language. One of them is speaking ability. Paultson
and Brunder (1975) stated that the objective of the language teaching is the
production of the speaker’s competence to communicate in the target language.
Rivers (1968) stated that the teacher should give the students opportunities to
practice speaking. She further stated that if the students are able to practice
the new speech habit throughout as the children do in his native language, the
problem of speaking fluency of foreign language would be lessened.
Teaching speaking at Junior High
School in Indonesia is one of the main focuses in the English teaching.
Therefore the English teachers should find out the effort on searching and
creating a new model in presenting materials, in order to increase speaking
ability.
Based on the background above, the
researcher formulates the following research questions: (1) Do the students
have high motivation in speaking English using series of picture?; (2) Does the
use of series of pictures through pair work significantly improve their ability
to speak English?
Related to the problem statement
above, the objective of this research is then specified: (1) to know about the
effectiveness of using series of pictures in improving their motivation to
speak English through pair work; (2) to know about the effectiveness of using
series of pictures through pair work in improving their ability to speak
English.
The result of this research is
expected to be useful information to: (1) increase the teachers’ knowledge of
English and share experiences in improving speaking ability using series of
picture; (2) encourage the teachers’ colleagues in doing action research in
improving their teaching as the professional practices; (3) give any
contribution to the general public in increasing knowledge concerning about
classroom action research and get any reflection for being perfection.
This research is done by the subject
of the students of the third class of SMP Ar Risalah Kediri using series of
pictures through pair work to improve their ability to speak English. The
researcher focused his research in improving speaking ability and the students’
motivation in the process of teaching and learning using series of picture. The
topics or themes used were: (1) Global warming; (2) Daily activity. Series of
pictures through pair work were used to attract and encourage the students to
improve their ability to construct their understanding and the ability to speak
English and help the teacher to present the materials.
2.
THE REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE
The researcher found some studies
had been conducted using the students’ own picture through pair work in
improving their ability to speak English. Some of them: (1) Rahman, Aulia
(2007) in his research stated that teaching speaking here is how
teacher can give a good theme to the students, the theme must make students
fill happy so they will give attention all times during the teaching process.
The learning and teaching of a second or foreign language is a complex process.
Learning is “Acquiring or getting of knowledge of subject or skill by study,
experience, or instruction.” Similarly, teaching, which is implied in the first
definition of learning, may be defined as. “Showing of helping someone to learn
how to do something, giving instructions, guiding in the study of something,
providing with knowledge, causing to know or understand.” Teaching can not be
defined apart from learning. (2) Westnood, Peter and Oliver
(1975) stated that in improving oral language there are four ways should be
considered in which teachers sometimes operate to restrict language development
or indeed at times train students not to listen but to speak; (3) Hergenhalm in
Elliott (1996) stated that good teaching begins with knowing what you want to
teach: the stimuli, you must also identify the responses you want to connect to
the stimuli and timing of appropriate satisfiers. (4) Hulse in Elliott (1996)
on the effective teaching and effective learning stated that feedback or
reinforcement of asking question is very important. It is a powerful tool of
controlling behaviour of the students. If you praise students’ correct
responses immediately and the students increase correct responses; (5) Erna
(2006) in his research stated the way of teaching speaking as follow: The stages of teaching and learning
speaking is divided into three stages which commonly known as presentation,
practice, and production. (5) Nunan (1993) distinguished
between motor-perceptive skills, which are concerned with correctly using the
sounds and structures of the language, and interactional skills, which involve
using motor-perceptive skills was all that one needed in order to communicate
successfully. Besides, he suggested that, in particular, learners need to
develop skills in the management of interaction involves such things as knowing
when and how to take the floor, when to introduce a topic or change the
subject, how to invite someone else to speak, how to keep a conversation going,
when and how to terminate the conversation and so on.
Speaking lesson can follow the usual
pattern of preparation, presentation, practice, evaluation, and extension. The
teacher can use the preparation step to observe, draw, and establish a context
for speaking task on certain objects and things (where, when, why, with whom it
will occur) and to initiate awareness of speaking skill to be targeted. In
presentation, the teacher can provide learners with a reproduction model that
furthers learner comprehension and help them become more attentive observers of
language use. Practice involves learners in reproducing the target structure,
usually in controlled or highly supported manner. Evaluation involves directing
attention to the skill being examined and asking learners to monitor and assess
their own progress. Finally, extension consists of activities that ask learners
to use strategy or skill in a different context or authentic communicative
situation, or to integrate use of new skill or strategy with previously
acquired ones (Brown, 1994).
Speaking function is the productive
and interactive skill. (1) What is productive skill? With reference to usage,
it is then perfectly true to say that speaking is productive and makes use of
the aural medium. Widdowson (2003) described that the act of communication through
speaking is commonly performed in face-to-face interaction and occurs as part
dialogue or other forms of verbal exchange. What is said, therefore, is
dependent on an understanding of what else has been said, whether by the
speaker or the interlocutor in the interaction; (2) What is an interactive
skill? Richards et al. (2000) stated that speaking is rarely done in one
direction or in the form of monologue. It involves the participation of the
listener. In an interactive communication, a speaker, and therefore the speaker
also becomes a listener. Why series of pictures? A wise statement says ‘I hear
I forget, I see I know, and I do I understand. This means that if we have
learning experiences by observing, drawing, doing and also what our eyes see and
catch most of the time will stay long in our memory. Therefore, the statement
strengthens to improve speaking ability by using series of pictures as media to
teach English. Pictures as visual aids will attract students’ attention, and
motivate them to learn. In addition, using series of picture means that the
students try to connect the plot in the picture to be a link of story.
Rahman, Aulia (2007) said that
teaching showing pictures can make the students remember more, more impressed,
more interested and more focused. Ways, ideas, and criteria of using series of
pictures: (1) the techniques of using pictures have been around for centuries
and have had its place in all approaches to language teaching. Through
traditionally the purpose of using pictures has been to describe or illustrate
a written or recorded passage (Wright, 1000 pictures 2) . Brown (2007) stated
that picture can be used in many stages of the instructional process, to
introduce and motivate study of new topics, to clarify misconceptions, to
communicate basic information, and to evaluate student’s progress and
achievement. Furthermore, he suggests some ways of using pictures for ensuring
maximum students benefit from using them; (2) Using pictures can be an
effective technique for any proficiencies level or language skill. The
following is an example of how one picture can be used in improving speaking
ability. To teach speaking where the students share personal experiences that
somehow relate to what is happening in a picture they have been given and
drawn; (3) In teaching English using pictures need some criteria: make sure
pictures are clear and unambiguous; make sure pictures provide reason to
communicate (an opportunity or challenge); make sure pictures are interesting,
simple, accurate, useful, legitimate, and visible.
The resources of pictures may be
from: newspapers, magazines, internet, and the teacher and students’ own
drawing. As teaching English based on meaning-based approach has to achieve the
goal of teaching that is communicative competence in which students are
encourage to negotiate the meaning.
Westwood, Peter and Oliver (1979)
stated the principles of oral language should the language program of teaching
speaking be based on: (1) create an enjoyable, entertaining, social learning
situation, which gives pleasure to the students; (2) keep the pair work
activity; (3) arrange for fragment, intensive sessions in two or three short
sessions daily; (4) ensure active participation remembering that it is what a
student practices saying, not what he hears, that improves communicating
ability; (5) have clearly defined, short term goals for each sessions: teaching
a certain adjective, adverb, or conjunction: ‘and’ and’ but’; (6) observe the
slow learners and give some degree of repetition and our learning if necessary;
(7) use material such as practices and games to hold attention as the basis for
language simulation; (8) use pleasure and praise as reinforces.
3.
TEACHING
COMMUNICATION SKILL THROUGH K - W - L MODEL.
K–W–L stands for Know,
Want,
and Learn.
It is teaching model that encourages students to have an active learning by
activating their prior knowledge for anticipating the material that they are
going to learn. It is also commonly used for teaching or developing reading,
writing and speaking skills. There are three stages to K-W-L model as in the
following: (1) Know, at this stage
students need to activate their prior knowledge by observing, drawing, talking,
writing about anything they know about the topic/object of the reading/speaking.
Information collected at this stage, can be drawn or written on the piece of
paper for everybody to see. If the students run out of ideas, they can start
predicting information on more general categories; (2) Want, is students are encourage to ask question, think about what
they want to say or present to speak from the series pictures. So student can
make a list of sentences/questions in which the answer will be derived from the
pictures. Such activity will give students reason to speak or explain the picture
because they are eager to practice their English freely; (3) Learn, here is students describe series
pictures and then they write down or retell anything that they have learned
from the pictures. It is the time when they confirm their prediction from
previous stages.
The teacher should know the
characteristics of a successful speaking activity. Characteristics of a successful speaking
activity: (1) learners can speak a lot; (2) every participation is point; (3)
having motivation and intention; (4) try to reduce the barrier in speaking such
as: (1) shy to make mistake; (2) satisfied to be listeners; (3) giving no
contribution. The teacher can eliminate those problems by doing speaking
activities as like: (1) giving guided questions; (2) peer work; (3) question
and answer drills; (4) retelling.
In assessing the spoken language,
the assessor should pay attention to: (1) purpose and resources; (2) test
types; (3) elicitation techniques of oral test; (4) marking; (5) test
evaluation.
Peer work activities are the
integral aspect of many teachers’ approach to language teaching. One of the
easiest and the best ways of allowing all students in the class to speak
English is to encourage peer work. Every student has partners to explain
his/her picture in improving their ability to speak English and all the pair
work activities take place at the same time.
Peer work activity consisted of
dialogue, interview, giving correction and contribution. In the pair work
activity, the students could explain the picture as in turn. It means that the
interaction between one student and another might be carried out in the form of
pair work, and Individual work activity can be in oral report or oral
presentation, monologue, giving explanation, and describing pictures activity.
4.
METHOD
The method used in this research was
classroom action research focused on improving speaking ability using series of
picture.
The subject of the research
consisted of 20 students of the third class of SMP Ar Risalah Kediri in
2007-2008 academic year.
This research had one dependent
variable and one independent variable: (1) the independent variable of this
research was the teaching device using series of pictures through pair work.
Using series of pictures means the pictures belong to the students (e.g.
pictures taken from magazines and newspapers) or the pictures that the students
had drawn by themselves. Pair work was a teaching technique/activity which
allowed students to act in accordance with the assignment; (2) the dependent
variable of this research was speaking ability. It was empirically by the
students’ mastery of using series of picture which covered fluency,
pronunciation, vocabulary, structure, discourse and the social context of
speaking.
To collect data, the instruments to
be used: (1) test consisted of pre-test, post-test, and formative test; (2)
observation. Test after the first treatment and test after the second treatment
administered to find out the improvement of the students’ speaking ability, the
formative test was administered to measure about the improvement of their
speaking ability from the cycle 1 and cycle 2. The observation was administered
to measure the characteristics of the students towards the application of using
series of pictures through pair work, and questionnaire was administered to
support the data of the students’ improvement in speaking English ability.
5.
DATA
ANALYSIS
Before the treatment, students mean
in speaking was 65.0. Then after the treatments, data on the students’ speaking
skills were collected in line with the instruments (tests, questionnaires, and
observation) and were analyzed using the scoring system, tabulating,
percentage, classification, calculating the mean score, from the first
treatment, the researcher got the mean of the students reached 68.3. Then after
the second treatment, the mean increased to be 78.8. Based on the observation
after the treatments, it indicated that among students had more selves
confidences and had more participant in speaking. The rating scale (band) used for measuring
the improvement of the students’ speaking skill was taken from Sujiono (1992: 47):
|
Interval
|
First treatment
|
Second treatment
|
Criteria
|
||
|
Number of Students
|
Percentage
|
Number of Students
|
Percentage
|
||
|
80-100
|
4
|
20.0
|
10
|
50.0
|
Very Good
|
|
70-79
|
5
|
25.0
|
10
|
50.0
|
Good
|
|
56-69
|
11
|
55.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
Fair
|
|
45-55
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
Less
|
|
0-44
|
0
|
0.0
|
0
|
0.0
|
Poor
|
|
Total
|
20
|
100
|
20
|
100
|
|
6.
CONCLUSION
AND SUGGESTION
6.1.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings and discussion in the previous parts,
the following conclusions are:
(1)
The implementation of teaching English in this action
research using series of pictures through pair work as
teaching strategy could nurture the students’ motivation in improving their
ability to speak English both at the first cycle and second cycle;
(2)
The use of series of pictures
through pair work as teaching strategy could improve speaking ability
significantly. This led to the conclusion that using of series of pictures
through pair work as a teaching strategy is a need in English language teaching
and learning in improving their ability to speak English in the term of
vocabulary, grammar, discourse, and their performance based on the context of
situation. It has brought a good nuance and variation in English language
teaching particularly in teaching speaking ability.
6.2.
SUGGESTIONS
The first is addressed to the
third class of SMP Ar Risalah Kediri dealing with the classroom implementation
of the findings. The second one is addressed to the foreign language teaching
researchers.
1)
The
classroom implementation of the findings
Since the implementation of using
series of pictures has been proven to be successful in improving their ability
to speak English, it is strongly suggested that such teaching strategy
“improving speaking ability using series of pictures” could be continually implemented
in teaching speaking.
2)
Further
researchers
The emphasis of conducting this
research was the improving speaking ability using series of picture. The result
of this research showed that speaking ability could get significantly
improvement gain.
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