Improving Student’s Speaking Skill at SMP Wahid Hasyim Malang by Using Communicative Language Teaching

By Sujito

Chapter I

Introduction

This chapter presents about background of the study, research problem, objective of research, significance of research, scope and limitation of the research and definition of key terms.

1.1  Background of Study

English become the most important language in the world. At present, learning English as a foreign language is very importance, since English is the key to the international currencies of technology and commerce (Hutchinson and waters, 1989:6). As international language, learning English become popular in some of country. As like in Indonesia, English become one subject that be mastered. And many society began realize about this fact.

Actually, there are four basics skill that should be mastered in Junior High school. They are: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. In Junior High school, each skill needs more understanding for the student. Because their level up to intermediate level and this is a new change for them improve the new language that different with their first language or mother language. It is not easy to master all the skills. There must be one important skill that covers the whole skills.

 Based on the statement above speaking is the most important skill that should be mastered by students in order to communicate in English fluently. In this case, the students must study hard to master it and the teacher should create a good atmosphere in class. Speaking activities do not work in class because many factors prevent students from speaking English with their friends. They are afraid of making mistakes, of being laughed at by his or her friends and having lack of confidence in their ability because all of them have different thing to each other. Perhaps it likes an extended family of different approach, it is the case with most families, and not all students live harmoniously together all of time. However, no one is willing to assert that they do not belong to the family’ (Nunan, 2004:7)

Considering problem, relating to speaking activities in class and helping students to improve their speaking skill in part of the teacher’s job. He or she expected to have right teaching method to provide students with appropriate teaching materials and to create a positive classroom environment.

As professional teacher in language teaching, especially the teaching of English a foreign language, teachers mostly spend much of time on appropriate teaching methodologist for greater effectiveness in student acquisitions on English, designing and implementing materials, test, and practice. Teachers are responsible to educate the students from little or no knowledge to sufficient English speaking environment. The teaching process should not only happen between teachers and students but also between students and students.

Speaking is to express or communicate opinions, feelings, ideas, or as talking and it involve the activities in the part of speakers as psychological and physical stages (Oxford Advance Dictionary, 13). It takes place very where and has become part of our daily activities. When someone speaks, he or she interact and uses the language to express his or her ideas, feeling and thought.  He or she also shares information to other through communication. In the classroom, the teachers must create the situation that can encourage real communication. Many methods can be designed to make major’s element lively.

            One of many popular methods is Communicative Language Teaching Method. Communicative Language Teaching Method centers on the essential belief that if students are involved in meaning-focused communicative task, plentiful exposure to language in used and plenty opportunities to use it are vitally important for a student’s development of knowledge and skill. Activities in Communicative Language Teaching Method typically involve student in real or realistic communication such as speaking, where the successful achievement of the communicative task they are performing is at least as important as the accuracy of their language use.

Speaking actually is to express opinions, feelings, ideas and the process of sharing meaningful through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in variety context. Speaking is important because by speaking people understanding the meaning that was expressed each other. Include Junior High School, it is important because it to understanding each other, students to students and students to teachers, especially speaking of English. Beside to understanding each other, in Junior High School speaking is one of the four subjects of English course that must be mastered.

In second year students of SMP WAHID HASYIM MALANG, the English course has a problem, especially speaking. Score of speaking English’s students in second year is low mostly. Their score is 5.5; this is lower than the minimal standard score.

Based on the statements above, the researcher will conduct the research to improve the second year students of SMP WAHID HASYIM MALANG by title “IMPROVING STUDENT’S SPEAKING SKILL AT SMP WAHID HASYIM MALANG BY USING COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODE”.

1.2 Research Problem

Based on the background of study above, the statement of the problem as follows: How can Communicative Language Teaching Method improve the students’ speaking at second year students of SMP WAHID HASYIM Malang?

1.3 Objective of Research

This study aims to describe how Communicative Language Teaching Method can improve the students’ speaking at second year students of SMP WAHID HASYIM Malang.

1.4  Significance of Research

This study expected to give contribution for English teacher in general, especially for SMP WAHID HASYIM MALANG and they can informed about the use of Communicative Language Teaching Method as means to improve the students’ speaking. The student can use it to improve their English speaking.

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Research

The scope and limitation of this study is focused on improving one of the four subject of English course in SMP WAHID HASYIM MALANG, the subject is speaking English. The method will be used is Communicative Language Teaching Method. And the subject of this study is second year students of SMP WAHID HASYM MALANG

1.6 Definition of Key Terms

In order to avoid misunderstanding or get the same perception of the terms used in the study, the following definitions are given:

     1.     Speaking: is process of communicate to express opinions, feelings, ideas in order to understanding each other, student to student or student to teacher, share information and build the relations. Speaking in this case is one of the subjects of English course that must be mastered in Junior High School.  

     2.     Improving                                          

The term improving in this study is to increase the students’ score on one of four subject of English course that must be mastered, the skill is speaking skill. It means that the score of speaking skill should be rise up than before the Communicative Language Teaching given.

      3.     Communicative Language Teaching Method

Centers on the essential belief that if students are involved in meaning-focused communicative task, plentiful exposure to language in used and plenty opportunities to use it are vitally important for a student’s development of knowledge and skill.