There are four language
skills in English that should be mastered by students such as: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. Almost people are from many countries and
around the world using English to communicate. Speaking is an active process of
negotiating meaning and of using social knowledge of the situation, the topic
and the other speaker (Burn & Joyce, 1999, p. 14). Speaking is an active or
productive skill. The target of speaking skill is an ability to express ideas
freely and spontaneously (Fahrurrazy, 2012, p. 79).
Speaking
takes place everywhere and has become part of our daily activities, when
someone speaks; he or she interests to use the language to express his or her
ideas, feeling, and thought. He or she also shares information to other through
communication. Speaking is so much a part of daily life that we take it for
granted. The average person produces tens of thousands of words a day, although
some people like auctioneers or politicians may produce even more than that. So
natural and integral is speaking that forget how we once struggled to achieve
this ability until, that is, have to learn how to do it all over again in a
foreign language. What then is involved in speaking? The first point to
emphasize is that speech production takes place in real time and is therefore
essentially linear. Words follow words, and phrases follow phrases. Likewise,
at the level of utterance (that is to say, the spoken equivalent of sentence),
speech is produced utterance by utterance, in response to the word by word and
utterance by utterance productions of the person is talking to (interlocutor)
(Thornbury, 1988, pp. 1-2).
According
to Burns & Joyce (1999, p. 4) argued that a common sense explanation of
what happens when people speak to each other is that they “are making
conversation”. However, in everyday life we speak for many different kinds of
reasons. Some of these reasons are to do with our desire to relate to each
other as people, while others have to do with exchanging information or seeking
a practical outcome.
On
the other hands, there are external and internal factors that influence
students to succeed to learn English, especially to acquire speaking. The
external factors consist of conditions around the students, for example their
family, friends, environment, culture, teaching materials and technique,
teachers and curriculum, etc. Whereas the internal factors are factors that
come from the students’ themselves, for example the students’ intelligence,
interest, motivation, personality, etc.
In
the real condition, the students often meet difficulties in speaking, such as
inhibition, nothing to say, low or uneven participant, and mother tongue use.
according to Burns & Joyce (1999, p. 132) argued that there may be any
number of social and cultural factors which account for this situation, the
factors accounting for limited English practice outside the classroom may
include; lack of contact with native speakers, dependence on other family
members who may undertake interactions in English on their behalf, lack of confidence
or motivation, previous negative experiences in using English, and cultural
factors based on religion, gender or age.
Nowadays,
along with the strengthening position of English as a language for
international communication, the teaching of speaking skill has become
increasingly important in the English as a Second or Foreign language (ESL/EFL)
context. The teaching of speaking skill is also important due to the large
number of students who want to study English in order to be able to use English
for communicative purposes. This is apparent in Richards and Renandya’s (2002,
p. 201) publication where they stated, “A large percentage of the world’s
language learners study English in order to develop proficiency in speaking”.
Moreover, students of second/foreign language education programs are considered
successful if they can communicate effectively in the language (Riggenback
& Lazaraton, 1991). The new parameter used to determine success in
second/foreign language education programs appear to revise the previously-held
conviction that students’ success or lack of success in ESL/EFL was judged by
the accuracy of the language they produced. Thus, the great number of learners
wanting to develop English speaking proficiency and the shift of criteria of learning
success from accuracy to fluency and communicative effectiveness signify the
teaching of ESL/EFL speaking (Cahyono&Widiati, 2011, p. 29).
To
improve the students’ speaking skill , the teacher can choose the better techniques
for example individual and group activities. Individual activities such as storytelling,
describing things, and public speech are usually transactional, while group
activities such as role-plays, paper presentation, debates, small group/panel
discussions are interactional (Cahyono & Widiati, 2011, p. 39). And beside
that the teacher can be able to control speaking class and using technology to
invite the students feel motivated in speaking competence. But, realizing the
high importance of speaking skill in English Foreign Language, it is very
important to find and use the best instructional methods, materials,
activities, media, and other requirements that will help the learners to
improve their speaking skill.
The
goal of teaching speaking skills is communicative efficiency. Learners should
be able to make themselves understood, using their current proficiency to the
fullest. They should try to avoid confusion in the message due to faulty
pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary, and to observe the social and cultural
rules that apply in each communication situation (Yunus: 2012, p. 30).
In
preliminary study of this research at the seventh grade of SMP SABILILLAH
Sampang was which conducted in the beginning of the second semester; on April
19st 2014, showed that the students’ speaking skill were still under
the average of satisfying. It was still under the minimum passing score. And
based on interview between the researcher with a teacher and questionnaire
stated that the students get difficulty in pronunciation, grammar,
vocabularies, and their expression of ideas.
Therefore,
the researcher uses mind mapping to improve the students’ problem in speaking
skill because mind-mapping techniques have many advantages, the main benefit is
that you use both halves of the brain which makes it easier to remember.
Moreover, making mind-map is fun. It is a creative process and a natural way to
organize your thoughts. Most of pupils like it because it is not boring. It
will also save time because pupil will memorize the subject material much faster
so it take less time to teach it to them (Hofland, 2007, p. 30).
Mind-map,
invented and copyrighted by Tony Buzan, is a technique of representing
information in a visual way by demonstrating connections among key concepts and
ideas (Buzan & Buzan, 1993, p. 93). Mind map is widely believed to ease the
path towards successful communication of people around the world.
Mind
mapping take all these elements into account (Buzan & Buzan, 1993, p. 93).
It is proved by the use of curve lines, symbols, words, pictures, and colors in
creating a mind mapping. Your brain is naturally attuned to beauty. So, the
more beautiful your mind map is, the more you will create and remember from it
(Buzan & Buzan 1993: 109). The Mind
Map is a multi-dimensional memory jogger and a fantastic revision tool.
Understanding the way you think will help you to use words and imagery in Mind
Map formats for recording, revising, recalling, remembering, organizing,
creative thinking and problem solving in your studies and when revising for exams.
You must also be able to store, recall and retrieve information and data
effectively (Buzan, 2006, p. 11).
There
are seven steps in creating mind mapping (Buzan, 2005, pp. 15-16) as follows:
1.
Start at the center of the paper and put
it horizontally. Why? It does so as starting from the central will provides a
free thinking to the way of thinking mind and also follows the natural rule.
2.
Use a picture or photos for the central
ideas. Why? The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” may be a cliché,
but it is true. The pictures will help us focus, and activate our brain.
3.
Use colors. Why? Because color is as
interesting as pictures for our brain that are able to trigger thinking.
4.
Draw a thick line out from the center
and write an idea associated with the topic. Then draw thine lines from the
thick line and write ideas associated with it. Continue to map until any more
ideas cannot be thought of.
5.
Use a curve line, not a straight line.
Why? Because the straight line will make our brain bored.
6.
Use one word per line. Why? Since each
word has an enormous number of associations, and this rule allow each one more
freedom to link to other associations in our brain.
7. Use
as many images as possible. Why? As like the center picture, a picture is
worth a thousand words.
In Ningrum’s
research (2012, p. 98) under title “Mind Mapping as Writing Strategy across
Gender Differences”. He found that mind-mapping plays a considerable role in
enhancing the students’ writing ability. Using mind-mapping will help the
students to identify important ideas and shows how these ideas fit together.
Furthermore, it also triggers the students’ thinking and understanding of
structuring the information needed to develop a paragraph or essay since the
structure of mind map will represent the structure of their writing.
Siriphanich
(2010, p. 10) stated in his research under title “Using Mind Mapping Technique
to Improve Reading Comprehension Ability of Thai EFL University Students. He
found that after teaching mind mapping
techniques, the majority of the students improved their reading ability in
their post-test mean score was12.15 compared to the pre-test mean score which
was 11.17. The post-test mean score was higher than pre-test mean score at the
0.05 level of significance. Most students were satisfied with their own reading
comprehension ability (72.4%) and enjoyed to work in groups (45.7%). However, a
large number of the students had problems about vocabularies and could not
construct sentences to complete the mind maps by themselves (42.9%). So,
the purpose of this study is to examine
whether the use of mind mapping technique can improve the students’ speaking
skill. It also investigates the students’
attitude towards the use of mind mapping technique.
Method
Based on the
focus of the research, this research intends to improve the students’ speaking
skill through Mind Mapping Technique at the Seventh Grade of SMP Sabilillah
Sampang. Therefore, the design of this research is Classroom Action Research
(CAR). The researcher design planning, acting, observing (the process of
collecting data), and reflecting (the process of analyzing data).
Planning the Action
In this step, the researcher prepared the
teaching strategy of mind-mapping technique to improve the students’ speaking
skill. The preparation covers designing the lesson plan which includes the
instructional materials and media, teaching-learning activities, assessment or
instrument for collecting data, and the last planning is setting criteria of
success.
Designing Learning Strategy of
Mind Mapping. Based on the findings of the preliminary study, mind-mapping
technique is chosen to solve the problems that help the students to speak English
well.
According to Hofland (2007, p. 40)
said that by drawing mind-map, students visualize a text which gives them a
clear insight into the contents. Surprisingly, while all students are able to
summarize the text immediately after they had read it. The use of mind-mapping
is suggested to make students can express their ideas, thoughts, feelings, and
emotion based on the lines or pictures through their speaking skill. Therefore,
the researcher decided to implement the mind-mapping technique so that it can
solve the problems faced by students. In implementing this strategy, the
researcher works with a collaborator.
Designing
the lesson plan. Before implementing the mind-mapping technique in the
teaching and learning process, lesson plans to be used during the
implementation are designed. In designing the lesson plan, the consideration is
taken dealing with the course. The consideration covers learning objectives
(goal), specified objectives (indicators), instructional materials,
instructional media and sources, teaching method, and procedure, and
assessment.
The main learning objective to be achieved
will be related to the students’ improvement of speaking skill and classroom
atmosphere. The activities during the implementation will be divided into three
steps, namely: pre-teaching, whilst-teaching, and post-teaching. In
pre-teaching; the teacher gives the students motivation, the teacher introduces
the students topic about mind-mapping, in whilst teaching; the teacher explains
about the topic and give the students a chance to ask about the topic, then
providing the students the lines of mind mapping, asking them to make group, and then asking the students to tell
about the topic, while in post teaching; The teacher asks the students’
difficulty about the material, the teacher concludes the material, then he
closes the lesson.
Setting-up the criteria of
success. The criteria of success should be determined in order to make
judgment whether the implementation of mind-mapping technique has been
successful to improve the students’ speaking skill or not. In this study, the
first criterion is the classroom atmosphere and the second criteria is
students’ speaking skill improvement.
Table
3.2 Setting-up the criteria of success, Data Sources, and Instrument
|
The
criteria of success
|
Data
Sources
|
Instruments
|
|
All
students respond positively during teaching and learning
|
The
students comment toward teaching-learning
|
Questionnaires
|
|
All
students are motivated
|
The
students’ involvement
|
Observation
checklist
|
|
The
score of KKM (75)
|
The
result of their speaking
|
Assessment
of speaking
|
Implementing
the Action
In
this stage, the researcher starts to implement his strategy as stated in lesson
plan. The researcher implements the strategy in the two meetings with 2x40
minutes for each meeting. In this stage, the researcher acts as the teacher who
teaches the students in the class. Meanwhile, the collaborator or observer is
to observe the teaching-learning strategy and students’ response towards the
implementation of the strategy.
Observing
the Action
In
this stage, the observation deals with the data collection. The data is information
which is needed and collected by the researcher as a basic to answer the
research question (Susanto, 2010, p. 39). The data is used as a reflection to
see whether the strategy implemented is successful or not. In addition, the
data collected are those which become the indicators of the criteria of
success.
The researcher collects two kinds of
data; numerical data and verbal data. The numerical data are obtained from the
students’ speaking skill, where the students as data sources and speaking test
as instrument. While verbal data are obtained the students’ responses towards
the implementation of mind-mapping technique. The students’ attitude and
opinion in responding the strategy of mind-mapping technique which is applied
in speaking class are collected through questionnaires, the observation
checklist and interview recorded by the observer.
Reflecting
the Action
The
last stage of classroom action research is reflection. In this research, the
data are analyzed based on types of data. The verbal data related to the
students’ involvement during the learning activities obtained from the
observation sheets, questionnaires are analyzed using percentage. While, the
numerical data related to the students’ speaking skill. The data or the
information derived from the data analyzed then compared with the criteria of
success. If the data shows that the indicators in the criteria of success have
been achieved , it means that mind-mapping technique successfully solve the
problem faced by the students, the cycle is stopped. However, if the indicators
have not been achieved yet, some revisions are needed to employ the next
cycle.
Result
and Discussion
Result
Before
the implementation of the strategy, the average of the students’ scores was
53,6%. After the first implementation of the strategy (cycle one) the average
score of the students was 67,7%. Interestingly, after cycle two was done, the
average score increased again into 80%.
The
criteria of success should be determined in order to make judgment whether the
implementation of mind-mapping technique has been successful to improve the
students’ speaking skill or not. In this study, the first criteria are the
classroom atmosphere and the second criteria is students’ speaking skill
improvement. The researcher measures the classroom atmosphere using questionnaire
and observation checklist, while measuring the students’ skill using Assessment
Sheets for Speaking.
The questionnaires were used to
obtain students’ response toward the implementation of the strategy in the
class. In preliminary, cycle 1, and cycle 2 research: 1) the arguments toward
English lesson showed that the students had low motivation in learning English,
while in the first cycle, it showed that the most of students liked and had
fair feeling in learning English. In the second cycle showed that most of the
students like English lesson, 2) Developing idea towards speaking skill showed
that the most students felt difficulty in developing their ideas to speak
English. While in the first cycle could be shown that the most of students felt
fair in developing their ideas to speak English. In the second cycle, the most
of the students felt easy to speak. 3) Classroom atmosphere towards speaking
class showed that the most classroom atmosphere was not interested in joining
speaking class. While in the first cycle showed that the most classroom
atmosphere felt fair in joining speaking class. In the second cycle the most of
the students felt interested in joining speaking class. 4) Students’ attitude
toward learning speaking skill showed that the most of students are not active
in leaning speaking skill. While in the first cycle showed that the most of
students are not active in leaning speaking skill. In the second cycle, the
most of the students very active. 5) The students’ feeling toward speaking
skill showed that the students had fairly self confidence in speaking class.
While in the first cycle showed that the most of the students had fairly self
confidence in speaking in front of the class. In the second cycle, the most of
the students had high self confidence in speaking. 6) The students’ fluency in speaking skill showed
that the most of the students are fair in speaking skill. While in the first
cycle showed that the most of the students are still fair in speaking skill. In
the second cycle, the most of the students got fluency very much in speaking
skill. 7) The students’ pronunciation in speaking skill showed that the most of
the students had no clear pronunciation in speaking skill. While in the first
cycle showed that the most of the students had pronunciation enough in speaking
skill. In the second cycle, the most of the students had clear pronunciation in
speaking. 8) The students’ grammar in speaking skill showed that the most of
students had low grammar in speaking skill. While in the first cycle showed
that the most of students had fair grammar in speaking skill. In the second
cycle showed that the most of students had high grammar in speaking skill. 9)
The students’ vocabulary in speaking skill showed that the students had low
vocabulary or not increased in their speaking skill. While in the first cycle
showed that the most of the students had good vocabulary. In the second cycle
showed that the most of the students had very good vocabulary. 10) The
students’ comprehension in speaking skill showed that that the most of the
students comprehend to the topic enough. While in the first cycle showed that
the most of the students comprehend to the topic being discussed.
In
the second cycle showed that the most of the students did comprehend to the
topic being discussed.
The observation checklist used to
know the classroom atmosphere in the first cycle , the students paying
attention 50%, responding to the teacher’s instruction 50%, participation in
group 60%, question and answer 40%, telling the topic 100%. While in the second
cycle, paying attention 85%, responding to the teacher’s instruction 75%, participation
in group 70%, question and answer 70%, telling the topic 100%. So, based on the
observation checklist for the students’ involvement that the second cycle was
higher than the first cycle.
Discussion
Based
on the preliminary study, the researcher finds the problems, the most of the
students get difficulties in speaking skill such as the students are lack of
pronunciation, the students often get difficulty in expressing their ideas, the students have problems in grammar
& vocabularies, the students have low motivation in learning English. To
solve the problems, Mind Mapping Technique was used.
In the planning stage, the
researcher made a lesson plan. The researcher decided to choose the mind
mapping technique to solve the problems. After that, the researcher implemented
the action. When implementing the action, the researcher prepared several
research instruments such as questionnaires, observation checklist, scoring
rubric, and camera. In pre-acivity; the teacher gives greeting for the students,
checking the students’ attendance list, then giving motivation, the teacher
introduces the topic to the students, asking the students about the topic, then
the teacher introduces the students mind mapping. In whilst-activity; the
teacher asks the students to make a group and every group consists of 4
students, the teacher provides the lines of mind mapping and asking the
students to continue the the lines about the weathers in indonesia, the teacher
controls their activity, The teacher asks the students to discuss the topic
with their group, the teachers asks the students to tell the topic in front of
the class, the teacher evaluates the students’ speaking skill in front of the
class by using assessment rubric. The result indicated that the students still
had problems in speaking skill such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabularies,
and the expression of idea in speaking skill. So, in cycle one is only 6
students (30%) passed the minimum standard achievement in speaking skill. While
the other reason is only 11 students (55%) passed the minimum standard
achievement in involvement of teaching and learning process.
In cycle two, the topic was
different but the same technique as cycle one. After repairing the strategy in
the lesson plan such as the researcher gave game, using LCD or media in
teaching the students, giving the students a chance to discuss with their group
about the topic, asking the students to tell the topic in front of class. Then,
the observer observed the teaching and learning process. After doing the action
of cycle two, and the researcher analyzed the data, the result indicated that
the students had better pronunciation, grammar, vocabularies, and the
expression of idea in speaking skill. In this cycle, 16 students (80%) passed
the minimum standard achievement in speaking skill. While the other reason is
only 17 students (85%) passed the minimum standard achievement in involvement
of teaching and learning process. The result of the second cycle stated that it
had met the two criteria of success (classroom atmosphere and the students’
achievement). So, the researcher decided to stop the research.
Based on the result and discussion
from teaching-learning process in the two cycles, the researcher can draw some
final conclusions. There are some steps in using mind mapping technique to
improve the students’ speaking skill as follows:
1. Involving
the students in brainstorming activity before beginning the teaching.
2. Showing
the students the example of the curves of mind mapping pictures.
3. Giving
the students the ways how to make mind mapping such as starting at the center
of the paper and put it horizontally, using a picture or photos for the central
idea, using colors, draw a thick line out from the center and write an idea
associated with the topic.
4. Explaining
that mind mapping is visual display of information that always have one mind
idea. Branches of subtopics spread out from the mind idea.
5. Asking
the students to make mind mapping using colors.
6. Giving
the students strategies how to demonstrate the topic of mind mapping.
7. Giving
students a chance to tell the topic based on mind mapping pictures.
8. Asking
the students to tell the topic of mind mapping in front of the class.
Finally, the use of mind mapping
technique can improve the students’ speaking skill at the seventh grade of SMP
Sabilillah Sampang.
Conclusion
and Suggestion
Conclusion
This
research was carried out to improve the students’ speaking skill at the seventh
grade of SMP Sabilillah Sampang. Classroom action research design was used in
two cycles, each of which consisted of 1) planning the action, 2) implementing
the action, 3) observing the action, 4) reflecting the action. In cycle one,
the researcher was not successful because of only 6 students (30%) passed the
minimum standard achievement in speaking skill. While the other reason is only
11 students (55%) passed the minimum standard achievement in involvement of
teaching and learning process. Therefore, the researcher continues to the next
cycle with the revision to the previous lesson plan. At the end of the second
cycle, 16 students (80%) passed the minimum standard achievement in speaking
skill. While the other reason is only 17 students (85%) passed the minimum
standard achievement in involvement of teaching and learning process.
Suggestion
It
is suggested for the English teacher of
SMP Sabilillah Sampang and the other English teachers of SMP Sabilillah
Sampang whose students have similar classroom problems such as classroom
atmosphere even students’ achievement in speaking skill, the use of mind
mapping technique as an alternative teaching way to improve the students’
speaking skill at SMP or MTS level and also activating the students’
participation in the classroom. Beside that, It also suggest to the SMP
Sabilillah Sampang especially on the committee of local curriculum to balance
the four skills of teaching and learning English as a language skill, and the researcher
asks the English teacher to use creative strategy in teaching English. It will
help the students of SMP Sabilillah Sampang getting enjoyable learning or not
boring in learning speaking skill. And the researcher expects to SMP Sabilillah
Sampang to guide the students to custom their speaking skill.
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