INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents
(1) the background of the study, (2) research problem, (3) objective of the study,
(4) research hypotheses, (5) assumptions, (6) significance of the study, (7)
scope and limitations, (8) definition of key terms.
I.1 Background
of Study
English is now used
in almost all countries all over the world. In other words, the researcher can
say that English has been an International language. People and the learners
all over the world communicate in this language in business, economic,
education, and social side. Rahmah (2014) argued that English has become
the most important and international language in the world. Almost all people
communicate in English due to the importance of this language in any scope of
their lives.
English speaking skill is the best one to be learned and mastered by the
English learners. “Speaking is usually considered as the core skill in foreign
language learning and it is what learners want to be able to do” (Broady, 2005,
as cited in Rahmah, 2014). Learners are hoped to communicate this language
accurately and fluently. Arbain (2014) stated that by communicating this
language, all learners can share their ideas, opinions, and feeling to people
all over the world. So that, speaking plays an important role in people’s live in
the world.
Having good speaking skill in English has been used as the compulsory
requirement to be accepted working in big companies. Employees have to be able
to communicate in English well if they want to work in big companies. Murcia (2001, as cited by Arbain, 2014)
stated that, “speaking is a second or foreign language has often been viewed as
the most demanding of the four skills”. It means that English learners who can
speak this language well can have great opportunity to gain a job in a big
company or other places that requires English speaking ability and other
advantages.
As a foreign language or second language, English
learners usually have difficulties in mastering it especially in speaking.
Almost all English learners have difficulty in communicating this language.
There are some problems in speaking activities faced by the learners according
to Ur (2003, as cited in Rohadi, 2013) that stated that, “there are four
problems faced by the learners in speaking activities. The problems include inhibition,
nothing to say, low or uneven participation, and mother-tongue use”. These four
problems will cause the accuracy and fluency in speaking. Then Thornbury (2006,
as cited in Arsyad, 2014) described that, “speaking is like another skill, such
as driving or playing a musical instrument: the more practice you get, the more
likely it is you will be able to speak”. Most English learners actually know
that they have to always practice many times in their spare time to gain good
speaking ability.
Based on the problems faced by the learners above,
researcher attempts to use Talking Chips technique in teaching speaking in
order the learners can speak fluently and accurately. Researcher believes that
Talking Chips technique will make the learners interested and active in
speaking activity in the class. In this technique, the leaners will be divided
into some groups and each member in the group will have chance and role to
speak. Therefore, this technique is hoped to improve students’ speaking ability
fluently and accurately. Last but not least, the researcher is going to carry
this study to the fourth semester students of English education study program
at Malang Islamic University.
1.2 Research Problem
Based on the
background of the study above, the problem is formulated as follows: Will
students who are taught by using Talking Chips technique have better speaking
skill than students who are taught by using conventional way?
1.3 Objective of the Study
The objective of this
study is to describe how Talking Chips technique can improve the fourth
semester students’ speaking skill of English education study program at Malang
Islamic University.
1.4 Research Hypotheses
Based on the research
problem above, the researcher hypothesize that students who will be taught by
using Talking Chips technique will have improvement towards students’ speaking
skill comparing to the students who are taught by using conventional way.
1.5 Assumption of the Study
Based on the background of the study
above, the researcher assumes that by using Talking Chips technique, the
students will be active in the classroom learning activity. All students will
speak and give the idea, opinion, argumentation, or even question using English
language in the class. Students will be interested to speak much by using this
technique. When the students are active and interested to speak in the
classroom learning activity, they will improve their speaking skill. In other
words, by using this Talking Chips technique, the students’ speaking skill will
be improved.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The researcher hopes so much this
study will yield beneficial results that can be contributed to the English
teachers who teach English subject especially in Indonesia or even all over the
world as their materials reference. The researcher hopes to help the English
teachers with their problems in teaching speaking in the class. The researcher
also do hopes that this study will help the English learners to master English
language especially in speaking component and increase the students’ academic
achievement.
1.7 Scope and Limitation
This study will just
focus on using Talking Chips technique in the speaking classroom learning
activity to improve the fourth semester students’ speaking skill of English
education study program at Malang Islamic University. In other words, this
study will just focus on improving one of four components in English language,
that is speaking component by using Talking Chips technique.
1.8 Definition of Key Terms
In order to avoid misunderstanding
of the terms used in this study, the following definitions are given:
1.
Effectiveness
Effectiveness is the
ability the method given to be effective in the classroom learning activity and
help the students to achieve the better English speaking skill.
2.
Talking Chips
Talking Chips
technique is a strategy to make the speaking classroom activity active and the
students are interested to learn by dividing the students in the class
into some groups and each member in the group will have chance and role to
speak.
3.
Speaking
Make the students in the classroom activity speak and express their idea in English.
4.
Skill
Skill is the ability the students have in
communicating in English whether in their daily communications or in the
classroom learning activity.
5.
Improvement
Improvement is the process had by the students
to enlarge their knowledge and make the students acquire the skill to
communicate in English.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
This chapter discusses about some theories related to the topic relevant
to this study. It concerns to the definition of speaking, the importance of speaking
English, problems on speaking English, Talking Chips technique, why Talking
Chips technique is appropriate in teaching speaking, how to implement Talking
Chips technique in teaching speaking, and previous studies.
2.1 Speaking
Speaking
is a main component in a language. Language has to be spoken. That’s why, in
English language, learners should master this skill to master a language.
Speaking will connect people all over the world. By speaking, people can give
their information and ideas to other people. There are several experts who
define speaking in different definitions. Broady (2015, as cited in Rahmah,
2014) stated that, “speaking is usually considered as the core skill in foreign
language learning and it is what learners want to be able to do”. It means that
speaking is the most important skill in a foreign language like English that
learners have to master. “Speaking is the productive oral skill that consists
of producing systematic verbal utterances to convey meaning” (Nunan, 20013, as
cited in Novika, 2014). Therefore, through speaking, people will be able to
transfer what they want to say and their mean to people they are communicating
to.
From the definitions coming from two
experts above, the researcher can conclude that speaking is the main skill in a
language and a way of people conveying the meaningful ideas and information to
other people they are talking to.
2.2 The Importance of Speaking English
English
has become the international language in this globalization era. Almost all
countries all over the world make this language as their second language in
their daily activities. They use this language in economic, politic, and
education sides. All learners and people will become competitive people by
being able to speak this language fluently and accurately. Let’s see, almost
all companies all over the world require English mastery especially in speaking
skill to hire and accept employee. It means that, mastering speaking skill in
English will help much for the learners and people who master it to easily get
job, be politician, and develop the education side in their countries. As Murcia (2001, as cited by Arbain, 2014)
stated that, “speaking is a second or foreign language has often been viewed as
the most demanding of the four skills”. This definition gives us meaning that
learners who can master speaking skill in English will have a great opportunity
to gain things through this skill.
2.3 Problems on Speaking English
As Indonesian people, English is not
our first language. English is our second language or even our foreign
language. Students who have learned this language from elementary school till
senior high school: they still can’t communicate in this language fluently.
Knowing this fact, the researcher can say that communicating or speaking
English is not easy because of the problems the learners face. Based on the
researcher’s experience in learning to speak English fluently, there are
several problems the researcher has. They are less of vocabulary and grammar
mastery. Relating to the learners’ problems around, they also have such
problems. They have no enough English vocabulary to help them to speak English
fluently without thinking the words and meaning to be spoken. They also think
much of the structure whether or not the structure use is right in their
speaking. It also affects the learners’ fluency in speaking if they think much
of the English structure, they will not speak because of afraid of creating
mistake. Ur (2003, as cited in Rohadi, 2013) stated that, “there are
four problems faced by the learners in speaking activities. The problems
include inhibition, nothing to say, low or uneven participation, and
mother-tongue use”. These four problems will cause the accuracy and fluency in
speaking. Learners should be able to solve these four problems to speak English
fluently.
2.4 Talking Chips Technique
Kagan (2010, as cited in Syafryadin,
2013) explained that talking chips technique is a technique that is used
in teaching speaking to make the students active in the class. In implementing
this technique in the class, the students are divided into several groups and
all members in each group are given chips. These chips are given to the
students to be used every the student wants to speak. Every the student who has
spoken, he/she has to put the chips in the middle of the table. If the chips
are over, he/she is not allowed to speak until all members’ chips are also
over. The students will be given the chips again if the discussion in the class
is not finished yet.
In addition, the
definition of talking chips technique above, the researcher tries to include
more definition according to the other experts on this article. According to
Gray, inspired by Reeves’s (2010, as cited in Herianto, 2013) explained that
talking chips technique is a technique to make the students have opportunity to
speak. More definition stated by Hilson (2010, as cited in Herianto, 2013) that
elaborated that, “talking chips is the strategies guarantees equal
participation in discussion groups. Each group member receives the same member
of poker chips (or any other markers, such as index cards”. Talking chips
technique definition is also defined by Turville (2008, as cited in Herianto,
2013) that stated that talking chips is a way to make the students’
participation equal in the class by using chips on each group discussion.
From the definition
presented by several experts above, the researcher comes to a conclusion that
talking chips technique is a technique which is applied by the teacher in
teaching speaking. This technique is very effective to be used by the teacher
in the class because this technique can make all students taught in the class
active in speaking activity. On the other words, this technique tries not to
make the speaking activity in the class dominated by a student only.
2.5 Why Talking Chips technique is
appropriate in teaching speaking
In teaching activity, the
teacher will gain successfulness towards the students when the teachers can
know what technique can be appropriate and helpful for the students in the
class. Students will never get improvement, and they will not pay more
attention to the teacher and lesson when the teacher cannot decide and use the
best and suitable technique to be used in the class. Especially in speaking
ability, speaking ability is one of difficult skills in English that the
students’ feel difficult to gain improvement. Knowing this problem, the teacher
should be sensitive to decide and use the appropriate technique in the teaching
activity.
In this article, the researcher
tries to take up talking chips technique to improve students’ speaking ability.
The use and applying talking chips technique will be very helpful to improve
students’ speaking ability because talking chips technique is one of teaching
techniques that can make the students’ speaking skill improve. It can improve
students’ speaking ability because when the teachers apply this technique in
the class, the students’ are monitored to be active in the class, not only a
student that dominates the speaking activity in the class. In addition, this
technique forces the students to be active in the speaking activity in the
class.
The main point of this
technique usage is the teacher should know first how to apply this technique in
the class because this technique has several procedures. The procedures that
are on this technique will really help the students’ active to speak in the class
activity. On the other words, the teacher’s role in implementing this technique
is very important to gain successfulness whether to make the students monitored
as long as the teaching activity or to gain good result in improving students’
speaking ability in the end of implementing the technique.
2.6 How to implement Talking Chips
technique in teaching speaking
In
applying talking chips technique, teachers should know the steps and procedures
to apply this technique in the teaching speaking. According to Kagan (1992, as
cited in Herianto, 2013) that clarified that first, each person is given a
number of markers. Second, each time a person wants to talk, a chip is placed
in the center of the table. Third, when an individual’s chips are all in the
center of the table, she/ he cannot talk again until everyone’s chips are all
in the center. Last, the chips are then retrieved and tribute to begin again.
Kagan
(2010, as cited in Syafryadin, 2013)
also clarified that first, the teacher gives a topic for the discussion.
Second, student who wants to start the discussion, he/she should put the chip
on the center of the group table. Third, when a member of the group has already
used all chips, the other members on the group continues the discussion.
Fourth, as long as the discussion is going on, accuracy and fluency of the
students will be viewed. Besides, in evaluation, all students will also be
assessed about the accuracy and the fluency.
Knowing
the steps and procedures of implementing talking chips technique, teachers do
need to know all the steps in implementing this technique in the teaching
speaking to gain successfulness. Students will really be helped to improve
their speaking ability by using this technique.
2.7 Previous Studies
This study proposal will be much
better if the researcher includes and states the previous studies related to
the talking chips technique used in teaching speaking.
First study conducted by
Syafryadin whose study entitled “The
Use of Talking Chips Technique in Improving Students’ Speaking Achievement”.
He implemented talking chips technique to the grade X in one of senior high
schools in Bandung in year 2013. On the implementation of this technique, the
researcher conducted three cycles in the class, and each cycle really gained
good improvement towards students’ speaking ability. Before the researcher
applied this technique to the students, the researcher first reviewed about
present tense. Then researcher started applying this technique in the class. In
every cycle, the students’ got improvement even though they still had problems
on the speaking. The problems can be lessened from the first cycle to the third
cycle. To show the last result of the researcher after implementing this
technique, the researcher wants to include the result in score on every cycle
done in the class. In cycle one, the mean score of fluency was 61.1 and 62.81
for accuracy. In cycle 2, the mean score of students in fluency was 67.207 and
accuracy was 68.05. In cycle 3, the mean score of fluency was 71.451 and
accuracy was 74.69.
Second previous study conducted by Hardiyanti, Rochsantiningsih, and
Setyaningsih whose study under title Using Talking Chips to Improve Students’
Participation in EFL Classroom. They implemented this technique in State Senior
High School 5 Surakarta at class X-5 in the academic year of 2012/2013. The
researchers implemented and finished the teaching activity in five (5)
meetings. The researchers also included game activity in the class to make the
students active and participate in the teaching speaking. To know the result of
the implementation done by them, the researcher tries to include the improvement
gained by the students by comparing the pre-observation and post-observation on
the fifth meeting toward the implementing talking chips technique. Natural desire to participate, this
aspect improves from 54.2% to 83.3% on the post-observation. Confidence, this aspect improves from
63.3% to 88.3% on the post observation. Enjoying
discussion, it improves from 68.3% to 90.8% on the post-observation. Spontaneity, it improves from 38.3% to
53.3% on the post-observation. Focus,
it achieves from 68.3% to 82.5% on the post-observation. This result can be
concluded that talking chips technique really helps the improvement of
students’ speaking ability.
CHAPTER
III
RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter consists of the research design, Population and
Sample, Research Instruments, Procedure of Data Collection, and Data Analysis.
3.1 Research Design
The
research design of this study will be Experimental Design. The researcher will
apply Two Groups, Randomized Subjects, Posttest Only Design. Ary, Jacobs, and
Razavied (1979, p. 225) stated that, “the experiment is generally regarded as
the most sophisticated research method for testing hypotheses.” According to
Hadi (1988, 65, as cited in Aksani, 2013) that stated that, “an experimental design is one of the precise
methods to examine the cause and effect because of the fact, instruction toward
a group and experimental sample.” The instructional activity will be designed
only to teach students about speaking by using Talking Chips technique toward
the experimental group, the group of sample will have interview to measure the
effect that students get after the treatment. The researcher hopes that
by using Experimental Design, exactly Two Groups, Randomized Subjects, Posttest
Only Design on this study, this study will gain strong result that will be
stated in the conclusion chapter. The researcher also hopes that the hypotheses
the researcher has made will be correct after implementing this proposal study.
The researcher will have two groups
as the subjects on the study. These are control group and experimental group.
The control group will be using conventional teaching way and the special
treatment will be using Experimental Design. This study is adopted from Ary,
Jacobs, and Razavied (1979, p. 250).
Table 3.1 Two Groups, Randomized Subjects, Posttest-
Only Design
|
|
Group
|
Independent variable
|
Posttest
|
|
(R)
(R)
|
E
C
|
X
-
|
Y2
Y2
|
Notes :
R =
Randomized
E =
experimental group
C =
control group
X =
treatment on the experiment group
Y2 =
posttest
After
being implemented the independent variables in both groups, experimental and
control group. Measurement on the dependent variable for both groups will be
done at the same time with the same test called posttest.
3.2 Population and Sample
3.2.1 Population
According
to Sudjana ( 2005, p. 74, as cited in
Aksani, 2013) population is totality of all value which possible, result of
counting/calculating or measurement, quantitative and also qualitative hit the
certain characteristic from all clear and complete corps member is which wish
learned by the nature. The population of this study will be all fourth students
semester of English education study program at Malang Islamic University. The
students are 125 students. The students are divided into five classes, so each
class consists of 25 students.
3.2.2
Sample
“Sample is shares or proxy from accurate population”, ( Arikunto, 2006 , p. 87,
as cited Aksani, 2013). From 125 students as the population, the researcher
will take 50 students as the sample of this study by using Cluster sampling.
Twenty students (25) join the Experimental group, and twenty five (25) others
will join control group.
3.3 Research Instrument
Research
instrument is absolutely important in any scientific research for collecting
the data. To know the right and accuracy result, the researcher has to prepare
the research instrument well before carrying out the study.
The researcher will use interview
that will be applied in form of unstructured interviews as the instrument. The
researcher will provide 10 questions for each student. These 10 questions will
be given after the study is implemented in both groups, experimental and
control group. In other words, these are the students’ posttest that they will
get. The 10 items will be taken from the students’ textbook used in the
classroom learning activity.
3.4 Procedure of Data Collection
The
researcher will prepare the interview questions as the procedure for collecting
the data. The interview will be applied in form of unstructured interviews.
Each question will be given score ranking from 0-100. The high and low point
will be based on the students’ answer looking at the accuracy, fluency, and the
structures mastery. After the students of experimental and the control group
answer the questions, then the researcher will calculate both scores of
experimental and control group students. After all, the researcher will compare
the final score. If the experimental group’s score is higher than the control
group score, it means that the hypotheses made by the researcher is right or
proved.
3.5 Data Analysis
The
data analysis on this study will be done by using computer program called SPSS.
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