The
Effect of English Classroom Conversation toward Students’ Speaking Ability
Muhamad
Hasim
Faculty of Teacher
Training and Education Sciences
Galuh University Ciamis
Abstract
English speaking ability is very important for
people interaction where people almost speak everywhere and every day through
English. In this global era, many people use English as a media of
communication and it makes people who come from different countries to be
easier in making interaction and communication. As one of international
language, English is also being taught in Indonesia especially in some
Universities. In English Department of Galuh University also has a program of
learning English as the way of communication in classroom conversation. This
research focus on improving the students’ speaking ability. The research was
conducted toward class 3AB of English
students, Galuh University, who had been selected purposively from a particular
class which consisted of 10 students. The researcher, afterwards addressed four
questions: (1) Apakah percakapan dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris di dalam
aktifitas sehari-hari di kelas akan berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berbicara
siswa? Mengapa? (2) Apakah percakapan di luar kelas dengan menggunakan bahasa
inggris juga akan berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa? (3) Apakah
percakapan dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris bisa di lakukan antara guru dengan
siswa, ataupun antara siswa dengan siswa yang lainnya? (4) Apakah kemampuan
speaking lebih penting daripada listening, reading dan writing?
Keywords : English
classroom conversation, speaking ability
A.
Introduction
English
speaking ability is very important for people interaction where people almost
speak everywhere and everyday through English. In this global era, many people
use English as a media of communication and it makes people who come from
different countries to be easier in making interaction and communication.
Speaking is one way to communicate with
someone or public about what we are talking about. To enable students
communicate English well of course they must have English classroom
conversation intensively to get good English speaking ability.
According to Gert and
Hans (2008: 207), speaking is speech or utterances with the purpose of having
intention to be recognized by speaker and the receiver processes the statements
in order to recognize their intentions. Brown and Yule (1999: 14) stated that
speaking is depending on the complexity of the information to be communicated;
however, the speaker sometimes finds it difficult to clarify what they want to
say. Rebecca (2006:144) stated that speaking is the first mode in which
children acquire language, it is part of the daily involvement of most people
with language activities, and it is the prime motor of language change. It also
provides our main data for understanding bilingualism and language contact.
English classroom conversation is very
useful for class 3AB of English department in Galuh University students to
improve their speaking ability, but it must be done intensively. The students
should practice their speaking ability by using classroom conversation, it can
be done students-to-the teacher or students-to-students.
B.
Review of Literature
Defining Speaking
To begin this section,
the researcher is going to point out the term ‘speaking’. Brown (1999) defines,
“speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves
producing and receiving and processing information.” Furthermore, the other
definition comes from Chaney (2006) states that speaking is “the process of
building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non verbal symbols,
in a variety of contexs.”
Regarding to two
definitions above, the researcher would like to elaborate them, that speaking
is a meaningful process in communication beteween producer and receiver in
particular contex. The process of speaking is usually to get some informations.
Speaking Technique
After defining the term
‘speaking’, the researcher then try to explain about speaking technique based
on the experts. Dubberly (2009) states, “Conversation is a progression of
exchanges among participants. Each participant is a ‘learning system,’ that is,
a system that changes internally as a consequences of experience.” In addition,
Zoltan Dornyei and Sarah Thurrell (1994:42-43) claim, “The categories in opening
a conversation such as (How are you?,
That’s nice dog!, At last some sunshine),
interrupting such as (Sorry to
interruprt, but.......), topic shift such as (oh, by the way, that reminds me....), and closing such as (it’s been nice talking to you.....).”
Based
on the explanations aforementioned, the researcher elaborates them that the
technique which can be used in improving the students’ speaking ability is by
using conversation which must be practiced by the EFL students for assisting
them.
Furthermore,
the next material is going to be discussed is English classroom conversation
technique. Kenji Hakuta, Lee L.Jacks, Jeff Zwiers, and Sara Rutherford (2014)
argue, “The common core state standards and next generation science standards
emphasize improving the quality of student-to-student discourse as a major
feature of instruction. The new standards specifically describe the important
of students understanding the reasoning of others and engaging in meaningful
conversations using evidence for claims. Yet this type of student-to-student
interaction tend to be rare in classroom. Student-to-student conversations will
address ways to improve their speaking ability.” Vygotsky (1978) suggested that
“The teacher’s job is to assess the students’ understanding to locate the point
in the ‘zone of proximal development’(ZPD) where the learners need the
assistance. Once that has been done, the teacher provides the assistance, for
example, by modeling and demonstrating, by asking questions between techer and
students.”
Therefore,
the researcher elaborates that there are two types of conversation in the
classroom, those are : student-to-student, and student-to-the teacher. The
purpose of English classroom conversation is to improve the quality of
students’s speaking ability.
The Implementation of English
Classroom Conversation
The
next discussion which is going to be discussed is the implementation of English
conversation in the classroom. Dick Robinson, stated that there are various
techniques of conversation in the classroom, those are:
a.
Greeting time: getting to know one another
b.
Group time: learning to share
c.
Activity time: solving problems
d.
Snacktime: developing social skills
e.
Storytime: learning to listen
f.
Outdoor play: resolving conflicts
The materials aforementioned explain
the various conversation techniques which can be implemented in the classroom.
Those various conversation techniques are going to be explained in detail in
the passage below:
a.
Greeting time: getting to know one another
When
the students arrive at school, the teacher will probably try to have a brief one-on-one
conversation. This helps the teacher gives the students a sense of belonging,
which eases the transition into the school day.
b.
Group time: learning to share
Teachers are
prepared for some very interesting answers and comments. And because there may
be more than one "right" answer, or “wrong” answers at all, they
accept all responses equally.
c.
Activity time: solving problems
During
learning center time, the students will participate in many kinds of
problem-solving. As students interact with one another, they learn how to
handle the social and emotional situations that arise every day at school.
d.
Snacktime: developing social skills
The
relaxed atmosphere of snacktime and meals offers the students opportunities to
listen to and talk with one another about playtime, food, families, whatever
they're thinking about. Besides the essential self-help skills inherent in
snacktime, the students learn about the give-and-take of social conversation.
e.
Storytime: learning to listen
Talking
and listening are the essence of storytime. Storytime is also a good time to
ask questions. Some kinds of questions " Where did the bear live? What
happened to him?" Check knowledge and comprehension. Other kinds "If
the bear lived in your neighborhood, what do you think would happen? How would
this story be different if...?" Encourage abstract thinking.
f.
Outdoor play: resolving conflicts
This
change in venue is great for language skills. Dramatic play and conversations
intensively as the students engage in fantasies that can't be easily enacted
indoors. This greater freedom can lead to conflicts, however, and students’
conflict-resolution skills are often tested because of the group's high level of
energy. Teachers help students communicate their needs to one another and guide
them toward peaceful solutions.
C. METHOD
In this section, the researcher is
going to highlight some points to be discussed. Those points are: research
design, participants and research site, data collection procedure and data
analysis.
Research
Design
In
this present study, the researcher applies a case study design as suggested by
Paul McLeod (2008). He stated that Case study design
is in-depth
investigations of a single person, group, event or community.
Typically data are gathered from a variety of sources and by using several
different methods (e.g. observations & interviews). The researcher decided
to apply the case study design because he was able to get data faster that he
targeted to analyze data and get the conclusion in a short time.
Participants and Research Site
In this present study, the
researcher selected 10 respondents of a particular class from English Education
Program in Galuh University, they are class 3AB of English Education Program as
the participants of this research. The reason for which they are selected,
because the researcher needs to investigate how speaking works. And he intends
to find out the appropriate speaking technique to be employed by class 3AB of
English Education Program in Galuh University, in order to create another
effective formula of how to teach basic speaking to this class.
Data
Collection Procedures
The data were obtained by
administering questionnaires to 10 respondents are selected purposively from a
particular class, those are class 3AB of English Education Program in Galuh
University. The questionnaires consist of 4 questions to be answered by the
respondents. The time for answering the questionnaire is when they have break
time and they need to answer the questionnaire in 20 minutes.
Data Analysis
The answers of each question would
be analyzed qualitatively to get the conclusions of the problems and find out
the solution. However, quantification gives the role for describing data in
percentage.
D.
RESULT
To interpret the data, the
researcher analyzed all the answers typed by the respondents. Based on the
responses from the respondents, the researcher then summarize the data which is
presented in percentage within the following table.
|
No.
|
Questions
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
1.
|
Apakah percakapan dengan menggunakan
bahasa inggris di dalam aktifitas sehari-hari di kelas akan berpengaruh
terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa? Mengapa?
|
100%
|
|
|
2.
|
Apakah percakapan
di luar
kelas dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris juga akan
berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa?
|
100%
|
|
|
3.
|
Apakah
percakapan dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris bisa di lakukan antara guru
dengan siswa, ataupun antara siswa dengan siswa yang lainnya?
|
100%
|
|
|
4.
|
Apakah
kemampuan speaking lebih penting daripada listening, reading, dan writing?
|
60%
|
40%
|
The
question number 1 is “Apakah percakapan dengan
menggunakan bahasa inggris di dalam aktifitas sehari-hari di kelas akan
berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa?” According to the answers,
100% of the respondents think that English classroom conversation will affect to
the students’ speaking ability.
The question number 2 is “Apakah percakapan di luar kelas dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris juga akan berpengaruh terhadap
kemampuan berbicara siswa?” According to the answers, 100% of the respondents
think that English conversation out of the classroom will affect to the students’
speaking ability.
The question number 3 is “Apakah percakapan dengan
menggunakan bahasa inggris bisa di lakukan antara guru dengan siswa, ataupun
antara siswa dengan siswa yang lainnya?” According to the answers, 100% of the
respondents think that English classroom conversation can be done students-to-the
teacher or students-to-students.
The
question number 4 is “Apakah
kemampuan speaking lebih penting daripada listening, reading, dan writing?” According to the answers,
60% of the respondents think that speaking is more important than writing,
listening and reading, and 40% do not.
The most common reason why speaking is very important than the other skills
because English
speaking ability can be used in people interaction where people almost speak
everywhere and everyday through English.
According
to the data presented above, it can be conclued that English classroom
conversation technique gives important role in improving the students’ speaking
ability.
E.
DISCUSSION
In
harmony with the results of this study, it is very essential to apply English
classroom conversation technique to improve the students’ speaking ability in
university students level. Without mastering this technique, it is hard to step
forward to the next technique which is more difficult than English classroom
conversation technique.
Related
to the present study, it is supported by all the previous studies, they are Efrizal
(2012), Liao (2009), also Tsou (2005), all of them stated that English
classroom conversation technique gives crucial role in speaking process.
Based
on the data aforementioned, the researcher then would like to answer the
research questions addressed by accumulating data in percentage. The answers
are explained as follow:
Research
question 1: Apakah percakapan dengan
menggunakan bahasa inggris di dalam aktifitas sehari-hari di kelas akan berpengaruh
terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa?
According to the answers,
100% of the respondents think that English classroom conversation will affect
toward students’ speaking ability.
Research question 2: Apakah percakapan di luar kelas dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris juga akan berpengaruh terhadap
kemampuan berbicara siswa?
According to the answers,
100% of the respondents think that English conversation out of the classroom
will affect toward students’ speaking ability.
Research question 3: Apakah percakapan dengan
menggunakan bahasa inggris bisa di lakukan antara guru dengan siswa, ataupun
antara siswa dengan siswa yang lainnya?
According to the answers, 100% of the
respondents think that English classroom conversation can be done students-to-the
teacher or students-to-students.
Research
question 4: Apakah
kemampuan speaking lebih penting daripada listening, reading, dan writing?
According to the answers,
60% of the respondents think that speaking is more important than writing,
listening and reading, and 40% do not. The most common reason why speaking is
very important than the other skills because English speaking
ability is very important for people interaction where people almost speak
everywhere and everyday through English. In this global era, many people use
English as a media of communication and it makes people who come from different
countries to be easier in making interaction and communication.
F. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
Dealing with results and discussions
aforementioned, it can be concluded that English classroom conversation
technique gives benefits for improving the students’ speaking ability. However,
many students admit that speaking process by applying English classroom
conversation technique is difficult.
Finally, in order to master English
speaking skill, the students particularly class 3AB of English Education
Program in Galuh University are recommended to master basic technique such
English classroom conversation technique to improve the students’ speaking
ability. Thus, the students must do more practices both in the classroom and
out of the classroom. In addition, the teacher needs to be more creative and
innovative in creating teaching strategies, so that teaching and learning
process will be attractive.
REFERENCES
Efrizal, D. (2012).
Improving Students’ Speaking through Communicative Language Teaching
Method at Mts Ja-alhaq, Sentot Ali Basa Islamic Boarding School of Bengkulu,
Indonesia. Indonesia: International Journal of Humanities and
Social Science. Retrieved on December 29th, 2014 from: http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_20_Special_Issue_October_2012/12.pdf.
Liao,
G. (2009). Improvement of Speaking
Ability through Interrelated Skills. China: Retrieved on December 29th,
2014 from: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/elt/article/view/3688.pdf
Tsou, W. (2005). Improving Speaking Skills Through
Instruction in Oral Participation. Taiwan. Retrivied on December 29th,
2014 from: http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/roms/pdfs/strategies-speakingskills.pdf
Robinson, D. Conversation Techniques. Retrieved on
January 6th, 2015 from: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/classroom-conversations.html
McLeod, P.( 2008). Case Study Method. Retrieved on
January 6th, 2015 from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/case-study.html
Hakuta, K., Jacks, L.L.,
Zwiers, J., and Rutherford, S. (2014) Constructive
Classroom Conversation. Retrieved
on January 6th, 2015 from: https://novoed.com/classroom-conversations-secondary.html
Appendix
QUESTIONNAIRES
1. Apakah
percakapan dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris di dalam aktifitas sehari-hari di
kelas akan berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa? Mengapa?
2. Apakah
percakapan di dalam kelas dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris yang berpengaruh
terhadap kemampuan berbicara siswa?
3. Apakah
percakapan dengan menggunakan bahasa inggris bisa di lakukan antara guru dengan
siswa, ataupun antara siswa dengan siswa yang lainnya?
4. Apakah
kemampuan speaking lebih penting daripada listening, reading, dan writing?
THE
ANSWERS
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No
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