the students still needed more guidance from the teacher. According to Brown 2001: 270 there are some features that make speaking difficult language skill. The features
cover clustering, redundancy, reduced forms, performance variables, colloquial language, rate of delivery, stress, rhythm, intonation of English and interaction.
Based on the observation that was done by the researcher in class VIII A of MTs Wahid Hasyim Yogyakrta, there were some problems happening during English
teaching and learning process dealing with speaking. The students’ willingness to speak in English was very low. They preferred to speak in Indonesian than to speak in
English during the teaching and learning process. Then, the students also still had poor ability pronunciation. They often made mistakes in pronouncing words.
Another problem, the students also preferred to read a text in practicing their speaking English. It happened in the class because it was common for them to read
aloud in the speaking class. Based on the results of interviews with some of the students of class VIII A, the students stated that they were low in vocabulary mastery.
Then, the classroom activities were less motivating for the students in learning. The class has monotonous learning activities so that there were some students sleeping in
the class. The English teacher did not use any media during the learning process. She only focused on LKS in delivering the material. Like in traditional methods, the
classroom activities were focused on repeating after the teacher, memorizing a dialog, or responding to drills.
Regarding the problems above, the researcher agreed to work collaboratively to overcome the problems and to improve the speaking skills of grade VIII students
of MTs Wahid Hasyim Yogyakarta through picture-series. It is because pictures are believed to be able to stimulate and guide the students to speak. Then, pictures serve
for illustration, develop stud ents’ imaginations, accommodate their interests,
stimulate them to express their opinion and ideas about the narrative text and also make the learning process more interesting. Wright 1989:2 says that pictures are not
only an aspect of method but through their representation of places, objects, and people they are an essential part of the overall experiences the teachers must help
their students to cope with. Teachers can use the pictures in any techniques or activities in order to meet the goal of speaking. Sometimes, teachers and students can
use their creativity since they can create their own drawings as the media. Therefore, it was believed that picture series were media that could be used to overcome the
problems and to help the students to improve their speaking skills. Media such as picture has a very significant role to motivate the students to
learn speaking, and also to make the atmosphere of teaching and learning more interesting. They will feel something new and different from what they usually get in
their class. The researcher hopes that with the use of English movie they will become more active as participant and more confident in express their feeling or express what
they are learnt.
B. Identification of the Problems
Based on the observations and interviews conducted, the researcher identified several problems found during English teaching and learning process in MTs Wahid
Hasyim at the eighth grade. They were related to the students’ willingness in learning English which is influenced by some factors, such as student
s’ motivation, setting or learning environments, teaching method, and materials.
The first problem is that the students paid less attention to the English teacher. The student’s willingness was very low especially in speaking class. They usually
ignored the teacher when she explained the materials. They tended to have some chit- chat with friends next to them. Even, some of them operated their mobile phones
while the teaching and learning process was running. In other words, the students did not want to be forced by the teacher to learn English.
The second problem is related to the teaching materials. The students were not interested to the materials provided by the teacher because the materials were not
varied. They would easily feel bored with the materials. In this case, the teacher actually needed to develop and modify the materials then so they can suit the
students’ needs and interests. The third problem is about teaching media. There were no media used in the
class during the teaching and learning process. Media make great influences in the learning process of the students in improving their speaking skills. Teaching media
are ones of the tools that can encourage and motivate the students who are learning
and staying in Islamic boarding house Wahid Hasyim Yogyakarta to learn English better.
The fourth problem is that the students lacked in vocabulary, because the students were not interested to the English speaking class they had poor pronunciation. They
were reluctant to memorize the vocabulary without any media in the teaching and learning process.
C. Limitation of the problem
This study attempted to answer the question: “Can the use of picture series
improve students’ speaking skills?” This has been done through action research at the
eighth grade of MTs Wahid Hasyim Yogyakarta. There were some reasons for the researcher and the collaborator to use picture
series as a teaching strategy to improve of the teaching and learning process of speaking in this research. As Wright 1989:2 states there are some importances of
visual aids using pictures in the language learning. Firstly, pictures are as one of resources to the students in developing a conversation or discussion. It is also a
stimulus of communication for the students. Secondly, pictures make a sense of the context of a text. When we predict, deduce and infer a text is not only from what we
hear and read but also from what we see around the text and from what we remember after seeing. Lastly, pictures can build an interest and also motivation for the students.
By using pictures, students want to pay attention and take part to the learning activities.
D. Formulation of the Problem
The problem of the research is formulated as follows: “How can picture series
be applied to improve the speaking skills of the students at the eighth grade of MTs Wahid Hasyim Yogyakarta in the academic year of 2013 2014?
E. Objective of the Study
The objective of the study is to find out how picture series can improve the speaking skills of the students at the eighth grade of MTs Wahid Hasyim Yogyakarta
in the academic year of 2013 2014.
F. Significance of the Study
The result of this study can contribute to some benefits to the students and teachers. Here are the benefits:
1. For students It may motivate students to improve their speaking skills since they
will find out that speaking is not always difficult to learn. Their improvement of speaking skills will help them master English well.
2. For the English teachers It will give the English teachers a description about how to teach and
to motivate the students to learn about English especially in speaking skills. Here, they will not be stuck only in some particular teaching strategies. The
use of media, in this context “Picture Series” can be a good alternative or
