42 board may be a help for the less able. Additionally, the topic of the interview
activities depends on the students’ need. From the two kinds of information-gap activities above, it can be seen
that the main point of an information-gap activity is that a speaker has some information which the other participants of the communication does not
know. Here then the main focus of the speaker is to deliver what is in hisher mind to the others. In other words, besides the activities elaborated in the
previous paragraph, an information gap activity might be as simple as asking students to have a conversation in groups or pairs in which each member is
given a card containing some picture or situation which must not be shown to other members.
4. The Psychology of Learning of Junior High School Students
Adolescence is the transition between childhood and adulthood. According to Ngwoke 2010: 141, Adolescence is the period between 12 and
18 years. The existence of puberty marks the beginning of adolescence. In this period, there are many changes happen in every aspect of human development.
The most surprising changes happen in physical, cognitive and social development.
Human’s physical development changes are under the responsibility of the genes. At puberty period, the endocrine system secretes hormones.
Hormones are powerful regulating chemicals. They regulate physical growth and sexual maturation Ngwoke, 2010: 142. One bothersome problem for
43 adolescents related with physical growth is acne. Acne is a skin disorder which
indicated red or black pimples around the face or neck. Another thing happens is primary sex and secondary sex in both males and females which may affect
their emotion to be more sensitive. The state of being sensitive may affect the students’ learning process. They will be easier to get shy whenever they do
something wrong. Besides, they may also feel unconfident to perform in front of others. They are anxious to make mistakes.
Besides, the adolescent’s growth is also marked by significant changes in cognitive abilities. Adolescents start to train themselves about abstract
thinking. However, they are still in the transition. Therefore, sometimes, they still need concrete things to help them understand something. Adolescents are
also able to organize and combine rules to solve a class of problems. They can have a critical thinking in solving a certain problem. Even, they can organize
strategies to aid themselves solving something. In addition, adolescents’ psychosocial development is not an exception.
They are more mature than who they have been as children. They improve their ability in interacting with others. They also have better skill in working together
with other people. In addition to this, Izzaty 2008 states that other than interaction with adults, interaction with peers are more meaningful to
adolescents. However, adolescents, are, in the same time, looking for who they really
are. That is why there are many social problems related to adolescents. It is common since adolescents tilt to try everything they want to experience.
44 Besides, adolescents develop their ego. In the same time, they like challenges
more. Therefore, teachers and parents are expected to be able to really guide adolescents in their growth process.
As adolescence is the peak of child development, it has several implicatio
ns for the two key educational agencies― the family and the school. More sensitivity, patience, understanding and open communication are highly
needed by the teachers, parents, and other people involved in the adolescents’ life. Besides, adolescents also need guidance in directing their mood swings.
They need encouragement to be more active in joining any activities. As what has been mentioned before, adolescents like bigger challenges. Sometimes they
are wrong. On the other hand, they have stronger feeling too. Therefore, teachers and parents need to know how to behave toward them when they are
wrong in order not to make them hurt. Parents and adults need to provide a supportive environment for adolescents to search and explore their identity.
When adolescents make wrong decisions, it is the duty of parents and teachers to turn such mistakes into opportunities that will enhance adole
scents’ mastery of life skills.
In this case, then, the development happening to adolescence will be carefully considered and the implication will be brought to the classroom
activities. As what have already been discussed, adolescent students are easier to get shy and anxious to perform in front of others. These feelings will hinder
the students from improving their speaking skill. Therefore, by using information-gap activities practiced in pairs andor small groups, the students
45 will be helped to lower these feelings since they have to speak up in a small
group instead of the whole class. Besides, having this kind of activities which is both communicative and cooperative in the classroom will take the most of
the students’ cognitive development since they have to communicate with other students to have some intended information in order to complete tasks. This
condition then will make use of the adolescent development of social cooperation as what has been discussed in the fourth paragraph of this point.
B. Relevant Studies
Some researchers have conducted researches aimed at improving the students’ speaking skill by using information-gap activities. Putri 2014
conducted some research to improve the speaking skills of VIII Graders in SMP Negeri 7 Yogyakarta Academic Year 20132014 by using information-
gap activities. In the research, she conducted the activities in pairs and groups. The results of her research show that the activities gave the students wide
opportunities to practice to speak by communicating certain information to their friends. Besides, since in carrying out the activities the students had some
purpose that was to bridge the information gap, the students were highly motivated and felt confident to speak in English.
On the other hand, Suputri 2014 conducted some research to see the effectiveness of using information-gap activities to teach speaking. The
subjects of her research were VIII Graders in SMP Negeri 7 Denpasar Academic Year 20132014. Based on the findings of her research, it can be
