CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion ……....………………………………………………. 61 B. Suggestion …….…………………………………………………. 61 BIBILOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………….. 63 APPENDICES A. Lesson Planning …………………………………………………. 65 B. Instruments of Tests ……………………………………………… 72 C. Data of Interviews ……………………………………………….. 74 D. Questioner ……………………………………………………….. 78 E. The Curriculum of Speaking for X Grade of SMA ……………… 84 LIST OF TABLES Table 4.3 : The Scores of Speaking pre-test………………………... 48 Table 4.4 : The Scores of Speaking Post-test………………………. 50 Table 4.5 : Standard of Six by Gronlund…………………………… 52 Table 4.6 : The Comparison Scores of Pre-test and Post-test………. 52 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 3.1 : Action Research Cycle………………………………… 22 Figure 3.2 : Action Research Planning……………………………… 23 ix

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study

The emergence of globalization era which has caused no distance between countries in this world, force people to decide an international language to overcome the communication problems when people from different countries with different languages meet in some occasions. Today, the first international language is English. Therefore, almost all people in this world try to master English in order to be accepted in this globalization era. The ever-growing need for good communication skills in English has created a huge demand for English teaching around the world. 1 Millions of people today want to improve their command of English or to ensure that their children achieve a good command of English. The opportunities to learn English are provided in many different ways such as through formal instruction, travel, study abroad, as well as through the media and the Internet. The worldwide demand for English has created an enormous demand for quality language teaching and language teaching materials and resources. Communication is an essential need for human being. Language as a means of communication has an important role to reveal an intention to someone else. Since language is a means of communication, it is not enough for students to 1 Jack C. Richards, Communicative Language Teaching Today, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, p.1 1 learn words, phrases and grammatical features if they want to produce language in their daily communication or to interact with others in English. Therefore, we should consider the goal of English teaching today, that is to develop what Hymes in Jack C. Richard’s referred to as “communicative competence”. Communicative competence is a definition of what a speaker needs to know in order to be communicatively competent in a speech community. 2 One of the ways in communication is through speaking. Therefore, the most important thing that should be noticed in teaching speaking is how to activate all of language elements, such as vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, which students have possessed to communicate, since the main function of language is a means of communication. It means that the goal for students learning English speaking is that they are able to use language to communicate effectively and appropriately for all life’s requirements, both social and academic. 3 The students have to be able to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings orally in English without thinking for a long time before saying what they wish to say. Speaking in a second or foreign language has often been viewed as the most demanding of the four skills. 4 Many people today realize that their aims to study English is to be able to communicate in English, it is suitable with the theory of language according to communicative approach that is “language as a means of communication”. Students often think that the ability to speak a language is the product of language learning, but speaking is also a crucial part of the language learning process. Effective teachers teach students speaking strategies that they can use to help themselves expand their knowledge of the language and their confidence in using it. 2 Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching A Description and Analysis, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994, p. 69. 3 Teresa Walter, Teaching English Language Learners, New York: Pearson Education, 2004, p. 16. 4 Kathleen M. Baley and Lance Savage, New Ways in Teaching Speaking, Bloomington: Pantagraph, 1994, p. vii The frequency in using the language will determine the success in speaking ability. Therefore, teacher should create a teaching strategy that stimulates and motivates student to talk in English. Since English in Indonesia is a foreign language, so the most comfortable place for the students to speak English is in the classroom. There are three main reasons for getting students to speak in the classroom. Firstly, speaking activities provide rehearsal opportunities – chances to practice real-life speaking in the safety of the classroom. Secondly, speaking tasks in which students try to use any or all of the language elements they know to provide feedback for both teacher and students. Finally, this is also the opportunities for the students to activate the various elements of language they have stored in their brains. 5 Unfortunately, this condition rarely occurs to the students of X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat. In teaching speaking at X grade of SMA Triguna Utama, the teacher teaches the students traditionally. The teacher asks the students to read a dialogue in the textbook together. Then, the teacher asks the students to perform that dialogue in front of the class without asking them to develop a more communicative dialogue using their own way. So, they only memorize the dialogue and most of the students do not know how to use some expressions taught by their teacher in a real communication. This teaching strategy can not help the students to use language as a means of communication. This strategy influences the teaching of speaking which cause many problems. First, it relates to the condition of students who are lack of vocabulary which will make them unable to say words or sentences in a real communication. Second, the students get used to speak Indonesian language while the most comfortable place for the students to speak English is in the classroom, since English in Indonesia is a foreign language. Fourth, most of the students are not confident to use English in speaking class. For instance, when the teacher asks them to come forward to have a conversation with their friends, they refuse it. 5 Jeremy Harmer, How to teach English, Harlow: Pearson education limited, 2007, p. 123 They are shy to perform English conversation in front of their friends. Consequently it makes them uninterested in learning English. The teacher also has difficulties to teach in large class. The main problem is the way to manage it. During the teaching hours the teacher should make the students pay attention to the materials given to them and also to their friends’ performances in front of the class. It needs hard work for getting students attention without giving them an interesting activity for more than one hour. Based on the problems above, the writer tries to give a solution for the teacher to implement an English teaching strategy which can motivate and give more opportunities for the learner to speak English in the class, that is information gap activities. This strategy is designed to create students’ interests to learn with pleasant. In an information gap activity two speakers have different bits of information, and they can only complete the whole picture by sharing that information-because they have different information, there is a ‘gap’ between them. 6 Using information gap activities in teaching speaking will encourage the students to speak and it will activate the various elements of language they have stored in their brains. Another advantage of information gap activities is that students are forced to negotiate meaning because they must make what they are saying comprehensible to others in order to accomplish the task. These types of activities are extremely effective in the foreign language classroom. They give every student opportunity to speak in the target language for an extended period of time and students naturally produce more speech than they would otherwise. In addition, speaking with peers is less intimidating than presenting in front of the entire class and being evaluated. Based on the problems above, it encourages us to think how to manage a classroom activities to be a communicative class so that the students can participate actively in the teaching and learning process and then we can achieve the objective of English learning as stated above, that is “communicative competence”. So, in presenting this paper the writer will try to study how to 6 Jeremy Harmer, How to teach English, Harlow: Pearson education limited, 2007, p. 129 improve student’s speaking ability by using information gap activities at X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat.

B. Limitation and Formulation of Problem

1. Limitation of the Problem The writer limits the study to the implementation of information gap activities to improve the students’ speaking ability at X grade students of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat. 2. Formulation of the Problem The formulation of this study is: How significant is the students’ speaking ability better after they are taught using information gap activities?

C. The Objective of the Study

This Classroom Action Research CAR is conducted in order to improve students’ speaking ability at the X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat through information gap activities.

D. The Significance of Study

The results of this research is expected to be useful for the English teacher of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat especially in teaching speaking, so that the teacher can manage classroom activities communicatively by using information gap activities in order to encourage their students to speak or to state their ideas orally in English. For students themselves, it can motivate them to try to speak English as often as possible, so that they can improve their ability in speaking skill.

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Speaking

1. The Nature of Speaking

Speaking is an important instrument of communication. People use it almost constantly. As human beings, especially as social creature we have a need to make meaning of our surroundings. We have a need to express our thoughts, opinions, or feelings in order to be accepted in social life. “Speaking does not only make sound by the speech organs but ideas and emotions. Speaking is the active use of language to express meaning so that other people can make sense of them, therefore, the label of productive use of language can be applied to speaking”. 7 While another expert said that speaking is “the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts”. 8 To express their ideas in foreign language, the learners will use their existing language resources, built up from previous experience of language use. The word speaking has many different meanings or definitions on linguistics’ views. Another definition of speaking is making use of words in an ordinary voice, offering words, knowing and being able to use a language 7 Lynne Cameron, Teaching Language to Young Learners, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001, p. 40. 8 Hayriye Kayi , Teaching Speaking: Activities to Promote Speaking in a Second Language. Nevada: University of Nevada, Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XII, No. 11, November 2006, p. 1. From: http:iteslj.org http:iteslj.orgArticlesKayi-Teaching Speaking.html. 6 expressing one-self in words, acquired through listening and reading. 9 While the definition of speaking ability is “the ability to produce sentences, to express, to state, or to deliver thoughts, ideas and feelings. Speaking is human behaviors which use physics: psychological, neurological, semantic, and linguistic and in general it can be considered as a tool of social control”. 10 Referring to the definitions above, we may conclude that speaking is giving oral expression to thoughts, opinions, or feelings in a variety of contexts by using speech organs that is built up from previous experience of language use.

2. Elements of Speaking

In speaking, it is very important for student to acquire the ability to express their ideas and opinions. Consequently, this competency should be mastered by the learners of language. According to Jeremy Harmer, there are two elements of speaking. First, language features, consists of: 1. Connected speech is the modifying in sounds production or utterances such as assimilation, omission, addition, weakened through contraction and stress patterning 2. Expressive devices are the alteration of the speed, volume, and stress of utterances to show the feeling. The use of this device contributes the ability to convey meaning. 3. Lexis and grammar related to the ability to use a number of common lexical phrases, especially in the performance of certain language functions. 4. Negotiation language is the ability to get benefits from the negotiatory language we use to seek clarification and to show the structure of what we are saying. 11 The second element of speaking is mental or social processing, consists of: 9 Henry Guntur Taringan, Berbicara Sebagai Suatu Keterampilan Berbahasa, Bandung: Angkasa, 1990 p. 3 10 Maidar G. Arsjad and Mukti U.S., Pembinaan Kemampuan Berbicara, Jakarta: Erlangga, 1988, p. 23 11 Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching. London: Pearson Education Limited, 2001, p. 269. 1. Language processing: the ability to process language in their own heads and put it into coherent order so that it comes out in forms that are not only comprehensible, but also convey the meanings that are intended. 2. Interacting with others. This means that speaking also involves a good deal of listening, and understanding of how the other participants are feeling. 3. Information processing: the ability to process the information the moment we get it. 12 Therefore, the English teacher should consider these elements of speaking in teaching speaking to their students, so that they will have a good ability in speaking. Furthermore, as explained by Arthur Hughos that for assessing spoken English production, teachers have to asses students’ pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. 13 Although his theory does not mention explicitly about the element of speaking, however the implementation to assess the spoken English production is dealing with the elements of speaking itself. Of course grammar and vocabulary here should be based on the curriculum and students’ expectations.

3. The Aim of Teaching Speaking

Speaking is a crucial part of second language learning and teaching. Despite its importance, for many years, teaching speaking has been undervalued and English language teachers have continued to teach speaking just as a repetition of drills or memorization of dialogues. However, todays world requires that the goal of teaching speaking should improve students communicative skills, because, only in that way, students can express themselves and learn how to follow the social and cultural rules appropriate in each communicative circumstance. 14 12 Jeremy Harmer……, p. 270. 13 Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers 2 nd Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, p. 130. 14 Hayriye Kayi , Teaching Speaking: Activities to Promote Speaking in a Second Language, Nevada: University of Nevada, Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XII, No. 11, November One of the characteristics of speech in everyday life is that speech is spontaneous. That is, in most situations, people do not plan ahead of time what they are going to say. Only in more formal situations, such as when a person has been asked to give a speech, do people plan and organize their speech. 15 The fact that speech is spontaneous means that it is full of false starts, repetitions, incomplete sentences, and short phrases. Therefore, teachers may require their students to do more forward-thinking and planning than native speakers do in real life. Another aspect of producing spoken language is the time-constraint. The students must be able to produce unplanned utterances in real time, otherwise people will not have the patience to listen to them. Based on the facts explained above, we should consider the goal of English teaching today, that is to develop “communicative competence” rather than a mere mastery of structures, vocabulary items, or pronunciation. Communicative competence is the aspect of our competence that enables us to convey and interpret messages and to negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts. 16

4. Classroom Speaking Activities

Most English teachers face the problem of having passive students who show no willingness to speak in class, or students who seem interested enough to speak but find it difficult to express themselves. Traditional classroom speaking practice often takes the form of drills in which one person asks a question and another gives an answer. The question and the answer are structured and predictable, and often there is only one correct, predetermined answer. The purpose of asking and answering the question is to 2006, p. 1. From: http:iteslj.org http:iteslj.orgArticlesKayi-Teaching Speaking.html. 15 Jack C. Richards, Teaching Listening and Speaking from Theory to Practice, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008, p. 21. 16 H. Douglas Brown, Principles in Language Learning and Teaching, New York: Pearson Education, 2000, p. 246. demonstrate the ability to ask and answer the question. In contrast, the purpose of real communication is to accomplish a task, such as conveying a telephone message, obtaining information, or expressing an opinion. In real communication, participants must manage uncertainty about what the other person will say. Authentic communication involves an information gap; each participant has information that the other does not have. In addition, to achieve their purpose, participants may have to clarify their meaning or ask for confirmation of their own understanding. 17 To create classroom speaking activities that will develop communicative competence, which is the aim of teaching speaking as explained above, instructors need to incorporate a purpose and an information gap and allow for multiple forms of expression. 18 Therefore, the teacher should provide students with communicative activities in which the student can engage actively in teaching and learning process. They must use the target language to share some information. For instance, one student has the direction to a party and must give them to a classmate. One type of speaking activity involves the so-called ‘information gap’- where two speakers have different parts of information making up a whole. Because they have different information, there is a ‘gap’ between them. Speaking activities which can improve students’ speaking competence as suggested by Richards 19 are: 1. Information-gap activities: this refers to the fact that in real communication, people normally communicate in order to get information they do not possess. In this activity, each student has different information and they 17 Gillian Brown and George Yule. Teaching the Spoken Language, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999, p. 13. 18 Developing Speaking Activities, http:writing.colostate.eduguidesteachingeslspeaking.cfm 19 Jack C. Richards, Communicative Language Teaching Today, New York: Cambridge University Press: 2006, pp. 19-20. need to obtain information from each other in order to finish a task. They must use target language to accomplish it. 2. Jigsaw activities: these are also based on the information-gap principle. Typically, the class is divided into groups and each group has part of the information needed to complete an activity. The class must fit the pieces together to complete the whole. In so doing, they must use their language resources to communicate meaningfully and so take part in meaningful communication practice. 3. Task-completion activities: puzzles, games, map-reading, and other kinds of classroom tasks in which the focus is on using one’s language resources to complete a task. 4. Information-gathering activities: student-conducted surveys, interviews, and searches in which students are required to use their linguistic resources to collect information. 5. Opinion-sharing activities: activities in which students compare values, opinions, or beliefs, such as a ranking task in which students list six qualities in order of importance that they might consider in choosing a date or spouse. 6. Information-transfer activities: These require learners to take information that is presented in one form, and represent it in a different form. For example, they may read instructions on how to get from A to B, and then draw a map showing the sequence, or they may read information about a subject and then represent it as a graph. 7. Reasoning-gap activities: These involve deriving some new information from given information through the process of inference, practical reasoning, etc. 8. Role plays: activities in which students are assigned roles and improvise a scene or exchange based on given information or clues.

B. Information Gap Activities

1. The Nature of Information Gap Activities

Information gap activity is an activity which is based on information-gap principle that in real communication people normally communicate in order to get information they do not possess. 20 Real communication is likely to occur in the classroom if students practice language forms on their own way and use their linguistic and communicative resources in order to express their ideas. In so doing, they will get available vocabulary, grammar, and communication strategies to complete a task. Another definition of information gap activity is an activity where two speakers have different bits of information, and they can only complete the whole picture by sharing that information-because they have different information, there is a ‘gap’ between them. 21 In an information gap activity one person has information that the other lacks. They must use the target language to share that information. For instance, one student has the directions to a party and must give them to a classmate. Information gap exists when one person in an exchange knows something to other person does not. 22 Therefore, if we create an activity based on this statement, the activity is in the form that the students work in pair or in group and each student has different information and they have to share each other’s information in order to complete a task. Referring to the definition above, we can conclude that the principles of information gap activities are that each student has different information and they need to obtain information from each other in order to finish a task. They must use target language to accomplish it. 20 Jack C. Richards, …….., p. 19 21 Jeremy Harmer, How to teach English, Harlow: Pearson education limited, 2007, p. 129. 22 Diane Larsen Freeman, Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, New Yor: Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 129. For information gap activities to work, it is vitally important that students understand the details of the task for example, that they should not show each other pictures. 23 It is often a good idea for teachers to demonstrate how an activity works by asking a student to come to front of the class and performing the activity with the teacher, so that everyone can see exactly how to do the activity. Many English learners cannot say what they wish to say in English, even though they had years of English learning. Therefore, we need to actively engage students in speaking activities that are enjoyable and that are based on a more communicative competence as the goal of teaching speaking. One of the challenges faced by many second language-teachers is motivating their students to speak in the target language, confident students always participate and students who are less confident are reluctant to speak. Even when students speak in the target language, they are usually answering a question and this approach greatly limits students output. Oral presentations provide opportunities for students to speak in the target language for an extended period of time and these activities are useful, but they should not be the only opportunities, students have to speak at length. Because students prepare for this presentation by writing a script and then rehearsing it, they have difficulty to speak in the target language spontaneously because they only have a little opportunity to do so. When students choose to learn a language, they are interested in learning to speak that language as fluently as possible. One solution is by using information gap activities. These types of activities are extremely effective in the L2 classroom. They give every student the opportunity to speak in the target language for an extended period of time and students naturally produce more speech than they would otherwise. In addition, They can help to reduce such fears by maintaining a friendly atmosphere in the class and providing opportunities for students to practice alone or with another student and then increasingly with a larger group of students. 24 Thus, 23 Keith S. Folse, The Art of Teaching Speaking, Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 2006, p. 95. 24 Rudy Wallace, et–al, Teaching speaking, listening and writing, Geneva: International Bureau of Education, 2004, p. 12. From: http:www.ibe.unesco.org. students can practice speaking in front of their peers who face the same situation. Speaking with peers is less intimidating than presenting in front of the entire class and being evaluated. Another advantage of information gap activities is that students are forced to negotiate meaning because they must make what they are saying comprehensible to others in order to accomplish the task.

2. Speaking Activities Based on Information Gap Activities

The teacher should design the speaking activity so as to provide an opportunity for learners to produce language that they had recently learnt e.g. through open or cued dialogues in order to prepare the learner for later communicative activity by providing them with the necessary linguistic forms and the necessary links between forms and meanings. The principle underlying communicative activities is that the teacher structures the situation so that learners have to overcome an information gap or solve a problem. Speaking activities based on information gap principle can be divided in to some categories, 25 those are: 1. Identifying pictures: learner A has a set of four, five or six pictures which are very similar in content, but contain a number of distinguishing features. Learner B has a copy of these pictures. Learner A must find out which of the pictures learner B is holding, by asking him questions about it. 2. Discovering Identical pairs: in this activity the students work in group, for instance one group consists of five students. Four pictures are given among four students and the fifth learner in the group holds a duplicate of one of these pictures. He must ask the others to discover which learner has the picture identical to his own. 3. Discovering sequences or locations: learner A has a set of six patterns. These are arranged into a sequence from one to six. Learner B has the same set of 25 William Littlewood, Communicative Language Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. 40-43. patterns, but these are not in sequence. Learner B must discover the sequence of A’s pictures and arrange his pictures in the same way. 4. Discovering missing information or features: learner A has information represented in tabular or picture form. However, some items of information have been deleted from the table or picture. Learner B has an identical table or picture, but different items of information have been deleted. Each learner can complete his own table or picture by asking his partner for the information that he lacks. 5. Communicating patterns and pictures: learner A has an assortment of shapes which he arranges into a pattern. Learner B has the same shapes. They must communicate each other so that B can reproduce as exactly as possible the same pattern as A. 6. Discovering differences: learner A and B each have a picture or map, patter, etc. The pictures are identical except for a number of details. The learner must discuss the pictures in order to discover what the differences are. 7. Following directions: learner A and B have identical maps. Only A knows the exact location of some building or other features. He must direct B to the correct spot. 8. Pooling information to solve a problem: learners have to pool information in order to solve a problem. For instance, learner A has a town plan showing the location of interesting places. Learner B has a list of a bus timetable. Together they must devise an itinerary which would enable them to visit, say, five places during one ay, spending at least half an hour at each. 9. Reconstructing story-sequences: a picture-script story without dialogue is cut up into its separate pictures. One picture is handed to each member of a group. Without seeing each other’s pictures, the learners in the group must decide on the original sequence and reconstruct the story.

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. The Aim of Study The aim of this research is to know how to improve students’ speaking ability by using information-gap activities at X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat. The writer hopes it will give a pleasant activity for students, so it will motivate them to speak English. B. Place and Time of Study This research took place at SMA Triguna Utama that is located in Jl. Ir. H. Juanda, KM. 2, Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten. The writer conducted this research for one month and three weeks. It began from March 31 st , 2010 until May 20 th , 2010. C. Subject of Study The subject of this research is X grade students of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat in 20092010 Academic Year. There are 40 students in X grade. D. Research Instrument The research instruments used in order to complete the data needed include observation, documents of teaching-learning process, interview and questioner. In order to support the data of teaching and learning process, pre- test and post-test were conducted in order to know how the students’ scores better after they are taught using information gap activities. 17 E. Technique of Data Collecting There are three techniques of data collecting applied in this study, they are observation, interview, questioner and test in order to support the data of teaching and learning process.

1. Observation

The writer did the observation directly toward English teaching and learning-process in X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat 20092010 Academic Year. In speaking lesson, the writer observed students’ speaking skills, such as; pronunciation, vocabulary,grammar and their braveries in speaking lesson.

2. Interview

One of the ways to get deep and more information in the classroom is by using interview. The writer interviewed the English teacher and the students of X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat. The interview was conducted structurally by using interview guide and it was conducted once in a week after the teaching and learning process has finished. The interview was about problem in speaking lesson before and after using information gap activities in speaking lesson.

3. Questioner

The questioner was given to the students of X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat in order to know their responds toward the process of teaching and learning speaking by using information gap activities and also about their motivations and problems in learning English speaking before and after they were taught using information gap activities.

4. Test

The test is used to compare students’ speaking achievements before conducting the research and after conducting the research. The form of the test can be grouped into three forms, namely: oral, written, and behavior form. In this research, the writer conducted an oral test. The test used is based on the activity based on information gap principle as explained in chapter 2. Giving score of the speaking test is the most challenging of all language exams. That is why many people do not even try to measure the speaking skill. According to Arthur Hughes, there are five components to analyze of the speech process such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. 26 In order to give score to the students’ ability in the five aspects mentioned above, the writer used the ‘Proficiency Descriptions’ stated by Arthur Hughes in his book. 27 The proficiency descriptions are: Pronunciation 1. Pronunciation frequently unintelligible. 2. Frequent gross errors and a very heavy accent make understanding difficult, require frequent repetition. 3. “Foreign accent” requires concentrated listening, and mispronunciation lead to occasional misunderstanding and apparent errors in grammar or vocabulary. 4. Marked “foreign accent” and occasional mispronunciations which do not interfere with understanding. 5. No conspicuous mispronunciations, but would not be taken for a native speaker. 6. Native pronunciation, with no trace of “foreign accent”. Grammar 1. Grammar almost entirely inaccurate except in stock phrases. 2. Constant errors showing control of very few major patterns and frequently preventing communication. 3. Frequent errors showing some major patterns uncontrolled and causing occasional irritation and misunderstanding. 4. Occasional errors showing imperfect control of some patterns but no weakness that causes misunderstanding 5. Few errors, with no patterns of failure. 6. No more than two errors during the interview. 26 Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teachers 2 nd Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, p. 130. 27 . Arthur Hughes ……, p. 131. Vocabulary 1. Vocabulary inadequate for even the simplest conversation. 2. Vocabulary limited to basic personal and survival areas. 3. Choice of words sometimes inaccurate, limitations of vocabulary prevent discussion of some common professional and social topic. 4. Professional vocabulary adequate to discuss special interests; general vocabulary permits discussion of any non-technical subject with some circumlocutions. 5. Professional vocabulary broad and precise; general vocabulary adequate to cope with complex practical problems and varied social situations. 6. Vocabulary apparently as accurate and extensive as that of an educated native speaker. Fluency 1. Speech is so halting and fragmentary that conversation is virtually impossible. 2. Speech is very slow and uneven except for short or routine sentences. 3. Speech is frequently hesitant; sentences may be left uncompleted. 4. Speech is occasionally hesitant, with some unevenness caused by rephrasing and grouping of words. 5. Speech is effortless and smooth, but perceptively non-native in speed and evenness. 6. Speech on all professional and general topics as effortless and smooth as a native speaker’s. Comprehension 1. Understands too little for the simplest type of conversation. 2. Understand only slow, very simple speech on common social and touristic topics; requires constant repetition and rephrasing. 3. Understands careful, somewhat simplified speech when engaged in a dialogue, but may require occasional repetition and rephrasing. 4. Understands quite well normal educated speech when engaged in a dialogue, but requires occasional repetition and rephrasing. 5. Understands everything in normal educated conversation except for very colloquial or low-frequency items, or exceptionally rapid or slurred speech. 6. Understands everything in both formal and colloquial speech to be expected of an educated native speaker. F. Technique of Data Analysis The writer conducted this classroom action research collaboratively with the English teacher of X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat. The data collected were analyzed in some ways as shown below 28 : a. Reducing the data This is the first component in analyzing the data that contains selecting processing, focusing, and summarizing the data from field notes. In this step, the writer selected, limited, and summarized the data from the implementation of teaching speaking using information gap technique. b. Displaying the data The second step of analyzing the data is describing the data in narrative which the research conclusion will be possible to be done. In this step, the writer described the result of the research which is described in systematic and logic sentence, therefore the result is understandable. The form of displaying is not always in the sentences, but it can also be displayed in table form which supports the narrative data. c. Drawing Conclusion The last step is the writer made conclusion of the research. Then the writer also verified the conclusion. The technique is by discussing the research conclusion with the collaborator of the research. This step is very important to be done in order to get a good research conclusion. 28 Miles and Huberman, Research in Education, New Delhi: Prentice Hall, 1984, p. 170 G. Action Procedures In this Classroom Action Research CAR, the writer used the CAR principle to collect the data. This research consisted of three cycles and each cycle consisted of four elements. The writer described the cycles through the scheme of action research designed by Kemmis and Mc Taggart as follows: Figure 3.1 Action Research Cycle Adapted from Suharsimi Arikunto, 2006 29 29 Suharsimi Arikunto, Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktik, Jakarta: Rineka Cipta, 2006, p.93. A plan for action was being established, as detailed in figure below: Figure 3.2 Action Research Planning - Ask students’ responses - Observe the class while students are practicing - Give expressions and vocabularies needed - Explain the instruction for practicing - Practice sharing information with restricted cooperation - Students Perform in front of class - Make lesson planning - Choose suitable topic and teaching aids - Develop evaluation form for students. - Evaluate teaching and learning process - Analyze students’ achievement - Revise the action planning for the next cycle - Identify the problem in cycle 1 - Revise the lesson plan - Reselect the topic and teaching aid which will motivate students - Give an example of related conversation - Practice an information gap activity sharing information with unrestricted cooperation - Perform in front of the class - Analyze students’ achievement - Discuss with the English teacher - Evaluate action 2 - Observe students’ participation. - Observe students’ achievement - Strengthen students’ motivation to speak English - Develop the activities toward spontaneous speak. - Group work sharing and processing information - Discuss and evaluate a group decision to the whole class - Analyze students’ progress in speaking English based on their score in the test. - Observe students’ achievement in group work Plan Plan Cycle I a. Planning In this phase, the writer makes the lesson plan and then chooses the topics and teaching aids to imply the information gap activities. In this phase, the writer uses dialogues, short paragraphs, list of related expressions and vocabulary items, draw material and other things used in information gap activities. The writer also makes the evaluation form to know about students’ achievements at the end of this cycle.

b. Action

The writer gives an example of conversation and also some related vocabulary items needed when students are engaged in an information gap activity, that is sharing information with restricted cooperation. Then, the writer asks the students to work in pairs with their partners. For instance, learner A has a set of four, five or six pictures which are all very similar in content, but contain a number of distinguishing features. Learner B has a duplicate copy just one of these pictures. Learner A must find out which of the pictures learner B is holding, by asking him questions about it. If student A has found the picture held by student B, now it is student B’s turn to act like student A to find out which picture is held by student A. At the end of the meeting, the writer calls the students two by two to perform as what they have practiced in front of the class.

c. Observation

In this phase, the writer observes the students’ responses, participations, and achievements which are found during the teaching and learning process. Sometimes, the writer also asks some students’ opinions about the process of teaching and learning using information gap activities.

d. Reflection

After collecting the data, the writer analyzes the data of teaching- learning process. Then, the writer reflects herself by seeing the result of the observation, whether the teaching learning process of speaking using information gap activity is good to imply in teaching learning process at X grade students of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat or not. If the first plan is unsuccessful, proven by students’ achievements, the writer will make the next plan replanning to solve students’ problems and also to get a better result. Cycle 2 a. Planning After identifying the problems found in cycle 1, the writer will revise the lesson plan and reselect the topics and teaching aids to motivate students, so that they will get a better achievement in speaking.

b. Action

The writer gives an example of conversation to prepare students for practicing information gap activities sharing information with unrestricted cooperation. For instance, the writer asks students to work in pairs with their partners. Student A has a set of 7 pictures. These are arranged into a sequence from one to seven by himself. Learner B has the same set of pictures, but these are not in sequence. Learner B must discover the sequence of A’s pictures and arrange his own in the same way as A’s. The writer tells them that they may not see each other’s pictures, the only way they can do is describing their pictures to each other and speculating on how they are arranged. If student B has found the way student A arranged the picture, now it is student A’s turn to act like student B to find out how student B arrange his pictures. At the end of the meeting, the writer calls the students’ names three by three, for instance namely student A, student B, and student C. Then, the writer gives them a set of 6 patterns. Student A arranges the patterns in his way, and student B and C have to describe and ask student A in order to arrange their pictures as A’s.

c. Observation

In this phase, the writer observes the students’ responses, participations, and achievements which are found during the teaching and learning process. The writer uses photography and also video for several times to collect the data.

d. Reflection

In this phase, the writer evaluates students’ progresses in their speaking ability after taught using information gap activities. The writer will also ask the English teacher’s opinion about students’ improvements in speaking. Further more, data reduction will be used to decide a better plan for the next cycle. Cycle 3 If needed a. Planning In this phase, the writer strengthens students’ motivations to speak English by creating a lesson plan which will develop students’ speaking ability in spontaneous situation.

b. Action

The writer uses sharing and processing information activities to engage students to a more spontaneous speaking activities, so that they will be able to speak fluently and correctly without thinking for a long time. In this phase, students will work in group of four or five. At the end of the class, each group will perform their ideas or decisions of a problem to the whole class and other students will give their arguments.

c. Observation

The writer observes students’ achievements based on their participations in group work and also their performances in front of the class.

d. Reflection

The writer analyzes the data collected, especially students’ progresses in speaking English based on their scores in the test During the process of the action research in the X grade of SMA Triguna Utama Ciputat, the writer uses the diary and document as the instrument for gathering the data. Diaries contain personal accounts of the observation on feelings, reactions, interpretations, reflections, explanations and documents of teaching and learning process which are used to provide information related to the problem under investigation. The documents used by the writer are lesson plan and the sample of students’ activities.

CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDING