Principles of teaching speaking

The second stage is Modelling of the Text MOT. In this stage, the students investigate the structural pattern and language features of the target material and then compare it with other examples of the same text-type. The teacher could give listening practices as the input text, for example. The other examples of activities in the MOT stage are presenting the materials by using board work, matching and labelling pictures with suitable expressions, and spelling and pronouncing the expressions. In this stage, the teacher acts as a facilitator. He facilitates students with sufficient learning materials and learning kits. Therefore, they learn new languages by maximizing the use of the learning kits and the materials given. The next stage is called Joint Construction of the Text JCOT. In this stage students begin to practice using the construction of the whole examples of text-type. It means that they begin to try out the new language they have already learnt. For example, they make small group construction of texts. Some other examples of activities in the JCOT stage are teacher questioning, discussing and editing the examples of text-type, jig saw, information gap activity, and dictogloss. In this stage, the teacher gradually reduces his contribution on the teaching learning process. On the contrary, the students move closer to being able to control the text-type independently. The next stage is Independent Construction of the Text ICOT. In this stage, the students work independently with the text. For example, they are asked to carry out conversations in the target language. It is aiming at encouraging them to expand their language experiences. Some other activities of ICOT are sequencing pictures according to audio materials, making spoken presentation to the class, role playing, underlying materials in worksheet, answering questions according to passages, and writing personal experiences. In this stage, the teacher barely contributes to the students ’ performances. In addition, their performances are used for achievement assessment. The last stage is Linking of the Text LOT. In this stage, students investigate how and what they have learnt in the teaching learning process can be related to other texts in similar contexts and to future or past cycle of teaching and learning. An example of activities which links the text-type to related texts is role playing what happens if the same text-type is used by people with different roles and relationships.

h. Characteristics of Successful Speaking Activity

English teachers often ignore speaking on their teaching and learning process since it is difficult to perform. Some say that it is difficult to assess students ’ performances. However, they still have to include it on the classroom activity. In order to carry out successful speaking, the students should fullfil some characteristics of a successful speaking activity which can be used to assess the teaching and learning process. According to Ur 1996:120, some characteristics of a successful speaking class are presented on the following points. 1 Learners talk a lot: As much as possible of the period of time allocated to the activity is in fact occupied by learners talk. This may be obvious, but of often most time is taken up with teacher talk or pauses. 2 Participant is even: Classroom discussion is not dominated by a minority of talkative participants. All have a chance to speak and contribute to the discussion. 3 Motivation is high: Learners are eager to speak because they are interested in the topic and have something new to say about it, or they want to contribute to achieve a task objective. 4 Language is of an acceptable level: Learners express themselves in utterances that are relevant, easily comprehensible to each other and of acceptable level of language accuracy. In connection with the description above, the speaking class supposes to be dominated by the learners’ talk. They supposed to communicate at each other to speak out their minds by using language they have learnt. Moreover, the speaking activity should not be dominated by a few talkative learners. Then, each student should have the same opportunity to get involved in the speaking activity. Furthermore, a successful speaking is characterized by high motivation. The students should be highly motivated to be engaged in all classroom tasks. Then, the language should be in an acceptable level of the learners’ comprehension.

i. Teaching Speaking in Junior High School

Teaching speaking in Junior High School should be based on standard of competence and basic competency as stated in the standard of graduate competency Standar Kompetensi Lulusan . Mulyasa 2008: 109 asserts that related to the school-based curriculum, National Education Department has prepared standard of competence and basic competency for every subject, which is used as a guide for the teachers in developing the school-based curriculum in every school.