THE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION GAP TASK IN TEACHING ENGLISH SPEAKING AT THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF SMA YP UNILA BANDAR LAMPUNG

ABSTRACT
THE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION GAP TASK IN TEACHING
ENGLISH SPEAKING AT THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF
SMA YP UNILA BANDAR LAMPUNG
by
Nadya Shabrina

Guidline of School Based Curriculum (KTSP), the students are expected to
master four skills in English subject. They are listening, reading, speaking and
writing. Speaking is one of the important skills that the students have to master.
The ability to communicate is the primary goal of foreign language instruction
that speaking is put ahead on the other skills. On the contrary, for most students
speaking is the most difficult part when they learn foreign language. A common
problem for foreign language teacher is dealing with passive class because of the
students’ afraid of making mistakes and lack of vocabulary.
This research was quantitative descriptive research. This research conducted to
find out the effect of using information gap task in speaking class. The design of
this research was one group pretest-posttest, experimental design. The subjects were
class XI IPA 1 SMA YP UNILA consisting of 30 students. In collecting the data, the
researcher administered speaking test and interview. The test was given to the students
to see how far the students improve their speaking ability.

Based on the data, the researcher found that there were significant improvements in
students’ speaking ability. The data shows that value of two tail significance was 0.000
and the sign < α (0.000 < 0.05). It could be stated that the hypothesis was accepted. The
mean of speaking achievement in pretest was 64 and the mean of posttest was 72. It
means that there was improvement in speaking ability.
Information gap task used in this research stimulated the students to speak a lot in the
classroom. It can be used to increase the interactions among the students. They became
more confidence to express their ideas. They started to speak their ideas and respond the
teacher well.
Key words: Speaking, Information Gap Task, Completing Drawing activity.

THE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION GAP TASK IN TEACHING ENGLISH
SPEAKING AT THE SECOND YEAR STUDENTS OF
SMA YP UNILA BANDAR LAMPUNG
(A Script)

NADYA SHABRINA
0853042027

Advisor:

1. Drs. Hery Yufrizal, MA, Ph.D
2. Drs. Ramlan Ginting Suka

THE LANGUAGE AND ARTS DEPARTMENT
TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
2012

i

CURRICULUM VITAE
The name of the researcher is Nadya Shabrina. She was born in Bandar Lampung on
October 17th, 1990 as the youngest daughter of a happy family Drs. Baharuddin
Risyak, M.pd and Dra. Farida Zubair. And the youngest sister of Dina Amelia, S.s
and Muhammad Fithtratullah, S.s
She joined Darma Wanita unit UNILA kindergarten in 1995. Then she entered
Elementary school in SD Negeri 1 Rawa Laut in 1996 and graduated in 2002. She
continued her study at Muhammadiyah 3 Junior High School Bandar Lampung and
graduated in 2005. Three years later (2008), she graduated form SMA YP UNILA
Bandar Lampung.
She entered S1 Mandiri regular program at English Department of The Training and

Education Faculty (FKIP) in Lampung University in 2008.
On July 2011 she did her teacher pratice in SMP 17 Gedong Tataan. Since October
2012, she has worked in A2L Institute as an English teacher up to now.

MOTTO

Keep Step Forward, always.
Even the criples never step backward.
-Kahlil Gibran

DEDICATION
This script is dedicated to
My beloved Parents; Drs. Baharuddin Risyak, M.Pd and
Dra. Farida Zubair: thank you so much for your loves, supports,
carring, attentions and prayers.
My beloved Sister and Brother: Dina Amelia and Muhammad
Fithtratullah. For the love and support.
My soulmates Intan Fania, Novisca Rulina and Desti Aryani:
thanks for the help and support.
My brothers and sisters of ED ’08. For struggling together and

the support.

ACKNOWLEDMENTS

All praises to Allah SWT, the almighty God, for his gracious mercy and blessing that
enables the researcher to finish her script. Greeting is never forgotten, praise upon
Prophet Muhammad SAW and his family, followers and Muslims. This script entitled
“The Effects of Information Gap Task in Teaching English Speaking at The Second
Year Students of SMA YP UNILA Bandar Lampung” is submitted as a compulsory
fulfilment of the requirement for S-1 Degree at The Language and Arts Education
Department of Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Lampung University.

Gratitude and honour are addressed to all persons who have helped and supported the
researcher until the completion of this research. Since, it is necessary to be known
that this research will never have come into its existence without any supports,
encouragements and assistances by several outstanding people and institutions.
Therefore, the researcher would like to acknowledge his respect and best gratitude to:
1.

Drs. Hery Yufrizal, M.A., Ph.D. as the first advisor, for his criticism, motivation

and encouragement in encouraging the reseracher.

2.

Drs. Ramlan Ginting Suka as the second advisor, for his assistance, guidance in
correcting the reseracher.

3.

Prof. Dr. Cucu Sutarsyah, M.A. as the examiner, for his support, encouragement,
ideas, suggestions and in supporting the researcher. And as the Chief of English
Education Study Program.

4.

All lecturers of English Education Study Program who have contributed their
guidance during the completion process until accomplishing this research.

5.

Drs. Ujang Suparman, M.A., Ph.D as the academic advisor, for advice and
support to finish the reseacher’s study soon.

6.

All my lecturers of English Education Study Program, who have truthfully
trained and taught me the knowledge.

7.

Drs. Berchah Pitoewas, MH as the headmaster of SMA YP UNILA Bandar
Lampung and Syauqi Wafa, S.Pd. as the English teacher who gave the researcher
time to do her research in the classroom. All the students of XI IPA 1 SMA YP
UNILA for their participations in helping the researcher.

8.

All the reseracher’s friends of English Education Study Program 2008
generation, and all of my best friends in WANTED’ 08 especially Desti Aryani,
Bulqis Jolay Waway, Resty Framila Utami, Inggar Ginarsih, Mevia Indriani,

Dito Setiyawan, Achmad Yudi Wahyudin and Dicky Charlan Kurniawan. And
all of my friends that can not mentioned one by one thank you very much for
your love, happiness, sadness, also supports.

Finally, the resarcher believes that this script is still far from perfection. There may be
weaknesses in the research. Thus, comments, critiques, and suggestions are always
opened for better research. Somehow, the writer hopes this research would give a
positive contribution to the educational development, the readers and to those who
want to accomplish further research.
Bandar Lampung,
The writer,

Nadya Shabrina

2013

Appendices 6
THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRETEST SCORE
No.

Name

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15
16.
17.
18.

19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.

A.N
A.F
A.S
B.P
D.N
E.D
E.S
F.I

G.P
G.A
I.W
J.S
L.P
M.
M.T
M.Y
ML
M.S
N.T
P.N
Q.L
R.R
RCH
S.P
S.T
T.P
YL
Y.P

W.R

V
R1
11.00
15.00
16.00
14.00
15.00
12.00
10.00
15.00
12.00
15.00
12.00
15.00
16.00
16.00
11.0
10.00
15.00
10.00
11.00
16.00
10.00
11.00
13.00
16.00
17.00
14.00
14.00
11.00
13.00

R2
13.00
17.00
16.00
18.00
17.00
12.00
14.00
17.00
12.00
17.00
12.00
17.00
16.00
16.00
13.00
14.00
17.00
14.00
13.00
16.00
14.00
13.00
11.00
16.00
15.00
10.00
18.00
13.00
11.00

G
X
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
12.00
16.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
16.00
12.00
12.00

R1
9.00
10.00
12.00
15.00
10.00
13.00
12.00
14.00
14.00
16.00
8.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
16.00
14.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
13.00
10.00
18.00
14.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
14.00

R2
7.00
12.00
12.00
17.00
14.00
11.00
12.00
18.00
18.00
16.00
8.00
18.00
12.00
14.00
8.00
16.00
18.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
11.00
14.00
14.00
18.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
18.00

C
X
8.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
8.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
16.00
16.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
16.00

R1
7.00
12.00
13.00
10.00
12.00
7.00
12.00
10.00
12.00
12.00
13.00
8.00
10.00
9.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
9.00
6.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
11.00
10.00

R2
9.00
12.00
13.00
14.00
12.00
9.00
12.00
14.00
12.00
12.00
11.00
8.00
14.00
7.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
7.00
10.00
14.00
6.00
14.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
14.00
12.00
13.00
14.00

P
X
8.00
12.00
13.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00

R1
8.00
13.00
10.00
13.00
8.00
8.00
9.00
13.00
8.00
13.00
9.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
11.00
9.00
12.00
7.00
10.00
6.00
7.00
12.00
13.00
9.00
7.00
10.00
12.00
8.00
9.00

R2
8.00
11.00
6.00
11.00
8.00
8.00
7.00
11.00
8.00
11.00
7.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
13.0
7.00
12.00
9.00
6.00
10.00
9.00
12.00
11.00
7.00
9.00
14.00
12.00
8.00
7.00

F
X
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
8.00

R1
12.00
9.00
8.00
12.00
9.00
10.00
10.00
8.00
9.00
15.00
7.00
12.00
9.00
11.00
10.00
7.000
16.00
8.00
11.00
8.00
9.00
12.00
11.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
10.00
7.00
14.00

R2
12.00
7.00
8.00
12.00
7.00
6.00
14.00
8.00
7.00
17.00
9.00
12.00
7.00
13.00
14.00
9.00
16.00
8.00
13.00
8.00
7.00
12.00
13.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
14.00
9.00
10.00

Total
X
12.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
16.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
16.00
8.00
12.00
8.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
12.00
12.00
8.00
12.00

48
60
56
68
56
48
56
64
56
72
48
64
56
56
56
52
72
44
52
56
48
60
56
54
56
56
64
48
60

72

Appendices

Appendices 7
THE DISTRIBUTION OF POSTEST SCORE
No.

Name

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.

A.N
A.F
A.S
B.P
D.N
E.D
E.S
F.I
G.P
G.A
I.W
J.S
L.P
M.
M.T
M.Y
ML
M.S
N.T
P.N
Q.L
R.R
RCH
S.P
S.T
T.P
YL
Y.P
W.R

V
R1
20.00
22.00
15.00
20.00
16.00
21.00
18.00
20.00
16.00
21.00
19.00
18.00
23.00
16.00
20.00
15.00
20.00
16.00
21.00
19.00
20.00
19.00
18.00
16.00
20.00
15.00
20.00
19.00
16.00

R2
20.00
18.00
17.00
20.00
16.00
19.00
22.00
20.00
16.00
19.00
21.00
22.00
17.00
16.00
20.00
17.00
20.00
16.00
19.00
21.00
20.00
21.00
22.00
16.00
20.00
17.00
20.00
21.00
16.00

G
X
20.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
16.00

R1
12.00
15.00
16.00
21.00
16.00
15.00
14.00
20.00
20.00
21.00
16.00
19.00
16.00
15.00
14.00
19.00
22.00
16.00
18.00
20.00
15.00
17.00
16.00
20.00
22.00
16.00
15.00
12.00
21.00

R2
12.00
17.00
16.00
19.00
16.00
17.00
18.00
19.00
20.00
19.00
16.00
21.00
16.00
17.00
18.00
21.00
18.00
16.00
22.00
20.00
17.00
15.00
16.00
20.00
18.00
16.00
17.00
12.00
19.00

C
X
12.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
20.00

R1
10.00
17.00
21.00
21.00
16.00
15.00
14.00
20.00
16.00
18.00
17.00
12.00
21.00
16.00
18.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
11.00
16.00
18.00
15.00
16.00
20.00
12.00
16.00
14.00
15.00
16.00

R2
14.00
15.00
19.00
19.00
16.00
17.00
18.00
20.00
16.00
14.00
15.00
12.00
19.00
16.00
14.00
18.00
12.00
14.00
13.00
16.00
14.00
17.00
16.00
20.00
12.00
16.00
18.00
17.00
16.00

P
X
12.00
16.00
20.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00

R1
11.00
16.00
15.00
17..00
15.00
12.00
10.00
16.00
15.00
17.00
12.00
10.00
11.00
15.00
14.00
20.00
12.00
11.00
13.00
12.00
10.00
14.00
18.00
16.00
12.00
16.00
14.00
18.00
15.00

R2
13.00
16.00
17.00
15.00
17.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
17.00
15.00
12.00
14.00
13.00
17.00
18.00
20.00
12.00
13.00
11.00
12.00
14.00
18.00
14.00
16.00
12.00
16.00
18.00
14.00
17.00

F
X
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00

R1
14.00
14.00
16.00
19.00
16.00
15.00
15.00
16.00
14.00
21.00
16.00
15.00
14.00
18.00
17.00
20.00
12.00
16.00
18.00
15.00
17.00
16.00
16.00
19.00
15.00
14.00
20.00
16.00
15.00

R2
18.00
18.00
16.00
21.00
16.00
17.00
17.00
16.00
18.00
19.00
16.00
17.00
18.00
14.00
15.00
20.00
12.00
16.00
14.00
17.00
15.00
16.00
16.00
21.00
17.00
18.00
20.00
16.00
17.00

Total
X
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
12.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00
20.00
16.00
16.00

72
84
84
96
80
80
80
92
84
92
80
80
84
80
88
92
76
72
80
84
80
84
84
92
80
80
88
80
84

73

TABLE OF CONTENT

Page
Title……………………………………………………………………….

I

ABSTRACT
CURRICULUM VITAE
MOTTO
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CHAPTER I Introduction
1.1 Background of Study………………………………………………..

1

1.2 Identification of Problems……………………………………………

4

1.3 Limitation of Problems………………………………………………

5

1.4 Formulation of Problems…………………………………………….

5

1.5 Objectives of the Research……………………………………………

5

1.6 Significances of Study……………………………………………….

6

1.7 Scope of the Researcher………………………………………………

6

1.8 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………..

7

CHAPTER II Theoretical Framework
2.1 Review of Previous Research…………………………………………

8

2.2 Concept of Speaking………………………………………………….

9

2.2.2 Concept of Teaching Speaking……………………………………

12

2.3 Concept of small group work ………………………………. . ...........

13

2.4 Concept of information gap………………………………………….

14

2.4.1 Advantages of Information gap in Language teaching…………… 17

2.4.2 Disadvantages of Information gap in Language Teaching……

17

2.5 Teaching speaking through small group work …………..........

18

2.6 Procedure of teaching speaking through information gap..................

19

2.7 Theoretical assumptions……………………………………………….

21

2.8 Hypothesis

……………………………………………….

21

CHAPTER III Research Methods
3.1 Setting……………………………………………………………….

22

3.2 Research Design…………………………………………………….

23

3.3 Population and Sample………………………………………………

23

3.4 Treatment……………………………………………………………

22

3.4.1 Experimental Group…………………………………………….

24

3.5 Data Collection………………………………………………………

24

3.5.1 Research Instruments……………………………………………

25

3.5.3 Procedure of the research………………………………………..

27

3.6 Data Analysis………………………………………………………..

28

3.7 Evaluating Students’ Speaking………………………………………

29

3.8 Hypothesis……………………………………………………………

34

CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results of the Research……………………………………………….

37

4.1.1 Results of Pretest………………………………………………….

35

4.1.2 Results of Posttest………………………………………………...

39

4.1.3 Results of Interview……………………………………………….

42

4.1.4 The improvement of Students’ Speaking Ability…………………

43

4.2 Hypothesis Testing……………………………………………………

46

4.3 Discussion…………………………………………………………….

47

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1 Conclusions……………………………………………………………

52

5.2 Suggestion……………………………………………………………

53

REFFERENCES……………………………………………………………..55
APPENDICES

LIST OF FIGURES

Graph 1 Pretest Speaking Ability………………………………………………. 36
Table 1 Distribution of Pretest…………………………………………………...37
Graph 2 Interval of Pretest……..………………………………………………...37
Table 2 Distribution of Pretest…………………………………………………...37
Table 3 Statistics of Pretest………………………………………………………38
Graph 3 Postest Speaking Ability………………………………………………..39
Table 4 Distribution of Postest…… …………………………………………….40
Graph 4 Interval of Postest……..………………………………………………..40
Table 5 Distribution of Postest…………………………………………………..40
Table 6 Statistics of Postest………………………………………………………41
Graph 5 Improvement From Pretest to Postest…………………………………..44
Graph 6 The Improvement of five Speaking Aspects……………………………44
Table 7 The Analysis of Hypothesis……………………………………………..46

LIST OF APPENDICES

Lesson Plan1…………………………………………………………………….57
Lesson Plan 2……………………………………………………………………60
The Cards ……………………………………………………………………...63
Pretest

……………………………………………………………………...66

Postest

……………………………………………………………………...68

Interview

……………………………………………………………………...71

Pretest Score…………………………………………………………………….72
Postest Score…………………………………………………………………….73

I.

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses several points, i.e., background of the problem, research
problem, objective of the research, uses of the research and scope of the research as
follows:

1.1

Backgrounds of Problem

English becomes more and more important these days. We need to understand
English in facing globalization era because English is the access of international
communication. Language skills such as reading, speaking, listening and writing as
well as language elements such as vocabulary and grammar should be taught to
students. Now, speaking ability in English is crucial because it is likely to be in any
aspects of modern life. That is why, policy makers in many countries in the world put
English as the important subject in school curriculum.
In Indonesia, English is the first foreign language that should be taught from
elementary level until university level. After learning English the students are
expected to be able to use the language for communication both in spoken and written
form. Because English is the means of international communication, the students
must be able to speak in English.

The demand in English curriculum of SMA states that SMA/MA students should be
able to use language in informational level. Arriving at informational level means that
the students are expected to be able to access knowledge and information from the
target language (English) by their language skills. There are four skills of language to
be taught by English teachers of SMA/MA, i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and
writing (Depdiknas, 2006:307). After the students mastering listening, they will try to
read and after that they will start to speak.
The fact that English has been taught for years, we can say the capability of speaking
English in Indonesia is still unsatisfactory. The students in class are often
embarrassed when they make mistakes or laughed at in class. The still hesitate to try
to interact with their friends or with their English teacher in target language or
English. These situations tend to happen because the teacher never involve in making
the students to have the courage in speaking English, they seldom to make the various
interesting communicative activities in class.
In this quantitative descriptive research, the writer concentrated on the speaking skill
of the students. There are so many factors influencing the students’ achievement in
speaking. One of them is, of course, the technique used by the teacher in teaching
speaking. Alexander (1998) in Subaikan (1995) states that the teaching qualities,
particularly approach, method and techniques used in teaching process are important.
It is the English teacher’s responsibility to create and to determine techniques that
may provoke the students to keep speaking.

Small group work may meet the criteria to keep the students stimulated to speak as
Roger and Walters (1987: 17) In Utomo (1997) notices that small group work gives
the students more time to practice the language. The effectiveness of small group
work has been suggested by Mclean and Castonos (1976) in Utomo (1997:27) that
the amount and variety of talk were significantly greater in small group work than in
the teacher led discussion. In other words, students not only talked more, but also use
a wider range of speech acts in the small group context. Like in Nation (1989:27)
states that one of the factors that influences the small group work is the task. It
suggests that task play an important role in the success of small group work.
Information gap is one of the tasks that may encourage the students more actively to
speak English. To improve students’ speaking skill, the researcher proposed to use
Information gap as the technique. This research focused on teachers as the only
learning sources and speech is as the main learning strategies. Therefore, the
researcher proposed Information gap as an alternative technique.
Information gap is a kind of task that will encourage the students to speak in English
more so that they can improve their speaking ability. Because it gives the students
opportunity to speak in the target language and students produce more speech in the
target language more than they would otherwise. As Pica (1985) states that
information gap task offered the largest percentage of opportunities for non native
speaker to modify their output in response to native speaker signals of request for
clarification and confirmation. Furthermore, Information gap forces the students to
open their background knowledge related with the topic given and then practice it.

Background Knowledge will help the students able to response. Thelen (1960, p.61)
in Models’ of Teaching (Bruce Joyce) stated that learners will not raise up to study
unless they know how to response.
This will not make the students bored because they can corporate with their friends.
This research will focus on the students so that they will practice it by their own self.
Therefore, the researcher proposes Information gap as the technique. The researcher
hopes that Information gap can be helpful in improving students’ ability in Speaking
English.
1.2

Identification of Problem

Based on the reseracher’s pre observation in Senior High School, she faced some
problems like; some students get difficulties to express their idea in front of the class.
It might be caused they afraid to make mistakes. Most of the students cannot tell their
ideas when their teacher asked them, because they feel shy, nervous, and most of all
afraid of making mistake and not knowing how to pronounce certain words. The
students do not want to communicate to each other in English class. It might be
caused the students only have little vocabulary and the teacher only give the students
little chance to practice their speaking abilty. Most of the students do not know how
to pronounce the word. It might be cause the teacher is not teach them how to
pronounce the word right.

1.3

Limitation of Problems

In this research, the researcher focused on the students who cannot express their idea,
cannot communicate and interact to the other students. So, the reseracher intented to
improve the students’ speaking ability. The researcher used Information Gap as
technique to make the students feel enjoy in learning English.

1.4

Formulation of the Problem

Based on the background above, the researcher will formulate the problems as
follows:
1. Is there any significant difference of students’ speaking abilty before and after
pretest and posttest through information gap task?
2. What are the students responses toward information gap task?

1.5

Objectives of the Research

In relation to the problem formulated above, the objectives of the action research are
to:
1. To find out whether there is significant difference of students’ speaking abilty
before and after being taught using Information Gap.
2. To know the students responses toward information gap task.

1.6

Significances of study

The writer expected that the research can be used as:
Theoretical uses:
1. To verify the previous theory dealing with the theories of Information gap.
2. To be used as a reference for the next researcher who will concentrate on
students’ speaking ability, students’ participation in teaching learning
process of Information gap and teacher’s teaching performance.
Practical uses:
1. As a help to English teacher in finding appropriate technique in improving
students speaking skill and teacher’s performance.
2. As a help to students in improving their speaking skill.
3. As a consideration in making policy related to the development of teaching
learning English subject especially speaking skill.

1.7

Scope of the Research

The researcher will find out whether there is any significant improvement of students’
speaking ability that is taught through information gap. This study only focused on
improving students’ speaking ability in group discussion. The study then employed
Information gap learning technique for the improvement of students’ speaking ability
to improved students’ speaking ability.

1.8

Definition of Terms



Speaking
Speaking is a process of communication between at least two or more
speakers.



Small Group Work
Small Group Work is a technique in Teaching and Learning process where the
students can work with their friends in group.



Information Gap
Information Gap is a task of learning a second language that has five kinds of
activity to transfer some information. This task will force the students to
speak to each other in order to get the information they needed.

II.

THEORETICAL OF FRAMEWORK

There are some concepts related to the research. In Theoretical of framework, the
section discusses several concepts such as review of the previous research, concept of
speaking, concept of teaching speaking, concept of small group work, concept of
information gap, and procedure of teaching speaking through information gap.

2.1

Review of The Previous Research

Information Gap is a very useful technique in teaching speaking because it helps the
students to develop their way of communicating in second language. As what
Basturmen (1994, p.50) in Jondeya (2011) stated that to help the students develop
their communicative efficiency in speaking, there are some activities used in the
classroom to promote the development of speaking skills in our learners.
According to Jondeya (2011) that gap means the differences, which, if there are two
or more students, A and B, and if A has some more information which B does not,
and possibly vice-versa, then there is a difference or gap between two students. A
task which require task which requires B to find out the information that A has.
Bakshi (2009: p. 2) in Jondeya (2011) stated that a situation where one person knows
something, which the other does not. This cultivates curiosity/ inquisitiveness,

inventive nature, confidence, problem solving, phrasing questions, discovering
questions and above all communication.
From the previous research that using information gap task in improving the students’
speaking skill, the researcher used the information gap task and chose the completing
drawing activity as the media for the students to learn, because, by changing the
information to each other in small group can help the students to encourage
themselves in speaking.
2.2

Speaking

2.2.1

Concept of Speaking

Speaking has important role in human beings life because speaking is a productive
skill in which the speaker produces to communicate among people in a society in
order to keep the relationship going well. Speaking is the thing that we use to express
ideas at the same time he/she tries to get the ideas from others. Rivers (1987:162)
says that through speaking, someone can express his ideas, emotions, attentions,
reactions to other person and situation and influence other person. So, through
speaking, everyone can communicate well or express what he/she wants from other
and responds to the speaker.
We try to communicate with each other and use our language to make other people
understand. Byrne (1985:8) in Temuningsih (1997:6) states that speaking or oral
communication is two ways of process between speaker and listener involving the
productive skill and receptive skill as well. The skills in language learning are divided

into productive skill and receptive skills. Productive skills include speaking and
writing and receptive skills include reading and listening.
The mastery of productive skills means that some one has ability in speaking, for
instance; how to make the listener understand what he/she delivers in communication.
While mastering the receptive skills means that someone has the ability in listening,
such as catching and understanding what he/she listens. How to understand or
differentiate a word or a meaning and so on.
Byrne (1984: 8) in Temungingsih (1997:6) further says that speaking is an activity
involving two or more participants as hearers and speakers who react to what they
hear and their contributions. Each participant has an attention or a set of intentions
goal that he wants to achieve in the interaction. In speaking, there is a goal or a
purpose to be achieved by the speaker. Speaking involves two participants at least. It
means that we cannot do it individually we need partner to communicate in the same
language.
So, speaking is a process of transferring information, ideas and expressions that used
the good form of sentence in order to make the listener understand of what we are
saying.
There are five aspects must be fulfilled in speaking classroom, they are;
1. Fluency
Fluency can be defined as the ability to speak fluently and accurately. Signs of
fluency include a reasonable fast speed of speaking and only a small numbers

of pauses. Fluency refers to the ease and speed of the flow of the speech
(Harris, 1974: 81). Fluency is the smoothness or flow with which sounds,
syllables, words and phrases are join to other when speaking. It means that
when a person makes a dialogue with another person, the other person can
give respond well without difficulty.
2. Grammar
Heaton (1978:5) states that grammar as the students’ ability to manipulate
structure and to distinguish appropriate grammatical form in appropriate ones.
Meanwhile, Syakur (1978) defines grammar as a correct arrangement
sentence in conversation.
3. Vocabulary
The speaker can not communicate well if he/ she does not have sufficient
vocabulary. Therefore, vocabulary means the appropriate diction which is
used in communication as what stated by Syakur (1987).
4. Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the ability to produce easily comprehensible articulation
(Syakur: 1987). Meanwhile Harris (1974: 81) defines pronunciation as the
intonation patterns.
5. Comprehension
Comprehensibility denotes the ability of understanding the speaker’s intention
and general meaning (Heaton, 1991: 35). Defines comprehension for oral
communication that requires a subject to respond to speech as well as to
initiate it (Syakur: 1987). This idea means that if a person can answer or

express the sentence well and correctly, it shows that he/ she comprehends or
understand well.

2.2.2

Concept of Teaching Speaking

Parasaribu and Simanjuntak (1983) stated that teaching is an effort of giving
stimulus, guidance, direction and support the students in learning process. It means
that the role of the teacher in learning process is as director and facilitator. Teacher
also should motivate the students to do what the teacher asks them to do

Speaking is on of language skills considered difficult. Generally, the students can
read English better than they speak it. That is the reason why speaking is the
important aspect in learning a language. Because, mostly, after the students listened
and read some sentences in foreign language, in this case, English, they will try to
speak it.

Usually, English teacher hard to make their students to talk in the classroom. As what
Byrne (Forum, 1973: 1978:80) stated that one of the English teacher’s main task is to
get the students to talk, to express themselves freely, but within of the language they
have learnt. According to Rivers (1987:160) the teaching of speaking skill more
demanding on the teacher than the teaching of any language skills. Based on the
statement above, we can say that it is important for the teacher to prepare their
material and the techniques in order to avoid boring class. As we know that the

purpose of speaking itself is to get the message or the information from the other. In
order to make them understand each other, then the person should communicate.

Kayi (2006) stated that EFL teachers should create a classroom environment where
students have real-life communication, authentic activities, and meaningful tasks that
promote oral language. There are so many teachers that try their best to find an
interesting technique and method to teach speaking in order to make the class
enjoyable for the students.

2.3

Concept of Small group work

In learning process, one way to make the students comfortable in studying is by
grouping them. Pica and Dorothy said that the students talk more in their groups than
when talking with their teacher. Besides, may improve the quality of talk face to face
communication. It has cohesive and coherent utterances, all members take equal roles
in the interactions, and it produces variety of utterances and expressions.

Therefore, it is recommended to use group work in teaching speaking because it can
encourage the students to talk in the classroom. Nation (1989:28) stated that there are
many kinds of tasks that can be used in small group work:

1. Completion, e.g completing the pictures by exchanging information,
completing a story by exchanging ideas
2. Providing directions, e.g describing a picture for someone to draw, telling
someone how to make something.

3. Matching, classifying, distinguishing, e.g deciding if your partner’s drawing is
the same as yours, arranging pictures in the same order as your partner.
4. Ordering, e.g putting the sentences or pictures of a story in order.
5. Information Gap: where two or more speakers have more different parts of
information. Because they have different information, there is a gap between
them. One popular activity is called „finding missing information’ where each
of the speakers has different information that force each of them to speak in
order to make the tasks complete.
6. Surveys: one way of provoking conversation and opinion exchange is to get
students to conduct questionnaire and surveys.
7. Discussion: learners works in pair or group to give his/her ideas based on the
topic given.
8. Role play: the students are asked to imagine that they are in different situation
and act accordingly.

All of those are used in pair work or small group work. The tasks should be used
based on the students level, whether it is intermediate, advanced, or high level.
Information gap is chosen as the task and it will be explained more detail below.

2.4

Concept of Information Gap

When students choose to learn a language, they are interested in learning to speak that
language as fluently as possible. We, therefore, need to actively engage students in

speaking activities that are enjoyable and that are based on a more communicative
approach. One of the solutions is using information gap tasks.

Information gap is the activity where each student is given different information. By
sharing the separate information, they can complete a task given by the teacher. The
students can be put in pair of group or more. Each student has different information,
so in order to get information he/she wants to know he must ask his partner. This
activity is obviously effective in teaching L2 in the classroom. It gives every student
the opportunity to speak in the target language for an extended time and students
naturally will produce more speech than they would otherwise.

William (1981: 17) states that what the teacher might achieve through activities. The
activities can help the teacher, to give reason for students to speak, to improve
motivation, to create a context which supports learning, to give natural learning, to
provide task practice. It means that, the teacher can also improve their way of
teaching through Information gap tasks.

Types of activities which are based on information gap:

1. Discovering identical pairs
Four pictures distributed to four students and the fifth student hold a duplicate of
one of the picture. He must ask the others to discover which student that holds the
same picture as him.
2. Finding differences

The students are distributed pictures which look the same but actually there are
some different things in the picture. And the students have to find out what are the
differences.
3. Completing drawing
One student has a complete drawing while the other has incomplete one. The
students must communicate to each other to complete the drawing.
4. Finding missing information
Two students have the same text but actually each of them has missing
information. The student A has information needed by student B and students B
has information needed by student A. so, those students have to communicate in
order to know the information.
5. Completing the crosswords
Two students have the same crossword in which some of the boxes are blank.
Student A should ask the student B and the student B should ask the student A in
order to get the words he needs. When student A or student B wants to give the
word, he should explain them. It is forbidden for each of them to say the word
straightly. They have to use their own language to explain the words.
Here, the researcher used completing drawing. Completing drawing is just like the
simulation in English speaking. Simulator is a tool of practice that present the reality
closely, serve with a difficult yet controlled situation, (Bruce Joyce 2009).

2.4.1

1.

The Advantages of Information Gap Task in Language Teaching

The Information Gap activity can change the mood in the classroom, the class
becomes more student-centered, enabling the teacher to change role from
instructor to monitor/facilitator.

2.

Students can practice their own language before they perform in front of the
classroom, that makes them feel enjoy and not embarrassed to present their
ideas.

3.

Pairwork gives students time to think, collaborate and reflect on the task in
hand, in relative ease.

4.

Teachers can tailor-make the content of the activity to provide suitable
practice of the language items being taught.

2.4.2

1.

The Disadvantages of Information Gap task in Language Teaching

There were some mismatch in the level of the students in a group and some
lazy students simply copy the required information from their partner.

2.

The noisy condition made the teacher difficult to control the students.
The students were more active to play in class. The teacher has to control the
students one by one.

2.5

Teaching speaking through Small Group Work

Speaking is easier when the students do not try by themselves. Like the writer have
told before that the students are easier to speak and produce more sentences when
they are in group than when they are with their teacher.

In accordance to the explanation above, the writer proposes the usage of small group
in teaching speaking. As Long and Porter (1985) say that group work provides the
learner with a conducive climate to participate in conversation. In a small group
work, particularly when the students are familiar to each other, the students do not
feel embarrassed to talk, because it provides an enjoyable and comfortable situations.
They tend to easy to talk and they are not afraid of making language error that is, of
course, exist in second language learning. Therefore, a small group provides freedom
to the students to participate in a conversation.

Philip Waterhouse in Managing the Learning Process states that the underlying
function of small group work is to increase the opportunities for students interaction.
When students are talking to each other about their work although in the absence of
the teacher, the situation is full of potential for learning.
The teacher has to prepare the material that based on the students’ background
knowledge. It will help the students when they work in small group. They can work
together by sharing their ideas under the teacher’s guidance. Pica (1980) says that
students engange in more negotiation for meaning in small group work than in
teacher-fronted, whole class meeting. It must be the teacher’s duty to build up the

students’ confidence. This depends on how the teacher operates the classroom so that
each of the member in that group can participate in the dialogues.

2.6

Procedure of Teaching Speaking through Information Gap

Information Gap is the task that can make students practice to speak with their friends
in a small group under their teacher’s guidance. The researcher chose the topic related
to the requirement of curriculum of the second year of senior high school. The
researcher described the procedure as follows:

A.

B.

Pre Activities
-

The teacher greets the students

-

The teacher checks the attendance list

Main Activities
-

The teacher explains briefly about information gap.

-

The teacher gives the example of information gap.

-

Tell the students that they are going to do one of information gap
activities.

-

Explain the students what kind of information gap activities that they will
do. For example; discovering identical pairs, finding differences,
completing drawing, finding missing information, completing the
crosswords that have been mentioned above.

-

Put the students in pair or more.

-

Choose one of the techniques that the students will do. Each of the
students will do the same activities. In this case, the researcher will use
Finding missing information activity.

-

Ask the students to make a completing drawing activity with their own
group by looking to the pictures. teacher give 15 minutes to make a
dialogue. e.g
A: “look at your picture!”
B: “okay!”
A: “your picture is not the complete one!”.
B: “oh I see! Now we can help them to complete it!”.
A: “there are four things for us to sit in the classroom!”.
D: (starts to think and draw) “ there is only two here. Then I will draw two
more!”.
C: “what about the thing for us to write? Where do we draw it?”.
A: “ there are some things for us to write in front of each of the things to
sit!”.
C: “ oh we see!”.
B: “now in the classroom, we need to check the time!”.
A: “ draw the things to see the time on the wall!”.
D: “ which wall?”.
B: “ on the in front!”.

-

Give the students time to practice the activity with their partner.

-

The teacher asks the students to do the information gap activity in front of
the classroom based on their own language.

C.

2.7

Post Activity
-

Students answers the teacher’s question to reflect them

-

Teacher gives a homework for them

Theoretical Assumption

The researcher assumes that the students can be more active and creative in learning
speaking through information gap. It means that information gap can be helpful in
improving students’ speaking ability.
2.7

Hypothesis

Based on the theories and the theoretical assumption above the hypothesis of this
research is formulating as follows:
Information gap task make the students more active and creative in learning English
speaking, the students are easy communicate to each other.
There is significant improvement of students’ speaking ability before and after pretest
and postest through information gap task

III. RESEARCH METHODS

This chapter discusses certain points; setting, research design, population and sample,
treatment, data acollecting technique, and data analysis.
3.1

Setting

1.

Place

This the study was at SMA YP UNILA Bandar Lampung which is suitable with the
problem of the research. The researcher chose the students of SMA YP UNILA
because the students are more active than other places.
2.

Time

This research was carried out in September 2012, because September is the beginning
of the students enter their school after they holiday. The researcher gave treatments
for experimental class. The treatment was twice a week and only 90 minutes for
treatment.

3.2

Research Design

In this quantitative descriptive research, the researcher used one class only. The
researcher carried out the study to find out how Information Gap task can improve the
students’ speaking ability. The researcher used one group pretest-postest,
experimental design. The researcher conducted pretest, treatments and posttest.
T1 X T2
T1

: Pre test

T2

: Post test

X

: treatment

A pretest is the activity to find out students’ speaking ability before treatment.
Afterword, the researcher gave two treatments to the students by using Information
Gap task. Finally, a posttest is administering to find out the students’ speaking ability
after treatments.
3.3

Population and sample

The population of this research was the second grade of Senior High School. The
researcher took one class to be treated. The researcher chose them because they have
potential to be observed in Information gap task. The population selected by using
random simply technique sample. The researcher chose the class that has high score
in English subject.

3.4

Treatment

The researcher presented the material for treatment in the classroom through
information Gap’s completing drawing activity. In selecting material the researcher
used the syllabus of the second grade of Senior High School.
3.4.1

Experimental Group

The researcher used syllabus for the material. The time is 90 minutes for the
researcher to give material through Information Gap. The researcher asked the
students to work with their partner and the researcher gave the students some
drawings. Each of the drawing is different. Some students had the complete one, and
the other had the incomplete one. Each of them has to communicate in order to
complete the incomplete drawing. After that, the teacher asked the groups to come in
front of the class one by one to perform their activity. The researcher asked them to
speak clearly since the students’ voice is being recording. After that the researcher
saw their speaking ability through five aspects of speaking: pronunciation,
vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and grammar.
3.5

Data Collection

The researcher gathered data, that is, the students’ speaking scores before the
treatment (pretest) and after the treatment (posttest) in performing transactional
dialogue. So, the researcher planned to identify whether there is any signifcant
improvement of the students’ speaking ability by using Information Gap task.

3.5.1

Research Instruments

The instruments in this researcher is speaking test, interview the students, and
observasion.
1. Speaking Test
Pretest conducted to find out whether they have relatively the same ability in
speaking before treatment. Posttest is to know the effects of information gap to
improve their speaking ability after treatment.
In achieving the reliability of the pretest and postest, inter rater reliability used in this
study. Both of them discussed and shared ideas of the speaking criteria in order to
obtain the reliable result of the test.
The validity of the test measured by face validity, content validity, and construct
validity.

The

freseracher

constructed

transactional

dialogue

on

speaking.

Transactional dialogue is factual information which involves two or more speakers.
2.

Interview

The researcher interview the sample to get students’ opinion concerning Information
Gap Task. So, the researcher got the opinion whether Information Gap task is good or
not for the students to improve their speaking ability.

3. Completing Drawing
Completing drawing is a kind of activity from Information Gap task that can be used
to force the students to speak in the target language. In completing drawing activity,
there are some students that owned complete pictures and the rest owned incomplete
ones. The students that have the complete pictures have to help the students that have
the incomplete ones in order to make them complete their pictures. They have to
communicate to each other.
The instructions are:
a.

the teacher give the students some pictures. The complete and the
incomplete