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performance. It highlights communicative practice in speaking rather than just structure. Then CLT is believed as the appropriate key to have
speaking skills communicatively.
C. Conceptual Framework
It has been stated in Chapter 1 that English holds prominent roles as a language in the world. Skills of English strengthen each other. Thus
English skills should be taught equally. However, English in SMP N 2 Sewon was not taught equally. There were some problems found in
learning English. Allocated teaching time for speaking was shrunk that caused
students’ speaking skills below average. Students tended to be passive in the classroom because the English teacher used monotonous learning
activities. Students also had different backgrounds of knowledge of English. That influenced their motivations and self-confidence to learn
English especially speaking. They became less motivated to engage and unwilling to participate to the lesson.
The English teacher of grade VIII tended to use speaking materials into the form of monotonous reading and writing techniques. The English
teacher lacked some various activities in teaching speaking. The teaching and learning processes were still teacher-centred where it should be
learner-centred to reach communicative competence as one of the goals to learn English in Junior High School.
One of the goals of learning English in Junior High School is to develop the competence of written and spoken communication in
functional level based on Badan Nasional Standar Pendidikan BNSP. All elements of learning English should be directed to reach that goal,
including teaching technique, but speaking materials and tasks in the provided textbook are likely to be repetitive like answering questions
orally, practicing dialogues, and such repetitious activities. English teacher tended to use those materials into the form of monotonous reading and
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writing techniques. There should be specific speaking technique to equip students to reach communicative competence as the goal of learning
English in Junior High School. Due to time limitation and capability of the researcher, the
researcher focused on speaking technique to be improved. Thus, the researcher had
a research entitled Improving Grade VIII Students’ Speaking Skill through Communicative Activities.
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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD
A. Research Design
This research was a classroom action research. As stated by Burn 2010, action research is to be self-reflective in critical and systematic
approach to look at how teaching works and to see parts of teaching that could have been better improved. The teaching parts could be the teacher,
the students and the teaching and learning technique. The role of teacher is both as a researcher and participant. This research was focused on
improving students’ speaking skills of grade VIII of SMP N 2 Sewon through communicative language teaching activities. This highlighted
teaching and learning technique to be improved. The researcher directly participated to solve problems in speaking skills. The researcher also had
collaboration with the teacher as the part of democratic validity.
B. Research Setting
This research was conducted in SMP Negeri 2 Sewon, Bantul, Yogyakarta. The school is located in Jalan Parangtritis KM 6
Bangunharjo, Sewon, Bantul. This school is located in sub-urban area near the main road that is Jalan Parangtritis. There are a headmaster and 47
teachers. They have facilities to support teaching and learning processes. Those facilities are 24 classrooms, a library, a science laboratory, two
computer laboratories, a mosque, a health room, 14 restrooms, two canteens, a social laboratory, a consulting room, a teacher room, a
headmaster room. Every classroom is equipped by projector to support teaching and learning processes.
This research was conducted in the second semester of Academic year 20152016. This was done from the end of March to the mid of May
2016. The research covered Preliminary Observations to the
