Mostly, the students are comfortable discussing in group, they can express their idea. Though there will be argument
among students but it will push them to speak more to preserve their opinions. It will also motivate passive students to speak up.
c Group work promotes learner responsibility and autonomy Some students need to be encouraged and being part of a
group work will force them to at least contribute discussing in group. It will build students’ responsibility of taking part in
group. d Group work is a step toward individualizing instruction
Every student has different capability in English skill. Some of them may be prominent in reading, or listening, or speaking,
or writing. That is the opportunity for the teacher to scan and combine the students with different skill altogether and adjust
the assignment for each group. Harmer also added some advantages of group:
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1 It strongly improves students’ speaking opportunity individually.
2 Students’ opinions can be varied and it will enhance students’ contributions.
3 The students learn more about skills of association and deliberation.
4 It increases independence of students to decide their choice in group without interference from the teacher.
5 Teacher tried to avoid a completely passive student in a group work. However, the students can take their portion of
contribution in group.
18
Harmer, op. cit., p. 117
From the explanation above, that discussion has benefit to make someone more understand a topic in a discussion and make civic decision.
Harmer also states some of the weaknesses of this technique, they are:
19
“First, it is likely to be noisy. Some teachers feel that any control and the whole class feeling which has been
painstakingly built up may dissipate when the class is split into smaller entities. Second, some students enjoy
it since they would prefer to be the focus of teacher’s attention rather than working with their peers. Third,
individual may fall into group roles that become fossilized, so that some are passive whereas others may
dominate. Last, groups can take longer to organize and can take time and chaotic.”
In conclusion, students’ grouping is more benefit than the weaknesses. This implies that students’ grouping is effective for teaching speaking in the
large classes, which can motivate students communicatively and psychologically.
C. Relevant Study
There are several studies which have conducted about teaching speaking with small group discussion. The first study was conducted by
Gufron from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta “The effectiveness of small group discussion as a teahnique in developing speaking skill : case study at
UKM Bahasa UIN Jakarta”. It is qualitative report which is done in order to know how far the effectiveness of small group discussion as a technique in
developing speaking skill. He carried out the subject research at the Unit Students’ Activity of Bahasa FLAT by joining the process group discussion in
the classroom and led them by giving the topic to discuss. The result of this study had an average score 80 up. So he argued that small group was more
19
Ibid.
effective than large group in increasing speaking skill in Unit Students’ Activity of Bahasa FLAT UIN Jakarta.
20
The second study was conducted by Misliyah from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta “A group discussion technique as a way in developing
students’ speaking skill : case study at the third class of Darul Hasan Islamic Junior High School”. That research focused on how to apply teaching
speaking using a group discussion technique. She concluded that teaching speaking through discussion technique is more attractive than traditional
techniques, it gives more stimulation to students and make them eager to have the confidence to express their thought and learning how to participate
constructively in discussion.
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From those previous studies, it leads the writers to do a research about the effectiveness of Small Group Discussion on Students’ Speaking Skill.
This research is in order to prove by using small group discussion it will be effective on students’ speaking skill or not.
D. Thinking Framework
Speaking is one of skill on teaching and learning language which has important role. Speaking is the process of giving and receiving the
informations between the speaker and listener. It is must be practiced and developed because it is important for learner to broad their knowledge about
everything. The purpose of teaching speaking is to help students to use the target language.
Teaching speaking in Junior high school can be successful if the teachers establish a friendly classroom atmosphere with the students and create
interest classroom activities, give motivations to the students to speak freely.
20
Gufron, “The effectiveness of small group discussion as a technique in developing speaking skill : case study at UKM Bahasa UIN Jakarta”. Jakarta: UIN Syarif Hidayatullah
Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan. 2002
21
Neneng Misliyah “A group discussion technique as a way in developing students’ speaking skill : case study at the third class of Darul Hasan Islamic Junior High School”, Jakarta,
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Fakultas Ilmu Trabiayh dan Keguruan, 2006.
When students get involved in small group discussion, they get involved in using their organs of speech. Small group discussion gives opportunities
for all students to make argument orally that it matches the characteristics of the students of Junior High School.
E. Theoretical Hypothesis
Based on the theoretical and conceptual framework above, the writer formulated the hypothesis as follows:
1 H
a
is accepted; it means there is an effectiveness of using small group discussion on students’ speaking skill.
2 H is accepted; it means there is no an effectiveness of using small
group discussion on students’ speaking skill.
