3. How to Play Detective Games
Littlewood 1981: 51-58 suggests four techniques in role play that can be used by teachers to control the activity. One of the
techniques is “role playing controlled through cues and information”. This technique is suited to the method of playing Detective Games
.
To play this game, the students will be given a character in a play randomly. Each of them will be given a cue card containing their
characters in the game and the instruction of what to do or who to ask. At the end of the game, there will be a classroom discussion involving
all students and the researcher. All clues found by the students are collected to find the conclusion of the game.
However, before the game is started, the researcher give the students some materials related to the topic or theme of the game. In
this game, the students will have to use expressions used in daily life such as telling past events, expressing feelings, giving opinions, etc.
Thus, the researcher will need to give them some examples of how to use various expressions above through some videos or recorded voice.
From the examples shown by the researcher, the researcher will lead the students to list or remember the new words or expressions that can
be used to make a certain expression.
4. The Benefits of Using Detective Games
Through this game, the students will be more courageous in speaking in English. The situation and atmosphere of the class is set to
be friendly and fun for them. It can make them feel less anxious to speak because they will do it in a relaxing atmosphere. Like what
Ladousse 1997: 66-67 has stated, shy students can be helped by role play because it is providing a mask for them because they are not
objected to speak to their teacher or to speak about something intellectual. It is just a fun learning which results in the improving of
their ability in speaking in English.
D. Related Studies
There are some studies that also focus on the use of games or role playing activities
to improve students’ speaking ability. The result of the researches itself is commonly satisfying. Some of the studies are below.
An action research study was conducted by Sagita in 2013. He did the action research study in Madrasah Tsanawiyah Beureuneun. The
subjects of his study were the first year students of MTs. Beureuneun. After the action that he had conducted using guessing games in order to
improve students’ speaking ability, there was significant improvement. It is proven by the comparison of the pre-test and post-test scores. The
average score of the pre-test is 65.83. However, the average score improves during the post-test. It becomes 72.50.
The second study is an action research study conducted by Lailatun M. 2014. She did the action research study in SMK N 1 Depok with the
subjects of the study were grade XI students of Accounting Program Class A3. After the action that she had conducted using role play activities, there
was a significant improvement of Class A3 students’ speaking ability. It is proven by the comparison of the pre-test and post-test scores. In the post-
test, most students achieved higher scores.
E. Conceptual Framework
As the writer has stated before, speaking is an important skill in a language. In fact, it is often seen as the indicator of the accomplishment of
someone in understanding a certain language. However, learning and improving speaking ability is not easy to do. The students often find
difficulties in learning speaking while the teachers also face some obstacles
in the effort to improve their students’ speaking ability. Usually, the difficulties that the teachers face in teaching speaking
are caused by the students’ anxiety to speak. The students also often feel reluctant to speak in class because of the activity brought by the teacher is
monotonous and lack of variations. It makes them not interested in learning. The students’ confidence also takes part in their anxiety in
speaking. They are probably afraid of making mistakes and make the teacher upset, or the mistakes will embarrass them in front of their other
friends.
Thus, the writer proposes to improve students’ speaking ability of Grade XI of Office Administration Department in SMK PGRI I Sentolo
through playing detective games. The activity is believed to be able to improve students’ speaking ability. It tends to make students more
interested in learning and shows a better enhancement of speaking. The conceptual framework of this research can be seen in the figure below.
Figure 2: The Conceptual Framework of the Research
Students are anxious and
the teaching
learning process
is monotonous
Students’ speaking
ability is improved after the use of Detective
Games. Using Detective Game
t o improve students’
speaking ability in a fun and relaxing atmosphere
36
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD
A. Type of Study
The aim of this resear ch is to answer a question of “can playing
detective games improve students’ speaking ability?” This kind of a
research is classified as an action research study. Burns 2010: 2 states that in action research, teachers reflect about the whole aspect of their
teaching and learning process. They explore the area of the process in which they think it can be done better, and then questioning the core of the
problem. Afterwards, they intervene in the problem to produce changes or improvement in practice. The important part is the improvements are the
ones based on information that the researcher has collected systematically. With the information, the researcher will develop new ideas and
alternatives of the problems. According to Kemmis and McTaggart in Burns 1999: 32, action
research occurs through dynamic and complementary process which consists
of four essential „moments’: planning, action, observation, and reflection. Below is the figure of action research cycle by Kemmis and
McTaggart in Burns 1999: 33.
