Florez defines speaking as an interactive process of constructing meaning involves producing, receiving, and processing information.
2
In other definitions, Harmer defines speaking as a form of communication, so a speaker must convey what heshe is saying effectively.
3
In line with these definitions, Carter defines it as
“one of the types of composing language, the type that is swift, complicated, frequent and primary, because the language itself is
symbolic used by communicators to construct and to convey information ”.
4
From those definitions, the writer infers speaking as activities by which human beings try to express thought, feeling, opinion, and to exchange
information by using utterances in the form of communication. Therefore, as a tool of communication, it is necessary for people to have a good speaking skill.
Speaking skill is the ability to produce sound ’s articulation and to produce
words, to express, to state, and to deliver thought, ideas and feeling. In this case, speaker not only has to know what to be delivered but also knows how to deliver
it.
5
Speaking skill is not an instant skill to be acquired. It needs a long process. Furthermore, language is a complex system, and each system is different and
requires reorganization of students thinking with lots of exposure
6
, so it needs tremendous amount of practice to be more successful language learner. In short, it
can be said that, speaking skill is the ability to produce utterance or utterances to express though and to convey meaning.
1. Element of Speaking
To be a good speaker, the ability to produce utterance utterances is not enough. There is much linguistics to be mastered
by languages’ learners in order to be able to express their feelings and ideas appropriately. Here are elements of
2
Florez, M.A.C., Communication language Teaching: The State of Art TESOL, Quarterly, 1991, pp. 261-277
3
Jeremy Harmer, How to Teach English, London: Addison Wesley Longman, 1996, p.14
4
Ronald Carter, et all, Exploring Spoken English, London: Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 4
5
Maidar G. Arsjad, Mukti U.S, Pembinaan Kemampuan Berbicara, Jakarta: Erlangga, 1988, p. 23
6
Joan Rubi Irene Thompson, How To Be A More Successful Language Learner, 2
nd
Boston: HeinleHeinle Publisher, 1994, p. 9
speaking according to Harmer in his book The Practice of English Language
Teaching that speakers have to be competent in the speaking skill, those are:
Language features in which contains 4 points. They are:
Connected speech is the sounds modifying in producing utterance when people speak. In which includes modifying assimilation, omitting elision,
adding linking r, or weakening through contraction and stress patterning.
expressive devices is the stress and pitch variation in producing utterance in
order to convey the truth meaning of the messages meant by the speaker. It includes the variation of the volume and speed of the speech. By using these
devices people will be able to show what and how they are feeling to whom
they are talking to. Grammar and lexis. People live in different ways, places, and environments
causing different mind set too. Therefore, teachers need to supply their student with various phrases for different function in their speaking classroom
activities. For instance, how to express agreement and disagreement, surprise expression, and etc., so when students have an occasion which demand them
to use those expression in different stage of an interaction, they know what
expression they have to use appropriately.
negotiation language. This is the speech clarification. It is the use of language of how to clarify and to show of what a speaker means. Sometimes, people do
not hear or understand what other people’s saying. Therefore, it is necessary to
have an appropriate language of how to clarify to avoid mistakes between the speaker and the listener.
7
In addition, Harmer states concerning with other elements of speaking that is
necessary to be mastered by a successful speaker. Those are: Mentalsocial processing
and the rapid processing skill that involves language processing, interaction, and information processing;
language processing: effective speakers need to be able to process
language in their own head and put it into coherent order, so that it comes
7
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, 3
rd
Ed. London: Pearson education Limited, 2001 pp.269-270
out in forms that are not only comprehensible, but also convey the meanings that are intended.
Interaction: most speaking involves interaction with one or more
participants. This means that effective speaking also involves a good deal of listening, an understanding of how the other participants are feeling,
and a knowledge of how linguistically to take turns or allow others to do so.
Information processing: quite apart from our response to others’
feelings, we need also to be able to process the information they take us the moment we get it. The longer it takes for „the penny to drop’ the less
effective we are as instant communicators. However, it should be remembered that this instant response is very culture-specific, and is not
prized by speaker in many other language communities.
8
In line with these elements, the writer concludes that, speaker who wishes to say anything has to consider two things; first, the language feature by which
people know the use of language such as; how to modify the sound and how to use appropriate expression. Second, people also know how to arrange words into
the right order. Therefore, the intended massages are sent. In this case, people not only hope to be understood by someone else solely, but also they have to
understand of what participants are feeling. Here, people are demanded to know when they have to take turn on the conversation and to allow the others to do so.
Such those elements mentioned above are basically relevant to Hymes statement concerns with
“communication as the main goal of language teaching”
9
, so speaker must be communicatively competence in the language he uses. As it is
stated by Walter in her book about Communicative competence that it defines as the ability to use language appropriately in variety of context
10
which involves: Grammatical Competence is a competency that focuses on the accuracy and
correctness of using language code such as vocabulary, spelling, grammar, pronunciation and so on in the language skill especially speaking and writing.
Sociolinguistics Competence is a competency that focuses on the use of appropriate language in variety social setting. Here, the target language
8
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, 3
rd
Ed....., p.271
9
Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, A descriptive and analysis, Cambridge: Cambridge university Press, 1986, p. 66
10
Teresa Walter, The How-To Handbook Teaching English Language Learners, New York: Pearson Education, 2004 p.18
speaker is demanded to know how, where, and when the language will be uttered by him in appropriate situation, such as how to invite, to refuse
someone else invitation, and to ask for information and etc. Discourse Competence is a competency that focuses on the appropriateness of
combining and connecting phrases and sentences in engaging conversation. Strategic Competence is a competency that focuses on the manipulation of
language in achieving the communication goals. This competency involves the use of both verbal and nonverbal, such as changing the voice tone, using the
body language, and emphasizing the specific word.
11
Apparently, it can be seen in following figure about communicative competence and its elements.
Figure 2.1 the elements of communicative competence
Adapted from The How-To Handbook Teaching English Language Learners and modified by the writer
12
From those elements and competencies mentioned above, it can be concluded that, to be a good speaker, heshe has to master language elements. On
the other hand, it is not enough to have lots of vocabulary without other knowledge’s.
11
Teresa Walter, The how-To Handbook Tea ching English Language Learners…., p.19
12
Teresa Walter, The how-To Handbook Teaching Englis h Language Learners…., p.19
Grammatical Competence
Communicative Competence
Discourse Competence
Strategic Competence
Socio-linguistics Competence
3. Reasons of Teaching Speaking
