l so one should decide whether the benefits of doing project work outweigh
this factor; 2 Some learners doing nothing. By giving more freedom to the learners one may also be giving them the freedom to do nothing If the
project is planned carefully and roles are decided at the proposal stage this is less likely to happen; 3 Groups working at different speeds. One
group may have finished the project after a couple of hours and say they have nothing to do. Remind them it is their responsibility to fill the time
allocated to project work and discuss ways they could extend the work they have already completed.
f. The Steps in Project Work Planning
Haines 1989:10 proposes the steps in developing a project in the classroom that can be seen below:
Developing a Project in a Language Classroom Step I:
Agree on a theme for the project Step II:
Determine the final outcome
Step III:
Structure the project
Step IV:
Prepare students for the language demands of Step V
Step V:
Gather information
Step VI:
Prepare students for the language demands of Step VII
Step VII:
Compile and analyze information
Step VIII:
Step: Prepare students for the language demands for Step IV
Step IX: Present final product
Step V: Evaluate the project
Figure 3 The steps in Developing a Project in a Language Classroom
B. Rationale
For the students, speaking is probably the most difficult activities among the four skills both in their mother tongue and even in a foreign language. The
fact in the writer‘s class shows that the students have low speaking ability.
li The students‘ difficulties in speaking is caused by: the limited English
vocabulary, low understanding about transactional and interpersonal expressions in English, low ability in constructing sentences and utterances, and low
motivation in participating in speaking activity caused by the shyness and embarrassment in making mistakes.
The situation is worsening by teacher‘s choice of teaching technique. The
teacher still focuses on grammar-translation method. The teacher does not apply various teaching techniques in the classroom. The teacher does not promote
active learning in the classroom. Limited time for speaking practice in the classroom also made the situation worse.
To improve students speaking ability, the writer tries to apply project work in teaching speaking for a certain period. Projects that have depth, duration, and
complexity will challenge students and motivate them towards construction of knowledge
Cross: 1992.
They will acquire communication, collaboration, planning, and self- evaluation skills. After completing a project, the teacher asks
students to create a self-evaluation of the project. This enables the students to focus on their learning process and allows them to see their progress. Self-
evaluation gives students a sense of accomplishment and further instills responsibility for learning. Besides, it encourages studen
t‘s active learning. It also motivates students to practice in the classroom and enables students to use the
target language in real situations. Fried-Both, 1986. Based on the characteristics of project work explained before, the
researcher is certain t hat it will be able to improve students‘ English speaking
ability.
lii
C. Action Hypothesis
