Background of the Study

without asking them to practice the target language. The teaching and learning process should be two-way communication, but this does not happen in the classroom. The teacher dominates the teaching and learning process due to students’ lack of confidence. The teaching and learning process is teacher-centered, not learner-centered. Third, although the subject is English, it does not mean that the language used is English. This issue is proven when the researcher conducted observation. The teacher used Bahasa Indonesia more frequently rather than English, whereas the only opportunity for the students to be exposed to English is in the classroom. Fourth, teaching materials are also important in teaching and learning process in the classroom. They are one of the sources of knowledge to be given to the students. Teaching materials that are usually used are books, modules, worksheets, and teacher’s own materials. There are some books used in MTs N Ngemplak, but the most frequently used is worksheets LKS. Worksheets are usually used as the practice for the students. The teacher usually uses tasks in the worksheet as the assignment when he leaves the classroom for other business outside the school. In fact, the s tudents’ worksheet is not good enough as teaching materials, since grammatical mistakes are frequently found. Misspelling is sometimes found there as well. The teacher also uses course books to help students gain more knowledge. There are three course books used in MTs N Ngemplak. The use of more than one course book is helpful for students, but sometimes it is also confusing and useless. They said that it is difficult for them to study more than one book at one time. The course books are not used maximally. Teaching and learning process duration cannot cover all materials in the course books. Besides, there are many activities which are important and interesting. The course books also provide listening activities, but unfortunately, the teacher rarely uses them. Consequently, materials provided in course books are useless. Last, media is principal in teaching and learning process as well. It enables students to comprehend the materials easily. Media is used to make teaching and learning process more fun, comprehensible and motivating. The English teacher in MTs N Ngemplak usually uses whiteboard, laptop, LCD, and speaker as the media. The students are very enthusiastic when the teacher uses media. Moreover, when the teacher shows a short movie or a song, the students ask the teacher to repeat it more and more. Yet, the teacher does not use media frequently. Unfortunately, there are only three LCDs available in the school; in 8B, 7D classrooms and biology laboratory. Therefore, the students have to borrow the classroom with LCD when they are going to use LCD. This disturbs teaching and learning process of each of them. This is also time-consuming, since they need time to move from their original classroom to another.

C. Delimitation of the Problem

It is impossible for the researcher to overcome all the problems in English teaching and learning process in MTs N Ngemplak, hence, the researcher will only focus on the students’ English speaking skills. The researcher will focus on what activities that will improve students’ English speaking skills. The activities are communicative games. Communicative games are fun, engaging, and challenging. Students will not get bored, as they play and learn. The activities will give students opportunity to get involved. They have opportun ity to speak up. The teacher’s interference is decreased, because communicative games require the students to speak up as much as possible.

D. Formulation of the Problem

Based on the problems found from the observation, the problem of the study is formulated in the form of question that is: How can communicative games improve the grade VIII students’ speaking skills of MTs N Ngemplak?

E. Objective of the Research

Related to the formulation of the problem, the objective of the research is to improve the stud ents’ speaking skills for the grade VIII of MTs N Ngemplak.

F. Significance of the Research

1. Theoretical Significance It is hoped that the result of the study can be one of the references in speaking learning theory. 2. Practical Significance a. The student By using communicative games in teaching speaking, it is hoped that the students’s speaking skills can be improved, so that the students can communicate using English more fluently, accurately, and communicatively.