Improving the Eighth Level Students’ Speaking Ability through Picture Series at SMPN 3 Tulungagung in the 2006/2007 Academic Year

Abstract

Pictures are one of the most appropriate media in teaching learning process in the classroom. They are often used by teachers to increase students’ interest, motivation, and attention to the material being taught. Picture series is a kind of picture which is one of the most appropriate media for presenting material in the teaching learning process in the classroom and it can provide students with a visual experience and stimulate them to talk in teaching learning process. The purpose of this research was (1) to improve the speaking ability of the eighth level students at SMPN 3 Tulungagung in the 2006/2007 academic year, and (2) to improve the speaking ability of the eighth level students at SMPN 3 Tulungagung in the 2006/2007 academic year. This research was conducted at SMPN 3 Tulungagung from May 21 2007 up to June 8 th 2007. The research method was classroom action research with cycle models. This classroom action research was done in collaboration with the English teacher with a sequence of steps, namely the planning of the action, implementation of the action, classroom observation and evaluation, and reflection of the action. This research was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle was done in three meetings including test. The research subject were grade VIII C. The primary data about the students’ speaking ability were collected by administering speaking test and observation by using observation checklist. The collected data were analysed by descriptive quantitative. Meanwhile, the reflection was based on the finding during st

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the observation and was compared to the criteria of success. The action is considered successful if 75% of the students’ score of speaking test is in the good score category at least 70 or more. The percentage of students that got scores at least 70 in speaking test in the cycle 1 were only 49 % or 21 students from 43 students. Moreover, the result of observation in cycle 1 showed that only 63 % of the students were actively involved in the teaching and learning process of speaking ability through picture series. The results above showed that cycle 1 had not achieved the target of this research. Therefore, the action was continued to cycle 2 by using colourful picture series. The result of speaking test in cycle 2 was better. The percentage of students that got scores at least 70 in speaking test in the cycle 2 were 79 % or 34 students from 43 students. Additionally, the results of the observation in cycle 2 showed that most of the students (81 %) were active during the teaching learning process of speaking ability through picture series. In other words, the targets of this research were achieved in cycle 2. From the results above, it can be concluded that colourful picture series can improve the students speaking ability. Therefore, it is suggested to the English teacher to use picture series as media in teaching speaking.