THE EFFECT OF USING GUESSING GAMES ON THE SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ACHIEVEMENT AT SMP N 12 JEMBER

Abstract

Communication is part of human’s daily activities. Through communication by using language we can share our ideas and thoughts with other people. Since English has become the international language of communication, it becomes an important language to learn. Recently, English is also taught at elementary school as a local content subject and it is also taught as a compulsory subject at junior high schools up to universities in Indonesia. There are four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and three language components (grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation) that should be mastered by the students who are learning English as a foreign language. One of the ways to master the international language well is by speaking. Speaking is a form of oral communication to express our thinking or feeling to other people. This research is an experimental research that was conducted by using guessing games as a technique to activate the students’ speaking skill of SMP Negeri 12 Jember. In the Institutional Level Curriculum (KTSP), it is stated that one of the objectives of teaching English to junior high school students is developing the communication competency, both in spoken and written forms to reach the level of functional literacy. It is stated that speaking is one of the language skills to develop the communication competency, and to reach the level of functional literacy. Thus, speaking is one of the language skills that must be mastered by students. Based on those conditions, the writer tries to offer one teaching technique for teaching speaking that is language games. The reason why language games are proposed because games can be very useful teaching techniques for the effective and joyful learning. Games are also believed can give positive effect to the students’ interest and motivation in studying English as well as to increase their speaking ability. The purpose of this research was to know whether or not there was a significant effect of using guessing games on the seventh grade students’ speaking achievement at SMP N 12 Jember. The data in this research were gathered by administrating a speaking test and by having observation in the class in each meeting. The research design was quasi experimental research with non-equivalent groups pre-test and post-test design. Both the experimental class and control classes were selected by lottery from five classes. After choosing the two classes, they were given a pre-test to check on the equivalent of the groups on the dependent variable before the experiment began. After knowing the scores of pre-test the experimental group received treatment, that is, using guessing games while the control group was taught using question and answer technique. After that, the researcher gave a post-test to both groups to know the significant difference of the speaking achievement between the experimental and the control group. The subjects of this research were 78 students of classes VII A and VII C. They were taken randomly by lottery from five classes. Based on the computation of the t-test formula (from the scores of pre test), it showed that the mean scores of the control class was 54.28 and the mean scores of experimental class was 60.16. Meanwhile, the computation of the independent sample t-test formula (from the scores of post test) showed that the mean scores of control class was 52.78 and the mean scores of the experimental class was 61,02. Analyzing the mean scores of both groups, the mean scores of the students’ speaking test in the control class was decreased, from 54,28 to 52,78. On the contrary, the mean scores of the students’ speaking test in the experimental class was increased, from 60.16 to 61.02. From the fact findings, it can be seen that the treatment could give a significant result to the students’ speaking skill to the experimental class. Considering the results of the speaking test by using guessing games, it could be concluded that guessing games were effective techniques to improve the students’ speaking skill. So, it is suggested to the English teachers to use guessing games to teach English to the students, especially speaking skill.