HE EFFECT OF USING SIMULATIONS ON GRADE 11 STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY AT SMA NEGERI ARJASA IN THE 2011/2012 ACADEMIC YEAR

Abstract

Speaking is one of the important skills that should be mastered by the students. By having speaking skill, they can express their idea and chat with others. The students can make the listener understand about what they speak by having a good pronunciation and fluency in delivering their speech. However, most students face speaking as a skill that was too difficult to learn and to practice. As we know that English language is the second language that almost never be used in their daily life because the students usually use their national language as well as their mother tongue. So, they feel shy or have not enough confidence to speak in English language. Speaking can be an interesting activity for both of the teacher and the students if the teacher can maintain the atmosphere or the situation in the teaching and learning process. They need something interesting to make the students interested in speaking class. In that case, teachers are supposed to be creative in developing various teaching technique in creating good atmosphere, improving the student’s speaking skill and making the English lesson more exciting to learn. There are many techniques that they can use in teaching speaking. However in this research the writer focus on simulation technique. Simulation technique is one of the suitable techniques that can help the students to have a good ability in speaking because this technique is able to motivate students in learning English. Besides, learning speaking can be more fun by using this technique. They will feel a new atmosphere which is created by them and it will encourage their creativity. They will express their idea easier since simulation technique can develop students’ motivation for learning and their opportunity to have better ability in speaking. This research was done to know whether or not there is a significant effect of using simulations on grade 11 students’ speaking ability at SMA Negeri Arjasa in the 2011/2012 academic year. The research design was quasi experimental research. The population of this research was grade 11 students of SMA Negeri Arjasa in the 2011/2012 academic year consisting of seven classes. The homogeneity test was administered to determine the respondents of the research, and then the results were analyzed by using ANOVA. The research respondents were determined through a lottery because based on the homogeneity test; the population of the research was homogenous. The total number of the respondents was 67 students. The experimental group that received the treatment, that was taught speaking by using simulation technique, was the XI IPA 1 class of SMAN Arjasa consisting of 33 students. The control group that was XI IPA 2 class of SMAN Arjasa consisting of 34 students was taught speaking conventionally, which is by using role play technique. Actually the writer would conduct more than one treatment; however the writer just gave the treatment to the experimental group once because the school of SMAN Arjasa did not give the writer permission to do research more than 3 weeks. Another reason was because the writer needs 2 weeks in conducting the homogeneity test. Therefore, in conducting the treatment and the post test, the writer just had a week. Because of that reason, it was hard for the writer to conduct more than one treatment. Therefore, it was the weakness of this research by having just one treatment. The primary data of this research were collected from the students’ post test, while the supporting data were gained through interview and documentation. The primary data were collected then analyzed by using t-test formula. Based on the calculation, the mean score of the experimental group was higher than the mean score of the control group (2.28 > 1.671). Therefore, the null hypothesis (H ) formulated: “there is no significant effect of using simulations on grade 11 students’ speaking o ability at SMA Negeri Arjasa in the 2011/2012 academic year” was rejected. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis (H ): “there is a significant effect of using simulations on grade 11 students’ speaking ability at SMA Negeri Arjasa in the 2011/2012 academic year” was accepted. a The research results showed that there was a significant effect of using simulations on grade 11 students’ speaking ability at SMA Negeri Arjasa in the 2011/2012 academic year. Therefore, according to this research, it is suggested that the English teacher can use Simulation technique as an alternative teaching technique in teaching speaking.