Name : Nafita Siska Santoso

NPM : 17188203007

The Students Perspective to Increase Their Speaking Ability In English

Introduction

The effects of the development of the existing English language are recognized as the
main language and official language in various aspects. English is needed universally in this
era both in the aspects of technology, education, economics, politics, culture, and various
other fields. In this era of globalization and information, everyone, especially the younger
generation, is required to be able to communicate in English in order to compete with other
nations. The younger generation is required to be able to communicate in English well. the
inability to communicate well will make it difficult for us to keep up with the development of
the globalization era.

In the development of communication skills, students must have the attraction and
willingness from within themselves to learn it. It is important to get enthusiasm in practicing
speaking English well. The spirit that is there guides students to want to develop their
abilities and continue to compete with others.

One way to improve communication skills in students is by making a speech. Speech

is the prime means of communication and the structure of the society itself would be
substantially different if we had failed to develop communication through speech (John
Laver, 1994). By making speeches, students will be trained to improve self-confidence when
speaking in public, thinking critically, developed listening, reading and writing skills, and etc.
As we know speaking in public is not easy. Apart from that, some stage fright is useful to
meet the challenges. But the chief cause of fear to speak in public simply is that one is not
accustomed to speaking in public (Carnegie, D.1962). The teacher is in charge of facilitating,
guiding and helping students in the process of improving their abilities.

Another choice in developing communication skills is making a conversation. The

conversation is one of the most basic and essential communication skills. It enables people to
share thoughts, opinions, and ideas, and receive them in turn. Although it may appear simple
on the surface, effective conversations include a give-and-take exchange that consists of
elements such as body language, eye contact, summarizing, paraphrasing, and responding.
The students can learn the foundational elements of a conversation by watching films or
videos of these interactions taking place. Pause the video and ask questions such as, “What
message is the listener sending by crossing his arms? What else can you tell by observing the
expressions and body language of both people in the conversation?”

A. Literature Review

Speaking

Speaking is the basic in learning English. Speaking is communicate with others

people. Communication skills are one of the top ten skill sets that show your quality wherever
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

you are, and speaking is an important part of this. In speaking, we can express our ideas and
to know other’s ideas as well.
A language is a tool for communication and this element of the learning process is so
important. Speaking in a foreign language will increase those practical communication skills
in a way that textbook learning never will. Speaking skill is an important aspect to be
mastered by the students in learning English as a foreign language. Speaking is as a complex
skill that involves the knowledge of sounds, structures, vocabularies and culture subsystems
of language. It is also a means of communication. (Kayi, 2006) states that speaking is the
process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal symbols in
a variety of contexts. It involves using the organ of speech to express meanings to the other
people.
When we start learning English and can speak English well, the knowledge and
experience we will get will be wider. Because English is not only a foreign language but also
an international language that has been recognized internationally. Therefore, speaking is one
of the basic skills in learning English. When studying English, we are taught to be able to
speak well and fluently in public. When speaking English it takes courage and strong
confidence. It can be impressive if you are confident and engaging when speaking in public,
just because there are so few people that feel positive and confident about doing this.
Unfortunately, the only method to become more confident is to practice at every given
opportunity. So volunteer yourself whatsover the situation and throw yourself in the deep-
end.
According to (Erwadi, 2004), what the students need in a target language is the skill
to use the language in acts of communication, because speaking is a very complex and
different skill to learn especially by the foreign language students. In other words, learning to
speak a foreign language will be facilitated when students are active to communicate, because
there is a proverb which says that we learn to read by reading and we learn to speak by
speaking. Speaking is a language skill or means of communication in which one can express
his/her idea, feeling and information to others orally. Speaking skill needs direct interactions,
in which someone speak to someone directly.
According to (Chastain, 2004), speaking is a productive skill since it produces ideas,
messages, and suggestion and we need to practice it. To increase the skill in communicating
in English, it is not enough in the classroom but practice out side of the classroom. It will be
influenced our speaking skill. Speaking in linguistics term has various definition. In Hornby,
speaking means saying something to express ideas and opinition.
According to (Kushartanti, 2005) speaking is a set of voice uttered by one and
understood by someone else. It means to deliver thought or opinion. In learning a second or
foreign language, speaking is the most important aspect.
There are four aspects below has a great influence in speaking skill as (Hormailis,
2003b), they are:
a. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is one of the extreme aspects that support speaking activity. It deals with
the right and appropriate words (Hormailis, 2003b).
b. Grammar
Warriner in (Ramli, 2003) believes that communication in speaking runs smoothly if
its grammar can be understood. Therefore, speakers must be aware of the grammar that they
use in speaking. In other words, grammar is the rule by which we put together meaningful
and part of words of a language to communicate massages that are comprehensible.
c. Fluency
Speaking is an activity of reproducing word orally. It means that there is a process of
exchanging ideas between a speaker and a listener. Therefore, it is important to have fluency
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

as having the skill of other components of speaking. Longman in (Hormailis, 2003) states that
the fluency is the quality or condition of being fluent. It is skill to use the language
spontaneously and confidently and without undue pauses and hesitation.

d. Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the production of speech sound for communication and it is very
important in communication. (Kelly, 2000) says that to use the stress and the intonation
inaccurately can cause problem. Beside that, the five aspect of speaking skill as (Pernanda,
2009) are as bellow: a. Grammar Brown in (Pernanda, 2009) grammar is the rule by which
put togerher meaningful an part of a language to communcate messages that are
comprehensible. b. Vocabulary
Many people think that speaking English must be able to master grammar well. Even
though speaking English only requires strong will and commitment. It will encourage us to
learn new things, for example learning new vocabulary when speaking.

The Importance of Speaking English

Learning to speak English is very important and has many benefits. We will find new
things and more knowledge will enter. For example, if we can communicate in English, we
can contact people from all over the world. We can talk about our ideas and opinions about
internet discussion groups. We can chat with other interesting people to learn about their lives
and culture.
If we have the ability to speak well, it will make us have many job opportunities. Job
opportunities obtained not only domestically but also internationally. If we can communicate
in English, we can travel more easily. Because English is designated as an international
language and recognized by various countries. So when we are in an emergency situation we
don't need to worry because we can master the habit of communicating in English. If we get
lost, we can ask for instructions or ask for help. Who knows, English will save our lives
somewhere.
The advantages they bring in the life of a person’s knowledge of the English language
are infinite. What is important to understand is that the English language is able to knock
down a lot of obstacles, including cultural ones. Knowing the habits and customs of other
countries allows us to understand ourselves and others. By better understanding our fellow
man around the world we are always shocked at how we are different and similar at the same
time. The English language allows us to relate and therefore to understand each other.

Student’s Perspective

Students usually consider being able to speak English is difficult. This causes students
to lose interest and enthusiasm. Often they assume that fluent English caused by the length of
English learning or mastery of all English material. Pupils are too afraid to speak English
because afraid of making mistakes. This thought led to the obstruction of the progress of
speaking English in these learners. Students must be able to change their mindset. The
mindset that must be applied are confidence, want to continue to develop the ability to speak,
and do not need to worry about the grammar that we'll use.
All too often people spend all of their time studying grammar and memorizing lists of
words rather of actually going out there and putting what they’ve learned into practice.
Anyone who’s taken the plunge and moved away from home to study English, or moved
away to work or travel, will tell you just how quickly their English skills improve. While
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

studying the written language is still hugely important, especially for improving your
grammar and building your vocabulary, the most effective learning still happens face-to-face.
When you’re surrounded by people who don’t speak your native language, you have
no choice but to defeat your fears. Your fear of making mistakes, of being shy, of sounding
foolish, all things that stand in the way of your language learning. Being obliged to speak the
language helps you to defeat those fears, to realize that English speakers don’t care if you
make mistakes, and to reach out and build your language skills in a very real way. Speaking,
and listening, to other people in English helps to boost the faith you have in your own
capabilities and dismiss the doubts that are inside your head.
After students' thoughts have been changed, they will begin to think that learning a
foreign language is something that is fun, challenging, and they will enjoy it. At that time
consciously or unconsciously, when they enjoyed the learning process it meant that they did
not recognize English to be a scary thing. there are many benefits that we get when we have
the ability to talk to anyone, from anywhere in the world. When you have enough skills to
open your mouth and chat with people, really use language, it's really interesting. Talking to
people in their own language is also challenging and trying to follow the speed of words, new
words and sentence structures that you don't normally use, saying words and dialects or
challenges and excitement can be very motivating.

B. Discussion

Speaking is a way to communicate verbally to convey ideas or opinions to others.

According to (Byrne, 1986), oral communication is two-way communication between the
speaker and listener which includes the ability to produce language (for the speaker) and the
ability to listen and understand what is conveyed by the speaker (for listeners). (Yule, 1983)
explained that there are two types of speech function categories, namely transactional
functions that focus on delivering information and interactional functions that focus on
maintaining social relations between humans. This shows that speaking skills are important
communication skills not only to convey information or ideas but also to maintain social
relations with others.
According to (Brown, 2001), sub-speaking skills include speaking using correct
pronunciation, speaking fluently without using too many pauses, using correct grammar,
being able to convey what you want to convey correctly without making the listener confused
or misunderstood, use appropriate conjunctions to convey ideas, and be able to speak
according to the appropriate situation and conditions (with whom to speak and in what
context). Sub-skills are what need to be taught to students so they can use English to convey
messages through good oral communication without causing misunderstandings or
communication disorders.
However, English proficiency is often considered difficult to learn because these aspects
are related to producing a series of words verbally to convey ideas or messages. When we
want to speak well, we must be able to use a series of words that can be understood by
listeners well.
Talking strategies also need to be studied to avoid miscommunication or interference in
communication. (Oxford, 1990) states that speaking in English is stressful for students. That's
because they are afraid to make mistakes related to grammar and also the lack of vocabulary
in English to facilitate their speaking activities.
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

In my point of view about how each student's view of speaking in English varies is great.
Some think that learning English is interesting. Not a few also think that learning English is
very boring and scary. As we know, English is not our mother tongue because we live in
Indonesia.
Students have the thought of being afraid to speak English because of many factors. Some
things that have become 'bad' Habits for Indonesians in learning English are a lack of
curiosity. Awareness of 'exploring too far' or 'finding too early' about difficult things in
learning English is still difficult to apply. In language learning, a person's attitude can be a
determining factor for a person's success. On the other hand, thinking that is too rigid is also
one reason people fail to learn English well. Learning English will always find new words
every day.

There are several factors that hinder students when speaking English:

1. Afraid

Fear can also arise due to a lack of confidence. Lack of confidence makes students afraid
of being wrong when speaking English. It will make students lose their passion for learning
to speak English. Confidence needs to grow so that students dare to speak and aren't afraid of
being wrong when they start speaking English.

Someone who always feels afraid of making mistakes will make it difficult to develop
and know where his mistakes are. When it's wrong, someone's vocabulary will increase
because he will look for the right words to express it. Besides that, of course, just like
learning other things, learning English requires commitment. Without strong commitment, it
is difficult to achieve progress in any case. Therefore, the habit of practicing English must be
accompanied by a commitment to repeat the right things and correct the mistakes made.
Never laugh at it when student makes a mistake because this will make him or her
traumatized and no longer use English.

2. Lack of listening skills

Basically, humans cannot speak before listening, we can observe this in the development
of children under five. They generally get vocabulary from what they hear and what they see
when interacting with the mother and the people around her. (Al, 2004) write that listening
skills are a very important skill because these skills make people gain insight, understanding,
knowledge, and information, and achieve success in communicate with other people.
Therefore, listening skills are a very important skill in languages. However, listening is not a
simple process. Someone who listens must distinguish between sound, catch, and understand
vocabulary and grammatical structure, interpreting pressure and purpose, remembering and
interpreting everything at the same time. (Pollard, 2008) suggests that: "Listening is one of
the most receptive skills that involve students in capturing and understanding English input.
Reading, other receptive skills, involves students understanding and interpreting written
words. Listening may be more difficult than reading because students often recognize writing
words are easier than they recognize the word spoken. Then when reading, students can come
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

back and feel the expression by listening to them only get one chance. By reading, the reader
determines the speed by listening to loudspeakers or recordings that determine speed. "

(Field, 2008) expressed his opinion about listening: "In some ways, listening is a very
individual activity. A speaker does not imply a message in the listener's mind. The listener
must recreate the message: try to measure what the speaker is an extract from the message
seems to be relevant to the hearer's own goals.

Based on the explanation above we can conclude that listening ability is very important in
speaking English. When we often listen we will be able to master vocabulary, grammar, and
new pronunciation when speaking.

3. Lazy and do not have the commitment to practice

Learning a lot of English theories such as grammar and so on is indeed good for
adding insight. However, if there are too many theories without practicing, student
learning outcomes will not be maximal.

Another case when starting to practice speaking English in everyday life, which
makes students will later get used. Start from the smallest thing like talking to yourself in
English. Although this method is considered 'strange', it is very effective in increasing
students' abilities. Many students who want to speak English fluently often do not want to
practice regularly and consistently.

They usually only have the spirit of learning English at the beginning. But the longer,
the burning feeling just disappeared. Unknowingly, they have been lost to learning for
days and when they want to start again, the talking habits that have started smoothly are
halting again because they are not getting used.

Often students are also lazy to learn phrases and sentences intact. They prefer to use
the application to translate from Indonesian to English. Rather than just memorizing
meaning per word, learning English by taking care of intact phrases and sentences is far
more effective. If only memorizing a word, students will only know the meaning of the
word. But if they know the full phrase and sentence at the same time, students will
understand how to use it while talking.

Being accustomed to just focusing on memorizing words will also make the English
used become chaotic, and tend to translate one by one word. For example, when someone
wants to talk 'I am proud of myself', you will say 'I am proud to myself'. Another case if
you are used to seeing phrases or sentences intact, your tongue will automatically say 'I
am proud of myself'.

4. Classroom Culture

We come to the important discussion considered as factor that contributes difficulties

to students’ English learning. That is classroom condition factor. Classroom condition can
be essential in promoting English because teaching “alien” language does not mainly
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

concern to the basic literacy concept or chronological grammar structure, but it needs a
lot of practices as means of helping students to emerge their potential valiantly. Further,
researcher provided three statements to confirm the class condition around the participant.

5. Teaching Aids

The next factor that was considered as important factor causing students English
learning difficulties was insufficient provision of audio-visual aids. Many teachers are
unable to teach English effectively because they face a lot of problems due to the lack of
Teaching-Aids. How to teach is a determining factor for students' success in
communicating English. How the teacher attracts students' interest and attention is very
important.

Conclusion and Suggestion

Based on the above factors we can conclude that speaking is the most important
aspect of communication. However, not all students can speak English fluently. There are
several factors that hinder the ability to speak English. The first is fear, 99% of students
feel afraid of speaking English. the second is the lack of listening. Furthermore, it is lazy
and has no commitment to practicing. A strong will and high commitment are one of the
keys to success in mastering English. Class conditions that do not support are also a
limiting factor. if the class does not apply the practice of communicating in English it will
hinder the progress of students. The last is the way to teach. How to teach is a
determining factor for students' success in communicating English. How the teacher
attracts students' interest and attention is very important.

As teachers we must take appropriate actions and decisions to overcome the inhibiting
factors in speaking English. The teacher needs to take action according to student needs.
The teacher must also be able to motivate students to learn English and be able to
convince students that English is the official language that is important to learn. The
teacher also gives an understanding that learning English is interesting so students will be
enthusiastic and passionate about learning it.

These are tips can help you immensely with improving student communication skills.
They can be adapted for most every kind of student from kindergarten to high school.
Build better speakers of tomorrow by challenging the students to think critically, listen
actively, and work together.

1. Watch films that model conversation skills

Conversation is one of the most basic and essential communication skills. It enables
people to share thoughts, opinions, and ideas, and receive them in turn. Although it may
appear simple on the surface, effective conversations include a give-and-take exchange
that consists of elements such as, body language, eye contact, summarizing, paraphrasing,
responding.The students can learn the foundational elements of conversation by watching
films or videos of these interactions taking place. Pause the video and ask questions such
Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

as, “What message is the listener sending by crossing his arms? What else can you tell by
observing the expressions and body language of both people in the conversation?”

2. Use technology

From audiobooks to apps, there is a multitude of technological resources you can use
for improving student communication skills. Students can listen to or read along with
audiobooks to hear how the speaker pronounces and enunciates different words or
phrases. Some great free apps that improve student communication skills are
VoiceThread (which is suitable for kindergartners through adults) and Paper Telephone.

3. Reinforce active listening

Communication isn’t just about speaking; it’s also about listening. Teachers can help
their students develop listening skills by reading a selection of text aloud, and then having
the class discuss and reflect on the content.

Active listening also means listening to understand rather than reply. Reinforce
building good listening skills by encouraging students to practice asking clarifying
questions to fully understand the speaker’s intended message.

4. Offer group presentations and assignments

Team-building exercises can also help students sharpen both oral and written
communication skills. Not only does it offer students the chance to work in small groups,
thereby reducing some of the pressure, but it also gives them the opportunity to debate
their opinions, take turns, and work together towards a common goal.

5. Ask open-ended questions

Because they require more than a one- or two-word response, open-ended questions
are vital for inspiring discussion and demonstrating that there are multiple ways to
perceive and answer a question. You might set a timer for short informal conversations
and challenge students to use open-ended questions. For example, you might show
children the difference in how much more information they can obtain by asking “what
did you like best about the song?” rather than simply “did you like the song?”

6. Use tasks and activities that foster critical thinking

Another task-based method for improving student communication skills is through

critical thinking exercises. These can be done verbally or through written assignments
that give students the chance to answer questions creatively using their own words and
expressions. Get a head start with the communication-based critical thinking activities
and games in our most popular resource, the Critical Thinking Companion.

7. Offer reflective learning opportunities

Name : Nafita Siska Santoso
NPM : 17188203007

Recording students reading selected text or videotaping group presentations is an

excellent method for assessing their communication strengths and weaknesses. Students
can reflect on their oral performance in small groups. Then, ask each student to critique
the others so that they can get used to receiving constructive criticism.

8. Find teachable moments

Whatever the age group you are working with, maximize on the everyday happenings
in the classroom environment. For example, if a student answers a question in a
complicated way, you might ask that they rephrase what they said, or challenge the class
to ask clarifying questions. If an unfamiliar word pops up in a text or on a film, pause in
order for the class to search for the word in the dictionary.

After doing the tips above, attention to your way of correcting students. Sometimes,
even when your intention is simply to help a certain student, you may make things even
worse to them. If you want to show a certain mistake to a student, better appreciate their
efforts by using praise sentences followed by giving advice. So, not only blame but
students also understand their mistakes. For instance, the teacher is better said, "Very
good try, but you'd better say/do ..."

When the students are having fluency practice (for instance, free conversations),
which is totally different from pronunciation or grammar practice, never correct them,
unless something really happens seriously. Let them talk and let them feel that they can
communicate in their mistakes in pronunciation, grammar, etc. Praise them for speaking
and show your satisfaction to them.