Using pictures to improve the speaking skill of the seventh graders of MTs Al-Madany Menganti Gresik in delivering oral description / Siswa Yusbido

Thesis, English Language Teaching, Graduate Program, State University of Malang. Advisors: (1) Dr. Enny Irawati, M.Pd. (2) Dr. Sri Rachmajanti, Dip. TESL, M.Pd.Key words: Pictures, Improving Speaking Skill, Delivering Oral Description.The objective of the research is to improve the speaking skill of the seventh graders of MTs Al-Madany Menganti-Gresik by using the pictures. This research was conducted on the basis of the result of preliminary study of the seventh graders of MTs Al- Madany Kec. Menganti Kab. Gresik showed that the speaking skill in delivering oral description was not sufficient based on the minimum adequacy criterion (Kriteria Ketuntasan Minimum) that was 6.0. The students’ average score was 2,5 or only 2 of eighteen students could pass. By using the pictures of people the researcher is greatly motivated to solve some problems arising in the teaching of speaking skill.This research employed classroom-action research design to improve the students’ speaking skill using picture with the research problem: How can using pictures improve the speaking skill of seventh grade students at MTs Al - Madany Kec. Menganti Kab. Gresik in delivering oral description? The procedure of the research consisted of four main steps i.e. planning, implementing, observing and reflecting. This research was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle comprised two meetings. The subjects of the study were class VII of MTs Al-Madany Kec. Menganti Kab. Gresik in the 2010-2011 academic years consisting18 students. The instruments for collecting the data were questionnaire, observation checklist, field notes, and speaking assessment.Implementing pictures for teaching speaking involves: 1) show some pictures to the students, 2) guide students to find some words based on the pictures, 3) asking questions to the students to check the students’ understanding about words related to the pictures, 4) translating and pronouncing the words to make clear what the pictures are about while teacher writes the description of pictures on the board to become a model in describing someone for the students, 5) dividing the students into four or five groups to do short question and answer base on the pictures given, 6) giving a model in describing someone trough pictures, 7) asking the students to make brief notes of their ideas based on the pictures, 8) asking and guiding the students to do a monolog in describing someone based on the pictures, 9) correcting the student’s pronunciation and grammar usage, 10) asking the students with the different pictures in each group or individually to practice more in or out of class to develop their speaking ability. The finding of the research indicated that the uses of pictures were successful in improving students’ speaking skill based on the students’ speaking performance that could achieve the criteria of success (60% students achieve the standard minimum score 60). The improvement could be seen from the increase of the students’ speaking assessment in cycles one two. It found that 5 (28%) of the students who got 34-54 (Poor Score), 7 (39%) of the students who got 55-64 (Average Score), 4 (22%) of students who got 65-84 (Good Score) and 2 (11%) of the students who got 85-100 (Very Good Score) in cycle one. And in cycle two, 1 (6%) of the students who got 34-54 (Poor Score), 5 (28%) of the students who got Average Score, 8 (44%) of students who got 65-84 (Good Score) and 4 (22%) of the students who got 85-100 (Very Good Score). Based on the improvement of the students’ speaking skill after the implementation of using pictures of people in teaching speaking, it is suggested the English teacher and other language teachers who have similar classroom problems to implement the technique in their class particularly in the speaking class. To the principals, they should provide facilities of media to improve the English teachers’ teaching quality, to socialize the teaching technique to the teachers, and to hold an in-service training about teaching methods for the English teachers. For the future researchers, they should conduct the research more attentive with some students’ obstacles arising like pronunciation, grammar and background knowledge of vocabularies, besides implementing pictures in teaching other language skills such as listening and writing.