CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

As far as I know English is a foreign language in Indonesia that has

been taught from Elementary School as a local content until Senior High

School as a compulsory subject, up to University. Moreover, English is

essentially needed to be mastered by everyone because English is the first

foreign language that is considered important for the development of science,

technology, art and culture, and also relationship with other countries.

One of the language skill that must be mastered by any foreign

language learner is the ability to speak or communicate in the target language

fluently. Based on 2013 curriculum has a standard competency that must be

reached by the students especially in speaking skill. Standard competency is

used as teachers’ reference in teaching process. The consideration of this

curriculum has the purpose to make students speak. It is expected that they can

speak to others, express their ideas, feelings and thought orally or written.

Unfortunately, the students are quite difficult to improve their

speaking skill. There were some difficulties that students encountered in

speaking English, the difficulties mostly faced by students is that they were

lack in vocabularies, pronunciation, fluency and grammar. So, when the

students started to speak in English suddenly they put long pauses because

they did not know the English words that they want to say. Finally, they

continued their speaking by using Indonesian or Javanese language. Because

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 of lack of vocabulary and pronunciation, the students were look passive during

the English teaching and learning process. Speaking interaction almost did not

happen in the classroom activities. Students will start to speak in English if

only when the teacher asked them to read text or transcripts of conversation

loudly.

Based on those conditions, the writer tries to solve the problem by

offering one teaching technique for teaching speaking that is games. Andrew

Wright (2006: 1) stated “game is activity which is entertaining and engaging,

often challenging, and an activity in which the learners play and usually

interact with others”. In this research, I focus on the guessing games. In

conducting this kind of game, teacher and students can work each other to

build a good atmosphere of teaching-learning process in class. The students

will motivate in speaking because they can express their idea freely with

interesting way.

Based on the problems above, the writer would like to conduct the

research entitle “THE USE OF GUESSING GAME TO IMPROVE

STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL” that will be held at SEVEN GRADE OF

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN SMP NU WANASARI

B. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEMS

There are some problems affecting the students’ speaking

performance in the class. The researcher found some conditions which inhibit

the teaching learning process of speaking after observing the teaching and

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learning process of speaking in seventh grade of SMP NU Wanasari, in the

Academic Year of 2019/2020.

a. The students lack of vocabulary and pronunciation

Pronunciation and vocabulary are factors that can support someone in

order to be able to speak fluently. Based on the observation, I found that

the students were reluctant to do it and even not all students in the class

brought dictionary during the English lesson. Moreover, vocabulary also

became the problem of the students in that school. When the students

started to speak in English suddenly they put long pauses because they

did not know the English words that they want to say. Finally, they

continued their speaking by using Indonesian or Javanese language.

Because of lack of vocabulary and pronunciation, the students were look

passive during the English teaching and learning process. Speaking

interaction almost did not happen in the classroom activities. Students

will start to speak in English if only when the teacher asked them to read

text or transcripts of conversation loudly.

b. The lack of media and monotonous activities during the teaching and

learning process.

In the English teaching learning process, media and activities are

factors needed to support learning process. The teacher of SMP NU

Wanasari only used course books lent by the school and worksheet. Thus,

the students were bored because the students’ worksheet contained

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 monotonous tasks and the teaching method used by the teacher is teacher

Centre. So, the interaction between the students was limited. Moreover,

the teacher seldom used interesting media, such as pictures, cards, games

or other media that can be used as additional teaching resources in the

class. The use of media in the English teaching learning process is so

helpful to make the process can run effectively and efficiently. One of the

media that can be used in the English teaching learning process is games.

The use of games influences the students’ interest and motivation. Of

course, this condition will effect students’ achievement.

One of the ways that can cover the problem is by using Guessing

games in the teaching and learning process. This game will put the

learners as center. It means the students have a high opportunity to

practice their speaking skill. Improving the frequency of practicing

speaking skill when they are playing the game is expected to be able in

increasing quality of the learners’ output commanding the English

language skills.

C. LIMITATION OF THE PROBLEMS

Based on the identification of problem mentioned above, it is

impossible to focus on all problems, so this research will focus on improving

students’ speaking skill using guessing game in grade VII of SMP NU

Wanasari.

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D. FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEMS

Based on background and limitation of problem mentioned above, the

problem of the research can be formulated as follow “How Guessing Game

Can Improve Students’ Speaking Skill?”

E. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The purposes of this proposal is finding out how far guessing game can

improve the students’ speaking skill

F. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Based on the background above, I hope that the research will be useful

for:

1. The students

a) Will be active and confident in English learning process

b) Will be fun in learning process.

c) Will improve their speaking skill

2. The teachers

a) To overcome the obstacle of speaking in teaching and learning

process.

b) To recommend that guessing game can improve students’ speaking

skill.

3. The researcher

a) To implement new technique in teaching speaking

b) To give an experience in conducting research on education.