The First Year Students’ Ability to Carry Out Daily                                       Conversation at English Department of Bung Hatta                                       University. Thesis. English Department, Bung Hatta                    Â

Abstrak

Speaking  is one of the important language skills because speaking is productive skills. It is an activity to we express and share every context of communication to another orally, such as daily conversation. Generally, daily conversation is a joint activity in which two or more participants that express their ideas, feeling or argumentation using spoken language.

The population of this research was the first year students at English Department of Bung Hatta University.The total sample members are 26 students. The writer used total sampling technique. The data were collected through speaking test. To make the test reliable, the writer used inter-rater method. It means that there were two scorers to check the students’ speaking recording. The correlation coefficients of two scores was 0.88. It means that the test was reliable.

The result of this research showed that the students’ speaking ability at English Department of Bung Hatta University in general was classified into very good ability. It was proved by the finding that there were 100% students who had very good ability. The students’ speaking ability in expressing content in carrying out daily conversation was very good. It was proved by finding that 100% students who had very good ability. The students’ speaking ability in using grammar was very good ability. It was proved by finding that 54% students who had good ability. The students` speaking ability in choosing vocabulary to carry out daily conversation was very good. It was proved by finding that 100% students who had very good ability. The students` speaking ability in pronouncing words was very good ability. It was proved by the finding that 100% students who had very good ability. The students` fluency to carry out daily conversation was good ability. It was proved by finding that  84% students had good ability .

Based on the result of this research, it can be concluded that the first year students’ ability to carry out daily conversation at English Department of Bung Hatta Univrsity was very good. it is suggested to the lecturer to keep or improve their ability in speaking into excellent by giving some more practice in speaking and giving more exercises in grammar. For students, they are suggested to do more practice about grammar in speaking bacause their ability in grammar is still good.

Key words: ability, speaking, daily conversation.