AN ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY IN TELLING FUTURE PLANS AT SMAN 1 SUNGAI LIMAU

Abstrak

Abstract

The aim of this research was to describe the speaking ability of the first year students at SMAN 1 Sungai Limau in telling future plans orally in English. The design of this research was descriptive method. The population of this research was the first year students at SMAN 1 Sungai Limau. The total number of population was 157 students. They were distributed into seven classes, class X MIA 1, X MIA 2, X MIA 3, X MIA 4, X IIS 1, X IIS 2, X IIS 3. The researcher used stratified cluster random sampling technique to select the sample. The total number of sample members was 42.

The data were collected by using oral test. The researcher asked students to tell their planning in front of the class orally. The researcher only measured the ability of the first year students’ speaking in telling future plans by considering five components of speaking: (content, grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronounciation). In analysing the data, the researcher did several steps. Firstly, she presented the raw score of each sample, calculated average score (M) and standard deviation (SD), classified the students who got high to low ability, and counted the percentage of them.

Based on the result of data analysis, it is indicated that the first year students speaking ability in telling future plans at SMAN 1 Sungai Limau in general was moderate. It was proved by the evidence that 64,28 % of them can tell future plans orally. There were 95,23 %   students  who had been classified in moderate criteria in expressing ideas (content) in telling future plans, 78,57 %  students who had been classified in moderate criteria in using correct grammar in telling future plans, 61,90 % students who had been classified in moderate criteria in using appropriate vocabulary in telling future plans. 52,38%  students who had been classified in moderate criteria in fluency in telling future plans, 64,28 %  students who had been classified in moderate criteria in pronouncing words in telling future plans.                                                                                                                          Based on the research finding, the researcher concluded that the Speaking Ability of the First Year Students in Telling Future Plans was moderate. Relating to this conclusion,  she  suggested to English teachers to consider proportionally the five components of speaking (content, grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronounciation in teaching speaking. In addition, English teachers are suggested to provide more practices for those components of speaking. The students are suggested to do more practices to express their ideas orally  in speaking English.

Key words: speaking, telling, future plans.