Abstract:
Learning English means learning language components and language skills. Grammar,
vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling are examples of language components. Meanwhile language
skill covers listening, writing, reading and speaking. Among the four skills, speaking is often
considered as the most difficult skill to be learned by the students. The objective of the research
is to find out whether role play can improve the students‟ speaking ability or not.
This research was conducted on may 20th, 27th 2013 and June 3th, 10th 2013. And the
subject of this research is the eighth grade students of SMP Muhammadiyah of Purworejo. The
researcher took two classes as sample. Class 8th A as an experimental class and class 8th B as a
control group. Each class has 30 students. This research includes quantitative research and the
design of this research is quasi-experimental research. Considering the type of this research, the
researcher uses t-test to find the significance of the method. This research uses polled variance as
t-test pattern. And the technical sampling of this research is Random Simple Sampling. This
research is divided into three sections, they are: pre-test, treatment and post-test. This research
also through following two analyses, they are: descriptive test involves mean, median, mode,
range, Variance and Standard Deviation and inferential test involves normality test, homogeneity
test, and t-test or Hypothesis test.
The result of normality test shows that the distribution of the data is normal so it can be
concluded that this research is parametric. And the result of homogeneity test shows that the both
group (experimental and control) is homogenous. The result of t-test shows that t value is higher
than t table (5.32>2.00) ;thus, it can be concluded that Ha is accepted, it means that the use
of role-play is effective to improve students‟ speaking ability the 8th grade students of SMP
Muhammadiyah of Purworejo.
