THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ROLE PLAY METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE SPEAKING SKILL OF THE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS’ OF SMP MUHAMMADIYAH PURWOREJO IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

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.