The role of English conversation club to improve students’ self confidence in speaking (a classroom action research at eight grade students of SMPI Al-Hamidiyah Jepara in academic year of 2009/2010)

The background of the study in this research are the students did not feel confident in speaking. The teacher still used conventional methods, the teacher only explained the pattern of grammar, asked students read a reading text and answer the question in LKS, so the students did not have opportunity to speak. To improve students self confidence in speaking, teacher can use English conversation club to improve students’ self confidence in speaking. The problem of this research can be stated as follow: How is the role of English conversation club as strategy to improve students’ self confidence in speaking at eight grade of SMPI Al-Hamidiyah Jepara?. Do the students feel confidence to speak after they are stimulated through English conversation club at eight grade of SMPI Al-Hamidiyah Jepara?. How is the improvement of students’ speaking score after they are stimulated through English conversation club at eight grade of SMPI Al- Hamidiyah Jepara? The study was conducted at SMPI Al Hamidiyah Bawu Jepara. The subject of this study was the students of eight grade A. The number of the subject was 23. The research design used was classroom action research with the reason that the teachers can develop and repair their skills in giving the material to the students. This research conducted pre observation, three cycles in classroom action research. The techniques which used to collect the data were documentation, observation, and questionnaire. The teaching learning process in cycle 1 until cycle 3 in classroom action research, the teacher introduces the expression, role play and asks them to practice conversation in front of class. In this research, the researcher analyzed the result of observation and speaking achievement in each cycle. In the pre cycle, the students’ self confidence was very low, the average of the students’ speaking achievement was 52.52. In the first cycle the students’ self confidence rise 30 %, and the average of the students’ speaking achievement was 60. In the second cycle almost majority of the students feel confidence, the students’ speaking achievement62.60.The third cycle the students’ self confidence rise 82.60%,here the average of the students’ speaking achievement was 70.05. Based on the result of analysis, the writer can conclude that the role of English conversation club to improve students’ self confidence in speaking is very important, especially for junior high school students to attract the students’ interest and to improve their confidence in speakin