Improving Speaking Ability of the First Year Students of Al Kamal Islamic Boarding School by Using Role-Play Technique in Academic Year 2011/2012

Key word: Role-Play Technique, Speaking Ability. Role-Play is a teaching technique where the students get tasks from tutor to dramatize a social situation that contains a problem. So, they can solve the problem that appears in social situation. Role-Play Technique is used to overcome the teaching and learning speaking process in the classroom. This technique is based on the principles of behavior psychology. The material is presented in the form of a conversation role-play. Based on the principle, that language learning is habit formation. From this technique, the students get the benefits and improvements. This research was proposed to improve the students speaking ability of first year students of Al Kamal Islamic Boarding School. Al Kamal was designed as bilingual community and the aim of teaching and learning English in Al Kamal is to supply the students by speaking skill. The students are expected to be able speak English in the second year of their living in Al Kamal and more based on the findings of preliminary study conducted, there was found some problems in teaching and learning English process in classroom. Such as The teacher less have appropriate technique in teaching speaking, the students less get the opportunity to practice the target language directly, the English teacher gave them only the theory of the target language, so most of students get difficulties to use English orally, Most of students were passive and irresponsive in participating teaching learning process in classroom, and when the researcher gave the speaking test just 5 students could pass KKM (70). The formulation of the problems were be proposed by researcher based on the background above. The problem was as follows: “How can the improved Role-Play Technique improve the students’ achievement on speaking skill at the first year students of Al Kamal Islamic Boarding School Kunir Wonodadi Blitar?” The study was done from May 04th, 2012 to May 23th, 2012 and the researcher took the first year students that consist of thirty six students. This research objective was to improved Role-Play Technique improve the students’ achievement on speaking skill at the first year students of Al Kamal Islamic Boarding School Kunir Wonodadi Blitar. The research design in this study was classroom action research. This study had two Cycles, namely Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. Each cycle consisted of planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. In implementing consisted of three meetings. This study was done to reach the criteria of success. It consisted of 85 % of students were able to speak English with score ≥ 70 (equal or above KKM score), and 75 % of students got the good mark in implementing of students’ questionnaire. In this study, the data were collected through test, observation and questionnaire. The researcher used a test to know the students’ English speaking achievement in the preliminary study and the end each Cycle. While, questionnaire was used to know the students’ comfort. Interview and observation sheet were used as complementary the instrument to know the students’ comfort. The procedures of data analysis were conducted: data classification, data presentation, and conclusion. Based on the results of data collection, it is concluded that the role-play technique can improve the students’ speaking ability. The result data of the students’ participation in cycle II showed that the implementation of role-play technique got very satisfactory result. Meanwhile, Based on the result of individual test in cycle II showed that 32 (88.9%) of students passed KKM. Based on the result of Students’ questionnaire and interview with the teacher in cycle II, the researcher can be identified that there were minor problems faced by students and the teacher in the class, it means that the implementing of role-play technique was successful. Finally, some suggestions addressed to students, in mastering speaking skill, students have to practice the target language over, avoid mispronouncing, and using bad habit of the target language using. The further is they have to be more creative and active using it out of the class. However language is mean of communication, so to use it to communicate is the essential of it. For the English teacher, the teacher should implement various kinds of teaching techniques in the English class to provide students with various experiences, and for getting the good quality of teaching and learning process, the teacher must adjust the goal and the technique used, have the good preparation, there are lesson plan, suitable material, and suitable media