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International Journal of Multicultural editor@[Link]

ISSN 2364-5369

and Multireligious Understanding

Volume 7, Issue 6
July, 2020
Pages: 88-99

Improving Students’ Speaking Skills through Task-Based Learning: An Action

Research at the English Departmen
Hilma Safitri; Zainal Rafli; Ratna Dewanti
Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia

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Abstract

This study aims to improve students' speaking skills at the Department of English. Based on
interviews carried out to get initial data on the students' speaking skills, it was shown that the students had
problems in speaking due to inadequate knowledge of the language which in turn made the students felt
unconfident to speak. The students were not familiar with various speaking activities facilitating them to
speak. They read text to convey ideas and a lack of strategies when speaking. To help the students, task-
based learning was adapted through an action research in one-semester courses. Fifteen students in the
third semester participated in this study. The data were taken from the results of the pre-test to post-test,
interview, and observation. The findings reveal that the use of task-based learning helps the students
improve their speaking skills of three indicators assessed: accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension. The
students manage to complete the tasks by conducting various activities through three phases of learning:
the pre-task, task-cycle, and form focus. They succeed in improving their speaking skills and gaining their
confidence. The students can evaluate their learning in pairs and group works.

Keywords: Students' Speaking skills; Task-based learning; Speaking

Introduction
Speaking is perceived as the most prominent skills compared to three other language skills: reading,
listening, and writing. People can be called as 'the speaker of language' when they speak the language as
if they included all other kinds of knowing (Ur, 2012: 117). They use their linguistics knowledge and
their background knowledge to convey ideas, to negotiate meaning, and to explore thought. They very
skillfully employ words and arrange them into appropriate sentences to create interesting talks. As Bygate
(2009) says that when we speak we have to not only know the knowledge of vocabulary and grammar but
also to produce and adapt them to the circumstances. Once the speaker masters the knowledge and skill to
use them, he or she will rapidly make decisions, implement them smoothly, and adjust their conversation
in a spontaneous interaction. However, to gain the knowledge and use them in speaking is not always
easy for EFL and ESL students. Most students find it difficult to express grammatically correct sentences
due to the significant differences in the grammar of the native language of the students and that of the
EFL (Manurung, 2015). The students have limited chances to experience speaking activities in class and

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

to practice speaking outside the school (Castañeda, 2019; Essien, 2016). Consequently, the students
always have problems when speaking.

Hamouda (2012) from Qassim University Saudi Arabia conducted a study related to problems faced
by students in speaking. The findings revealed that many students in EFL classrooms feeling reluctant to
respond to their teacher due to many factors such as low English proficiency, fear of speaking in front of
others, negative evaluation, shyness, lack of confidence and preparation, and fear of making mistakes.
Similarly, EFL students feeling unwilling to speak English in Indonesia experience the same factors and
cultural matter affects their learning. The students tend to speak Bahasa Indonesia when they are learning
English in class. They turn to be “unquestioning minds" in interaction as they believe that a teacher never
makes mistakes (Marcellino, 2008). The cultural tendency of Indonesian in which people enjoy living in
harmony creates the students' minds and attitudes when learning (Suryanto, 2015). The students do not
show great initiative in learning as they prefer to do what their teacher asks them to.

The unchallenging process of learning affects students' performance in speaking. During the interview
to gather the first data of the students’ speaking skills for this study, the students mention that they are
always assigned a task of group presentation that they prepare it at home. They read texts to inform ideas
when speaking in class. They do not not use strategie when speaking. The students are not familiar with
various speaking activities facilitating them to speak spontaneously. They feel ashamed as their friends
will laugh at them when speaking. Their pre-test results show that the students’ speaking skills is
considered low. The accuracy is the lowest followed by vocabulary and comprehension. The students
need to be helped to improve their speaking skills, therefore the researcher decides to use task-based
learning.

Task-based learning emphasizes the learning on the use of tasks both in planning teaching and
classroom teaching (Richards, 2006; 30). The learning is focused on the negotiation of meaning, the use
of target language for authentic and meaningful communication (Richards, 2006). Negotiation of meaning
is aimed to resolve communication problems (Suzuki, 2018). Task-based learning accommodates the
students to learn the use of form and communication (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011; 193). The
form-focused work is functioned as the enabling skills since it is designed to develop skills and
knowledge that will ultimately facilitate the process of authentic communication (Nunan, 2004: 22). The
enabling skills are in two kinds: language exercises and communicative activities. The students are hoped
to not only understand the language functions but also to use them (Branden, 2006; 6). The students are
intended to improve linguistic accuracy in their speech although there are no communication problems
between them (Suzuki, 2018). Since the concept of task-based learning is learning by doing, the students
are expected to experience the language by completing the tasks.

The proponents of tasks-based learning mention types of tasks carried out during the learning process.
Richards (2006) says that pedagogical tasks and real-world tasks facilitate the students to experience the
language. Pedagogical tasks, for example information gaps, aim at the use of strategic interaction and the
element of language (Nunan, 2004 in Khoshsima & Tasuj, 2014). Meanwhile real-world task, for
example, a role-play of an interview, reflects the use of language beyond the classroom. Pedagogical tasks
are not designed for the students to practice performing the tasks but to activate the students' speaking
skills (Nunan, 2004). Willis and Willis (2007) suggest seven task types: ordering, sorting, matching,
comparing, project and creative tasks, sharing personal experience, problem-solving, and listing. J. Willis
(1996) says that task is a goal-oriented activity in which the students use language to achieve a real
outcome. They use whatever target language resources they have in order to solve a problem, do a puzzle,
play a game, or share and compare experiences.

Nunan (2004;35-37) provides principles in implementing task-based learning. They are (1)
scaffolding in which lessons and materials should provide supporting the learning takes place and the

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

students are not expected to produce language that they have not learned yet, (2) task dependency, that is
within a lesson, one task should grow out of, and build upon, the ones that have gone before, (3) recycling
language maximizes opportunities for learning and activates the 'organic' learning, (4). active learning,
learners learn best by actively using the language they are learning, (5) integration, learners should be
taught in ways that make clear the relationships between linguistic form, communicative function and
semantic meaning, (6) learners should be encouraged to move from reproductive to creative language use,
(7) reflection, learners should be given opportunities to reflect on what they have learned and how well
they are doing.

Researches have shown the benefits of employing task-based learning to improve the students’
speaking skills. The findings of a study conducted by Namaziandost, Hashemifardnia, & Shafiee (2019)
reveal that the students can speak fluently after completing opinion-gap, reasoning-gap, and information-
gap activities through task-based learning compared to traditional learning. Similarly, Albino (2017) finds
that the students can increase their speaking skills particularly in the aspect of grammar after their teacher
uses recast and prompt strategies during the task cycle. The focus of form carried out through task
repetition facilitates the students to acquire their grammar knowledge from the simple to the complex
forms since they receive feedback during the phase of learning (Van de Guchte, Braaksma, Rijlaarsdam,
& Bimmel, 2016). The more frequent the students participate in different tasks, the better they evaluate
their performance (Meng & Cheng, 2010). However, teaching instruction should be given more attention
in EFL classes in the light of using task-based (Elsheikh Hago Elmahdi, 2016). The lecturer can adapt the
tasks purposed by the proponents of tasks-based and create activites to facilitate the students complete the
tasks.

Considering all problems that make the students are not easy to speak, the researcher is intended to
conduct a study to improve students’ speaking skills at the English Department of Pamulang University.
The researcher adapts task-based learning as a model of learning in class and adopts an action research
method (CAR) with three cycles. CAR focuses on the common issue or the existence of problems in the
classroom (Fraenkel, Wallen, & Hyun, 2012). The question for this research is Can the students of an
English Department at Pamulang University, Indonesia improve their speaking skills by implementing
task-based learning?

Improving Speaking Skills

To be able to speak foreign languages, the students should not only understand the knowledge of the
language but also have the skills to use the knowledge (Bygate, 2009). The linguistic knowledge
encompasses structure, meaning, and use through four types of knowledge: phonological, grammatical,
lexical, and discourse (Burn, 2016). The students need to develop their speech function skills and
interaction management skills (Goh, 2007). To employ all the knowledge and skills in speaking, the
students need to be trained with various communication activities such as turn-taking, information-gap,
role play, simulation, storytelling, and drama.

One of how a speaker of a foreign language needs to know how to negotiate control of a conversation
is through the business of handling turn-taking (Bygate, 2009). It is a rule that manage conversation how
participant change when the turn given (Armansyah, Asbah, & Fauzi Bafadal, 2018). The students can
ask a simple question and give a minimal response. The students can even only ask a simple question
“and you?“ (Harmer, 2007). The minimal responses are usually predictable, often idiomatic phrases that
participants use to indicate understanding, agreement, doubt, and other responses to what another speaker
is saying (Marriam Bashir; Muhammad Azeem; Ashiq Hussain Dogar, 2016). The students can focus on
what the other participant is saying, without having to simultaneously plan a response. However, it is
possible for the students to construct simple sentences, to use the target expression and vocabulary they

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need when speaking. This speaking activity can be well managed under the number of students in class
and their learning objective. Turn-taking management is one of the specific aspects of the co-construction
of interaction (Galaczi, 2014).

Information gap activity is based on the principle that there are gaps in real-life communication in
which people do not share the same information (Goh, 2007). This activity can be carried out in the
classroom to fulfill the need of the students to bridge the gaps in an interaction. The students use the
language to exchange some information and to get the meaning across (Ismaili & Bajrami, 2016). A study
to increase students’ speaking fluency on Iranian EFL students conducted by Namaziandost et al. (2019)
reveals that information-gap activity is more effective than opinion-gap and reasoning-gap activities. The
three experimental groups outperformed the control group on the posttest.

Roleplay is a "complete range of communication technologies to develops language fluency, to

promotes student interaction during the class, to increase students' motivation,and to share responsibilities
between teacher-students" (Kusnierek in Rojas Rojas, 2018). The students act different characters dan
speak the language they learn. They plan the roles, choose the vocabularies, and the expression they need
(Waffa, 2014 in Rojas & Villafuerte, 2018). The findings of a study conducted by Krebt (2017) show that
there is a significant improvement in the speaking skill of the experimental group of students using role
play. Dingli suggested a well-designed role play technique for the students to reflect and experience
responsible learning (Dingli, Khalfey, & Leston-Bandeira, 2013).

Storytelling is not limited to entertainment but also used as an effective teaching tool in a language
classroom (Mokhtar, Halim, & Kamarulzaman, 2011). The students can improve their speaking
proficiency and motivation by using storytelling techniques (Sharma, 2018). The shy students can start to
speak English in the classroom. The students will be able to experience meaningful learning in which they
convey ideas, do some reflection on the dialogs used, work together in groups and construct new
knowledge of what they have learned (Alterio, 2008).

Drama is one of the speaking activities that can be carried out in the classroom. Drama application
significantly contributes to the emotional quality of the FL classroom. It helps to reduce speaking anxiety
and promotes positive feelings toward the learning experience (Atas, 2015). Drama helps the students
create authentic interaction in learning language (Sweeney, Preedeekul, & Kunyot, 2017). Drama
contributes to the enhancement of the students' English language proficiency as it can integrate the four
skills in addition to providing the platform for the students to actively use and practice the target language
with each other (Nordin, Sharif, Fong, Mansor, & Zakaria, 2012).

Those speaking activities mentioned above can be carried out through task-based procedures. The
students may choose and repeat some activities as the out come at the last phase.

Implementing Task-based Learning

The core of task-based learning is a learning experiment in which the students experience the language
they have learned by completing tasks. The complete task-based implementation follows certain phases:
pre-task, during the task, and language focus (D. Willis & Willis, 2007).

The first phase is the pre-task. This phase is for the lecturer to equip the students with the language
they need. The major types of activities are consciousness-raising and teaching. The lecturer may
introduce the topic and provide instruction on the task. The lecturer has class brainstorming the
vocabulary that the students have learned and will be used for completing the task. The lecturer activates
the students' linguistic resources to prepare them for the task cycle. It is important to remind the students

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

to speak only English from the beginning of the phase since it will become their habit which finally helps
them to improve their speaking skills.

The second phase is task-cycle. The students enlarge their participation in the main task in groups and
pairs. This phase allows the students to carry out the task in different ways. They may use a variety of
communication strategies to complete the task, for example they use negotiation skills to understand the
character of a picture (Thompson & Millington, 2012). The students use their existing linguistic skills to
complete the task. They may prepare a report on their findings and share the report with the class. It is
possible for the students to complete the tasks by carrying out other activities for example practicing
dialogs, role-play, turn-taking and gap information in pairs and storytelling and drama in a group. They
can exchange information and practice some interactional strategies through role-play and simulation.
The students may do negotiation of meaning during turn-taking. The lecturer assists if necessary and
comments on the task and the activities.

The task cycle is followed by language focus. The lecturer draws the students' attention to the correct
use of English. The students should be reminded that accuracy and restructuring also have significance
(Mohammadipour & Rashid, 2015). The lecturer provides feedback on form or word meaning from
context and allows the students to repeat some speaking activities or to creatae a speaking performance as
an output. The students may be given a chance to reflect on their learning by commenting on their
findings of the task, repeated activities and the grammar error taking place during the task repetition.
Therefore, the students will experience meaningful learning.

Methodology
Fifteen students are enrolled in this study. They are students of the English Department in their third
semester in South Tanggerang, Indonesia. The students participated for 12 weeks of the 15 weeks of
semester. Based on the results of an interview and observations to get the first data, it showed that the
students had problems in speaking due to inadequate language knowledge and lack of confidence. They
had a small exposure to various speaking activities. Therefore, the researcher provided one topic for two
meetings in class in which the students complete the tasks by using various speaking activities through
task-based procedures.

In phase 1, the students were introduced topics and reminded of the language expression and
vocabulary they needed to use to complete the tasks. They listened to a short dialog. The researcher
participated as the lecturer in this study did some brainstroming.

In phase 2, the students sat in pairs and groups. They started speaking through various activities from
practicing simple dialogues, turn-taking, gap information, interview, discussion, and short role-play at the
first until the eighth meeting or in cycle one and two. The students carried out storytelling, simulation,
and drama at the last four meetings or in cycle three.

In phase 3, the students reported their activities and were given feedback on form. They evaluated
their learning and repeated some speaking activities using appropriate grammar, and vocabulary.

To maximize the results of students’ speaking improvement, the researcher adopts a classroom action
research (CAR) through three cycles. Each cycle consists of four steps namely planning, action,
observation, and reflection (Kemmis and Mc Taggart; 1988 in Burns, 2009).

The data consist of quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were taken from the results
of the pre-test to the post-test. The variable measured for each test are there speaking components:
grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. The data were analyzed using SPSS into descriptive statistics.

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

The qualitative data is the semi-structured interview to obtain students’ comments on the implementation
of task-based learning at the end of learning.

Findings
Students’ Speaking Skills Improvement

Fifteen samples or students participate in this study. They were given a pre-test to post-test. The
students were also evaluated at the end of cycles one, two, and three to identify their speaking
development on accuracy, vocabulary and comprehension. The students’ speaking skills improvement can
be seen on graph 1, 2, 3, and 4 below.

Graph 1. Pre-test result

The graph of the pre-test result shows that students’ speaking skills is considered low. Each indicator
is in the range of 51-55. The accuracy is the lowest compared to other indicators.

Graph 2. Cycle I test result

The mean score of the indicators of speaking skills in cycle 1 shows that there is a slight improvement
from the mean score in pre-test results. The mean score of vocabulary is 60.06 while comprehension is
59.86 which means the difference only 0.2 points. Meanwhile, the accuracy is still the lowest mean score
or 55.33.

Graph 3. Cycle II test result

Graph 3 above shows that students’ speaking score increases in cycle 2. The indicators of speaking:
vocabulary and comprehension are in adequate level (61-70) with the highest mean score is 66.2 for

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

vocabulary. Accuracy is still the lowest mean score among other indicators, even though it increases 4.47
points compared to cycle I but it is still at a poor level (50-61). The mean score of vocabulary has
improved 6.4 while comprehension 4.07 compared to the mean score in cycle 1.

Graph 4. Cycle 3 / post test result

The graph 4 above shows that the mean score of indicators of speaking is in the range of 71-80 in
which they are considered as in a good level of speaking. The highest mean score is comprehension 79.06
followed by vocabulary 76.2, and accuracy 71.93.

Students’ Response on Task-based Learning Use

Overall students respond that activities carried out through task-based learning help them to develop
their speaking skills and enhance their confidence. They do not have to read text when conveying ideas
anymore. The students understand that they should practice the activities more often ouside the school.
The students say that task-based learning provides chances to maintain and evaluate their learning. The
following are comments from some students participating in this study.

“I was not confident to speak in front of the class before because my English was not good. I used to
prepare and memorize a short speech or sentence to be presented for the next meeting in class. I enjoy the
speaking activities we carry out in class. I was shy at the beginning but then I get used to doing the
activites. I like drama and simulation the most. I like to learn step by step speaking using task-based. I
should do more outside the class”. [A]

“I was not happy to talk in class because my grammar was not good. After completing tasks and
activities by using task-based learning in a group, now I know that grammar should not be memorized but
we need to use it in dialogue. Of course I need steps to speak appropriately, and task-based learning is the
answer". [B]

“I was frustrated about my vocabulary and grammar. To speak using grammar expressions made me
nervous for the first time, but as we did together in groups, I felt relaxed. I like doing the speaking
activities using task-based. However I still need to practice more ” [C].

“I was afraid to make mistakes if I had to say things in English. I needed to see my notes first before
speaking. I sometimes made mistakes in grammar and vocabulary, and I did not know what to do then.
After I study in pairs and groups to complete the tasks I can speak now. I like turn-taking by throwing the
ball and short role-play when speaking in class. I feel happy to do those activities. Task-based learning is
ok, but I need more practice. "[D]

“I was worried if my friends asked me questions because I could not answer it on the spot. I was not
sure about my answer. After I study English through task-based learning with my friends in pairs and
groups, I feel sure to answer the questions cos my friends help me with the grammar and vocabulary. I
like filling gap activities because I only need to give a short answer."[ E]

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

Discussion
The improvement of students speaking skills takes place in each cycle during the action in class. The
students seem to increase their confidence as they carry out the speaking activities step by step form
practicing simple dialog until performing a mini drama at the end of the semester.

The students’ test results in three cycles reveal that the students improve their speaking skills
significantly. A slight improvement from the mean score in cycle 1 indicates that the students started
speaking appropriately. The students were trained to be aware and to get used of applying appropriate
grammar and vocabulary when speaking. They were encouraged to do language exercises and various
speaking activities.

The students seemed struggeling and not confident at the beginning, but then they enjoyed the turn-
taking activity in pairs. The students learned to ask short questions and to give minimal responses without
reading a note. One way to encourage students to begin to participate is to help them build up a stock of
minimal responses that they can use in different types of exchanges (Marriam Bashir; Muhammad
Azeem; Ashiq Hussain Dogar, 2016). The students then continued speaking using a short role-play in
pairs and groups. The students seemed much confident to play different roles and topics in cycles 1 and 2.
Variety of topics used for conducting role-play may help the studnts improve their vocabulary (Krebt,
2017).

The students carried out information gap activities in the second cycle. Information gap activity helps
introverts to speak (Marashi & Naddim, 2019). The students started focusing on the negotiation of
meaning. They were trying to develop their speaking using pictures and maps. The students showed their
improvement in speaking. Their score in cycle 2 was better compared to cycle 1. However, accuracy was
still the lowest mean score among other indicators. This indicated that it was not easy for the students to
use appropriate grammar when speaking. Therefore, the researcher decided to provide the students with
speaking activities that challenge the students to evaluate their speaking particulary on the use of
grammar.

The students were assigned storytelling, simulation and mini-drama in the third cycle. They created
the story, decided theme and scrip for the mini-drama in groups. The researcher assisted if necessary. The
groups may give feedback to each other on the use of grammar. The students were aware of using
appropriate grammar and vocabulary. The students seemed happy performing the activities. They did
some improvisation when carrying out mini-drama. It shows that the student were confident enough to
speak English in a real-life communication practice. The joy of the learning and the reponsibility given to
create storytelling and mini-drama performances motivate the students to enhance their speaking skills.
The score of the students speaking skills in the third cycle shows significant improvement. The students
manage to use task-based learning to increase their speaking skills and confidence.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this study aims to improve students’ speaking skills through task-based learning. The
results of the pre-test to post-test show development on students’ scores after the use of task-based
learning. A slight improvement was seen from the mean score in the pre-test results compared to the test
in cycle 1. In cycle 2 students’ speaking score increases. However, acuracy is still the lowest mean score
among other indicators. Even though it increases 7 points compared to cycle 1, but it is still at a poor level
(50-61). In cycle 3, the scores show the significant improvement of each indicator compared to the mean
score in cycle 2.

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International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding (IJMMU) Vol. 7, No. 6, July 2020

The improvement of the students’ scores indicates that students’ speaking skills increase. This fact is
supported by the students’ response to the use of task-based learning. They said that undergoing tasks
through various activities in pairs and group works facilitates them to speak better English. They can
practice simple dialogues, turn-taking, gap information, interview, discussion, short role-play, simulation,
and mini-drama. The most important is they can evaluate their learning. Various learning experiences
motivate the students to improve their speaking skills in the future.

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