Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
Speaking strategy is the way students overcome their problems in speaking. They are
defined as a means of solving problems in speaking used by the second and the foreign language
learners in order to achieve a particular communicative goal (Faerch and Kasper, 1983).
Students’ speaking strategies may vary. The students with low level ability may use more
strategies rather than the middle or high level students. There are 12 speaking strategies that may
be used by the students, some of them are: students are trying to translate from their native
language into English; production “blocking” is occurring due to nervousness, the speaker is
looking for a specific word, rather than using simple language to describe what is meant, etc.
(Lopez,2011).
This research discovers the speaking strategies used by students and how they applied it.
Based on the research, it found that the students’ speaking ability influences their speaking
strategies. The students who have low levels of speaking ability speak differently from the
students who have a middle or high level of speaking [Link], people may request to
offer our viewpoints on a specific subject. It is once in a while difficult to verbally communicate
our opinion to others. Those may have trouble putting our thoughts into words or may even
dread being addressed to others. So, communication is not effectively delivered. Therefore, we
should be able to find an effective way to continue expressing ideas using suitable words. Due to
this problem, this study was aimed to investigate whether strategic competence has a positive
relationship with speaking performance and to discover the varieties of strategic competence
undertaken by the students particularly.
In the study on the use and usage of the English language in formal and social contexts,
it was implied that the use of both native and non-native varieties of English, as well as its
influence and contact with vernacular languages, leads to the emergence of multilingualism and
multiculturalism, and that its stronghold can be seen through the interactional and functional use
of communication. Further analysis reveals that the English language has been fervently
promoting widespread linguistic change and variety through social networking and media as a
result of the impact of communication technologies. Hence, English being a global language and
common lingua franca for professional, technical and social communication, varies according to
the use of varied disciplines and communicative contexts (Seidlhofer, 2011; Taavitsainen and
Päivi, 2008).
It is analyzed that a student will be able to become familiar with and comprehend the
distinctive role and use of many language models and its specificity in the context of
communication by conducting a critical assessment of the use and usage of English.
Speaking is the ability to communicate with other people. Therefore, speaking is a key for
communication among people in daily life in order to change the information. Brown (2004, p.
142) stated that “Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves
producing, receiving, and processing information orally”. Teaching speaking skill is regarded as
one of the significant elements of teaching a foreign language.
In addition, Nunan (1995) put forward that learning to speak in a second language will be
facilitated when learners are actively engaged in the attempt to communicate. The students who
learn English as a Foreign Language (EFL) have to master the speaking skill in order to be able
to express their minds, ideas and thoughts spontaneously. As speaking skill is crucial for students
to allow them to communicate with other people globally, this skill is expected to be mastered by
the students. In relation to this, each school including a boarding school has adopted the 2013
national curriculum that expects junior high school students to express meaning in interpersonal,
transactional and functional communication of English in spoken or written forms.
After conducting preliminary research at CITC , the researcher found that there were plenty of
students who gain the achievement by winning some English contests such as debate and a
speech contest. Such achievement seems to have occured because English teachers used several
strategies to improve students’ speaking skill.
The researcher also found that English has been used in all places of the school especially in the
dormitory area. It is a challenging job for the teacher to teach speaking skill for the students due
to the fact that English is not the mother tongue for most of the students. Since English is used as
a means of the communication in the dormitory area, the teachers need to use numerous suitable
strategies in teaching speaking skill. As a result, the aim of the learning process will be
successful and the students can learn English more effectively.
William and Burden (2003) stated that strategies used by Teachers are the factor of success in
language learning. In this research, the researcher expects that the strategies in teaching speaking
skills that are implemented by the teachers to junior high school students will be helpful for the
students in mastering the target languageBesides, junior high school students constructed
knowledge by actively interacting with their environment in developmental stages. Baxter
(2007)stated the strategy will enable the students’ development in the early cognitive stage and
will challenge more advanced learners to a pragmatism commitment. Therefore, the researcher is
interested to find out the strategies that the teachers use to teach speaking to the junior high
school students
Statement of the problem
The purpose of the study is to investigate the Strategic communicative competence and
Speaking skills of junior high school learners of Citc for the school year [Link],
it seek to answer the following questions:
1. How do the students who have a high level of speaking ability apply their speaking strategies
while they are speaking during the teaching and learning process?
2. How do the students who have a middle level of speaking ability apply their speaking
strategies while they are speaking during the teaching and learning process?
3. How do the students who have low level of speaking ability apply their speaking strategies
while they are speaking during the teaching and learning process
