The Use of Drama in Improving Students' Speaking Skill at SMA Daar El-Qolam Tangerang, Banten

mudhofir, ali; hamzah puadi ilyas, ph.d; dr. akhmad haqiqi ma'mun, m.pd;

This descriptive qualitative research aims to investigate the use of drama in improving students’ speaking skill in the classroom. There are three issues posed in this study. Firstly, how to find to what extent drama can improve learners’ speaking skill in the classroom. Secondly, how to investigate the problems faced by learners when learning English through drama in the classroom. Thirdly, how to see learners and teachers’ perceptions of the use of drama. Data were collected through observations, interviews and questionnaire. The research was conducted at SMA Daar el-Qolam Tangerang, Banten. To collect the data, the researcher focused on a two teachers teaching English through drama at Grade XI as the subject of the study. Observation was done in order to gain a rich understanding about the classroom interaction including the strategies being used, learners and teachers activities, instructional material being provided and the learners’ evaluation. Interviews were used to examine and find out the reasons behind activities. Questionnaire was used to know the effect of using drama to in improving learners’ speaking skill, to describe learners’ difficulties in drama and to find out the possible solution to overcome them. The result of this study demonstrated that 1) Drama improved learners’ motivation, confidence, interests, and creativity in learning English, 2) drama gave learners benefits not only helping them in speaking English but also building their bravery and confidence, 3) drama increased learners’ interest in learning English, 4) learners learnt new words and discussed with classmates, 5) several learners were still shy to say in front of the class, 6) few learners worried about making some mistakes and gaining criticism, 7) few learners had a lack of vocabulary and pronunciation, 8) learners preferred to learn English through drama than to learn it formally in the classroom, 9) learners took a more active role and they had more chances to speak, 10) teachers believed that drama was able to make learners more motivated and challenged to talk and to portray someone else. However, this study indicated that drama was an effective and interesting way to develop learners’ motivation in learning English since more than 70 % learners involved actively and able to perform an interesting drama.