p–ISSN 2614-6320

Volume 2, No. 6, November 2019 e–ISSN 2614-6258

IMPROVING THE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL

THROUGH DEBATE TECHNIQUE
Dody Firmansyah1, Else Elvisca Valatansa Vegian2
1
IKIP Siliwangi
2
IKIP Siliwangi
1
dodyfirman191@gmail.com, 2 elseelviscavalatansavegian@gmail.com

Abstract
Speaking is the highest target in English language because speaking is basis of communication which
becomes a function learning. There are many kinds of technique to improve speaking skill and one of
them is debate Technique. Therefore, the researcher wanted to find out whether or not debate technique
can improve the students’ speaking skill and to analyze the classroom situation when debate technique
is implemented in speaking class. This research used Collaborative Classroom Action Research and
composed for two cycle then it practical and evaluated to categorize all facts including the success and
the failure of the action. It means that the action should be stopped or continued and revised to the next
cycle based on the selected criteria of success.The application of debate technique in teaching speaking
at the first year of SMK Fajar Kencana was accompanied in two cycles including cycle one and cycle
two. The members of this study were 29 students in class X AP. This is confirmed by students’ test score
that upgraded in every cycle. In the cycle 1, the students’ got score of pre-test was 64,28. After the
implementation of , the students’ speaking score were getting better.It can be seen from the result of
students’avarage score cycle 1 was 67 and cycle 2 was 78.5. Debate is an appropriate technique used to
improve students’ speaking skill for the students at SMK Fajar Kencana class X AP. It can be concluded
that debate technique can improve students’ speaking interest and debate technique can improve
speaking classroom into a better situation.
Keywords: Speaking Improvement, Speaking Skill, Debate Technique, Classroom Action Research

INTRODUCTION
Language is a system for the communication of meaning. Its primary function is for interaction
and communication (Mcdonough & Shaw, 2003) in (Arung & Jumardin, 2016). Language is
used by human in order to know and understand each other. As we know that God created
human in different condition and character, so they need to interact among people.
Communication is one of the implementation of language function in society as a means of
carrying out the affairs. One of the ways in communication is through speaking. Speaking is
the highest target in English language because speaking is basis of communication which
becomes a function learning. Speaking skill is very important in the context of English learning.
Richard (2008: 19) in (Parmawati, 2018) states “the mastery of speaking skill in English is a
priority for many second language or foreign language learners”. There are many kinds of
technique to improve speaking skill and one of them is debate Technique. Therefore, the
researcher wanted to find out whether or not debate technique can improve the students‟
speaking skill and to analyze the classroom situation when debate technique is implemented in
speaking class.

This research has been conducted by several researchers. One of the research had done by
(Fernandez Arung, 2016) entitled Improving the Students’ Speaking Skill through Debate
Technique. In her article, he stated that; (1) debate technique is more effective to teach speaking

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for the tenth grade students of SMA Negri 1 lasusua in the academic year of 2011/2012; (2) the
students who have high intelligence have better speaking achievement than the achievement of
those who have low intelligence; and (3) there is an interaction between teaching technique and
student‟s intelligence to teach speaking at the the tenth grade students of SMA Negri 1 lasusua.

According to Brown (2004: 140) in (Fauzan, 2016) “speaking is a productive skill that can be
directly and empirically observed, those observations are invariably colored by the accuracy
and effectiveness of the test-takers listening skill, which necessarily compromises the reliability
and validity of an oral production test”. While Thornbury (2005) in (Arung & Jumardin, 2016)
says that speaking is an communicating process and necessitates the ability to cooperate in the
organization of speaking turn. Bygate in Torky (2006: 33) in (Arung & Jumardin, 2016)
adopting a definition of speaking based on interactional skills which involve making decision
about communication.

From the definitions of speaking skill above, it can be concluded that speaking skill is a
productive skill which is part of our daily life and it is difficult to assess reliably. Teaching
Speaking. According to Harmer in Nurhaida (2017: 20-21) in (Arung & Jumardin, 2016), there
are many types of classroom speaking activities. They are: a) Acting from script. ; b)
Communication games. ; c) Discussion. ; d) Prepares talks. e) Questionnaires ; f) Simulation
and Role Play.

Debate is a recognized method of interactive and representative argument aimed at persuading

the audience. (Krieger, 2005:1) in (Richa, 2011) states that debate is an excellent activity for
language learning because it engages students in a variety of cognitive and linguistic ways. It
is provided that meaningful speaking, reading and listening practice, debate is also highly
effective for developing argumentation skills for persuasive speech and writing. Alasmari &
Ahmed (2013:148) in (Richa, 2011) claims that debating can be used good to improve up
students’ speaking in English. The use of debate technique in speaking classes, the learners will
first of all drive out students’ fear about English language. Moreover, debate technique will
improve their pronounciation, vocabulary and fluency.

METHOD
The design of research which used by the researcher in this Research was Classroom Action
Research (CAR). Action research is one of the type analysis that has characteristic participative,
collaburative, reflective, and spiral that have resolution to increase and to repair the system,
method, process, substance, competence, and situation (Arikunto : 2008) in (Arung & Jumardin,
2016). Kemmis & Taggart add in Nunans’ book explain that action research is a group of
activity and a piece of descriptive research carrie out by the teacher in his or her own classroom,
without the contribution of others, which is expected at interesting our understanding rather
than changing the singularity.

Planning
The first phase in doing classroom action research is planning. In this part, the researchers will
classified a problematic or subject and change a strategy of act in instruction to take about
developments connected with the subject. It includes problem and situation analysis and also
prepare the instrument to collect the data. In this action planning the designing lesson plan was
decided as well as the material and the media of the teaching process and determining criteria
of success. The researchers also develop a teks media in teaching learning process in speaking
using debate technique.

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Action
This phase is the implementation of the plan has been made. Action is implementation of
planning which is in this phase means the researcher performed as a teacher and the English
teacher performed as an observer in conducting activities based on planning that had been done.
In classroom, the researchers conducted writing of descriptive text before teaching the
materials, meanwhile the English teacher took note in form of observes all the activities that
happen in the teaching learning process. The researchers asked students’ to do the writing of
the descriptive text using the similar theme. The Students’ are not allowed to took at a
dictionary. The researchers asked the students’ to write any words that come into students’
minds.

Observation
Before conducting the research, the teaching-learning process was not alive as the lecturer used
to apply the conventional technique. The students show low participation on speaking class as
they were seldom taught to make a better speaking by using various technique because the
lecturer monotonous in teaching speaking. The condition after the implementation of the
research was showing improvement. The atmosphere of the class more was more live as there
are many interesting activities. The student gave attention to the lessons they were very active
to conduct the activities and dominated the activities. No more teachers domination

Reflection
After collecting the statistics, the researcher and the teacher discussed reflection, evaluation and
description the outcome of the observation, whether the teaching learning process of writing
descriptive text through picture media is good to imply in teaching learning process or not. If
the first plan is unsuccessful, the researcher decided to do further cycle of classroom action
research to improve the classroom situation and revise the weakness.

Table 1. Schedule activity

Meeting Topic Activities
1. Pretest Give student pre test speaking.
2. Treatment I Viewing slideshow during teaching
(cycle I) learning activity.
3. Treatment II Post speakingactivity.
(cycle I)
4. Post test Give student test speaking.
5. Treatment I Same as cycle I but with video.

(cycle II)
6. Treatment II Post speaking activity and sharing use the
technique.
(cycle II)
7. Post test Give student post test speaking

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results
Debate technique is one of good ways to improve students‟ speaking skill. The improvement
of the students‟ ability can also be seen from the results of the students‟ pre-test and post-test
which were done in every cycle. The average score of the pre-test was 55.93, the average score

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of the Cycle 1 was 64.28, and the average score of the Cycle 2 was 78.05. All the data showed
that the improvement of speaking skill achievement from cycle to cycle was significant. It can
be concluded that there was a significant improvement of students‟ speaking skill. The
complete data of the last cycle can be seen on the table below.

Table 2 : Post-test average score of cycle II from the first corrector

No Explanations Scores
1. The highest 87
score
2 The lowest 70
score
3 The average 75
score

Table 3: Post-test average scores of speaking elements of Cycle II first corrector

No Speaking Average score
element
1 Pronunciation 73,00
2 Grammar 77,00
3 Vocabulary 79,00
4 Fluency 83,00
5 Comprehension 78,00
Average 78,00
score

Table 4: Post-test average score of cycle II from the second corrector

No Explanations Scores
1. The highest score 88
2 The lowest score 72
3 The average 79
score

Table 5: Post-test average scores of speaking elements of Cycle II second corrector

No Speaking Average score
element
1 Pronunciation 79,00
2 Grammar 82,00
3 Vocabulary 78,00
4 Fluency 79,00
5 Comprehension 78,00
Average score 79,20

Table 6: Post-test average score of Cycle II from the two correctors

No Explanation Scores
1 The highest 87
score
2 The lowest 71
score

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3 Average score 79,00

CONCLUSION
The research conclusion is offered allowing with the data which have been examined in the
previous chapter. From all the data analysis about using debate technique to improve students’
speaking skill at of First Year SMK FAJAR KENCANA, it can be concluded that:
a). The use of debate technique has been supported in teaching speaking process.
Characteristically, debate is very concerned to be applied to improve speaking skill. Students
have a lot of prospectto practice speaking and have active participation in debate. However,
they operated very accommodating and tried to guard their team, and they were more active
to speak in classroom.
b). Teaching speaking through debate can be enjoyable experience for both teacher and student.
In statistic, students can growth their speaking skill after being taught by debate technique.
It can be seen by students’ accomplishment in speaking assessment in every cycle. In the
first cycle the typical of the students’ success was 64,5. In the cycle 2 the average of the
students’ achievement was 78,4. Students’ speaking ability improved as better as their
enthusiasm in speaking and they were concerned speaking complete debate. Result of the
research show that the students improve their speaking skill efficiently and effectively.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project was supported by IKIP Siliwangi Bandung, certainly for English Education Study
Programe lecturers’. The researcher are thankful to the Lecture, Mr dasep for guiding us until
finished the project, and provided expertise that greatly assisted the research.Although they may
disagree with totally of the interpretations provided in this paper.We are also grateful to family
and friends for praying and motivate the writer to finish the study at IKIP Siliwangi Bandung.
The writer hope this journal could be helpful to reader or other researchers in the future.

REFERENCES
Arung, F., & Jumardin. (2016). Improving The Students’ Speaking Skill Through Debate
Technique. Journal Of English Education, 1(1), 70–76.
Https://Doi.Org/Http://Dx.Doi.Org/ 10.31327/Jee.V1i1.85
Fauzan, U. (2016). Enhancing Speaking Ability Of Efl Students Through Debate And Peer
Assessment. Efl Journal, 1(1), 49. Https://Doi.Org/10.21462/Eflj.V1i1.8
Nurmalasari, M., & Apsari, Y. (2014). Improving Students ’ Participation In Speaking. Ain
Shams University Women’s College Curricula And Methods Of Teaching Departement,
1(September), 1–254.
Parmawati, A. (2018). Using Analytic Teams Technique To Improve Students’speaking Skill.
Edulitics (Education, Literature, And Linguistics) Journal, 3(2), 21-25.
Richa, R. (2011). English Language Teaching Department Faculty Of Tarbiyah Walisongo
State Institute For Islamic Studies 2010. Improving Students’ Speaking Skill Through
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