THE USE OF UPS AND DOWN GAMES TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL

Abstract

This article discusses: First, the class situation when the ups-anddown
game is implemented in teaching speaking. And second, to what extent
students’ speaking skill can be improved by using Ups and Down games. The
Classroom Action Research was carried out in April 2013. The subject was the
students of class VII H of a private junior high school in Surakarta in the
academic year 2012/2013. The qualitative data were obtained by questionnaire,
observation and photographs of all activities in the teaching and learning
process, whereas the quantitative data were obtained by conducting pre-test
and post-test. The research result shows that: (1) the ups-and-down games
could give improvements on the students’ speaking skill. They could speak up
more actively in speaking class. They could use grammar and pronunciation
better, have more vocabulary, speak more fluently, and could arrange idea
better. (2) The Ups-and-Down Games gave positive impacts in the teaching
and learning process. The students were motivated to speak and enjoyed the
lessons. They were more active through speaking up in speaking class. They
were also very enthusiastic in speaking class because they found good
atmosphere in class for speaking provided by ups-and-down games.