IMPROVING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGH ENGLISH

SONGS

Nindya Rahmawati

English Department, Faculty of Education IAIN Kediri

Email: nindyaarrr@gmail.com

Abstract

The objective of this article is to discuss how English songs can help to
improve students’ speaking skills. In the process of teaching and learning
speaking might be encountered some difficulties, one of the problem is the
students are not interested in speaking English. One of the tools which can be
used in teaching and learning speaking is English songs. The use of English in
teaching speaking can attract students' attention because the media used to
connect directly with the students, so that it will provoke students to speak.
Through this tool the students also will be helped to develop their imagination of
the story they will sing. They can also explain the meaning of the song, so they
have a chance to speak in class. This media will also give the students fun as they
express their songs. It is expected that through English songs, the students can
learn and improve their speaking in interesting way.

Keywords: Teaching and Learning, Speaking Skills, Improving, English Song,

Advantages

INTRODUCTION

In learning English, the students are expected to master four basic skills
namely listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Based on Bainley and Savage
(as cited in Nanda and Narius, 2012, 102), among those skills, speaking is seen as
the central skill and it is the most demanding of the four skills. Brown (1994)
stated that speaking is also considered as the most difficult and challenging skill to
be mastered. Shumin (1997, as cited in Nanda and Narius, 2012, 102), said that

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speaking languages is very difficult for foreign language learners because
effective oral communication requires the ability to use language appropriately in
social interaction. To be understood by others, learners should have a good
listening comprehension, rich vocabulary, good pronunciation, speak fluently and
of course they need to use grammar correctly.

In this case, the students must study hard to master it and the teacher
should create a good atmosphere in class. However, it is contrary to the process of
teaching and learning English especially speaking. Speaking activities sometimes
do not work in class because of many factors. The students are afraid of making
mistake, of being laughed at by his or her friends and having lack of confidence in
their ability.

Considering problem, relating to speaking activities in class and helping

students to improve their speaking skills is part of teacher’s job. He or she
expected to have strategy in teaching techniques to provide students with
appropriate teaching materials and to create a positive classroom environment.
Therefore, the students will have opportunity to use English among themselves.
The teaching learning process should not only happen between teacher and
students but also between students and students.

In the classroom, the teacher must create the situation that can encourage
real communication, it can be between the student and the teacher or the student
and the student. English song is one of techniques that can be applied in teaching
speaking because English song, in the writer’s opinion and her background, is one
of the potential activities for students to listen to pronunciation of English words
well, and give them enjoyment because they are bored with habitual teaching by
their teacher. Grifree (2001, 10) said that, song is part of music that sing through
words. It also related to speaking because speaking is an action of having a
communication with the others in using oral language. Oral language can be
defining simply just an activity which is combining the words together into

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something understandable. Based on the explanation above, the writer focuses on
examined how English song can help student to improve their speaking ability.

DEFINITION OF SPEAKING

According to Cora and Knight (as cited in Farabi, Hassanvand, and

Gorjian, 2017), speaking is a essential part of a second language studying and
teaching which entails generating, receiving, and processing information. For
majority of human beings, the capability of speaking foreign language is the
method to understanding that language due to the fact that speech is the primary
device of human communication. English learners do not count on the
conventional method by means of their teacher based on growing specially the
grammatical competence and the use of methodology famous within beyond.
Nowadays, teachers are expected to offer their students with useful energetic
know-how of the foreign language, no longer simply theory approximately the
language. Speaking in a foreign language has often been regarded because the
maximum stressful of the four skills. At the same time as listening and reading
contain potential to correctly receive messages and are therefore known as
receptive competencies, speaking and writing on other hand, involve language
production and are referred to as efficient talents.

Cheng (2007) stated that the effective communication takes extra than the
potential to talk. It likewise consists of the use of one’s mental capacities within
the choice of words and the capability to make different person understand what
one is saying between English competence and performance is existed because of
the two reasons. The primary reason is using a traditional and conventional
language teaching approach that specializes in gaining knowledge of and teaching
grammar and structure. This technique is referred to as grammar translation
method that is nevertheless widely utilized in a few countries. Students examine
English as a foreign language from learning simple vocabularies, memorizing and
pronouncing them. After that, in higher level of education they are provided by
means of English grammar and they are requested to take English paper test about
grammar. The second reason is that the abilities in school are not discovered and

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practiced in balanced way. Cheng believed that the teaching and learning in
college still extensively focus on reading comprehension that the students are
asked to examine, apprehend and answer the questions.

PURPOSE OF SPEAKING

According to Ralph (1997) speakers plan to achieve general and particular

purposes when they convey. For most speaking in school and past, there are two
general purposes: to clarify or to persuade. The line amongst educating and
influencing is not total, and numerous addresses will do some of both. In any case,
they are valuable aides for speakers.

At the point when a speaker looks to clarify, they need the gathering of
people to leave the discourse knowing more than they already knew. Speakers
might need to clarify a thought or process, share new data, or demonstrate to
accomplish something.

At the point when a speaker expects to convince a crowd of people, they

need them to embrace another position or conviction, to alter their opinions, or to
be moved to activity. Influence calls a speaker to advocate one position among
others that are conceivable and protect it against challenges.

PROBLEM IN TEACHING AND LEARNING SPEAKING

Issues that are generally seen in the speaking classroom are identified with
singular students' identities and states of mind to the learning procedure and
getting the hang of talking specifically. They can be characterized as takes after
(Ur 1995: 121):

• Restraint – dread of committing errors, losing face, feedback; timidity;

• Nothing to state – students have issues with discovering thought processes to

talk, figuring suppositions or applicable remarks;

• Low or uneven interest – frequently caused by the propensity of a few students

to overwhelm in the gathering;

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• Primary language utilize – especially normal in less trained or less spurred
classes, students think that its less demanding or more characteristic to
communicate in their local dialect.

Aleksandrzak (2011) stated that the same number of educators' perceptions

show, the above circumstances happen in speaking classrooms paying little
respect to the level of capability or the quantity of understudies in the gathering.
Besides, every student enters any learning and open condition with his or her
whole identity also formed by their earlier learning and informative encounters,
both positive and negative. This individual measurement is especially
recognizable among more established and further developed students who
frequently have a decent understanding into the idea of their individual troubles,
an exact appraisal of the aptitudes they have officially created and, thusly,
obviously characterized needs.

DEFINITION OF SONGS

Jamalus (1988: 5) expresses that melodies can be said as craftsmanships

on the off chance that they are sounded (sung) with the backup of melodic
gadgets. Music is a general in human culture. All societies on this planet have
music. Dialect and correspondence are additionally all inclusive. Before the
composed words, stories of acclaim were passed from clan to clan by tunes. As
Merkur (2000) proposes we have music on the grounds that to be human is to be
melodic.

ADVANTAGES IN USING A SONG AS MEDIA LEARNING

Paul (2003:58, as cited in Sugandi, 2003:285) says that song can add
feeling and musicality to speaking practice that may some way or another level in
helping the student to recall thing all the more effectively, and draw students
further into a lesson. Not all teachers like singing, and there are numerous
effective teachers who once in a while utilize songs in class. Yet, these teachers
are passing up a great opportunity for something extremely extraordinary. Most
students love songs, and songs and serenades are one part of the English classes

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that most students learn with certifiable feeling and bring home with them. They
keep them in their heads, sing them after class, murmur them in transit home, and
sing them at home.

What's more, as we realize that the large portion of the understudies feel
there is an obstruction between the classroom world and their reality far from the
classroom where they play with their companions and experience their day by day
lives. In reality, on the off chance that we need English to assume a more focal
part in the students’ day by day lives, we have to discover approaches to separate
this hindrance. We can see when an student murmurs or sings one of our songs in
transit home, it implies we have succeeded and that was awesome.

Based on the statement above we can concluded that by learning English

songs, the student can amplify their vocabulary, enhance their pronunciation,
accuracy, and fluency in speaking. Speaking teachers can and should utilize songs
as a feature of their classroom teaching activities. Songs contain numerous valid
that are effortlessly possible. They can give vocabulary, grammar, and social
angles and songs are additionally a good time for the students in the showing
learning process in the class.

SONG IN TEACHING AND LEARNING SPEAKING

Paul (2003:57, as cited in Sugandi, 2014:286) says that there are various
approaches to utilize English melodies in instructing: 1) Singing, 2) Actions, 3)
Serenades, 4) Background Song, 5) Between Lessons. English songs can be
utilized as a part of the showing learning exercises. There are numerous
approaches to utilize music or English songs when showing learning exercises
like utilizing songs as foundation while the understudies take in the lessons. There
are two sorts of songs that we can use in showing learning process; utilizing new
melody or embracing famous songs. Moreover, Paul (2003:59) says that restricted
to acquaint another tune is with play it toward the start of the lesson when the
understudies are settling down.

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 As in teaching and learning speaking, teachers provided the lesson plan,
teaching media, and teaching material. He or she asked the students to listen to the
song carefully, then the students could have to sing the song with good
pronunciation. The students answer questions provided by the teacher related to
the song. After that, students perform speaking in front of the class.

CONCLUSION

Speaking is one of the most important components in communication. As a

teacher, we have to find the best strategy to develop and improve students’
speaking skills. One of the strategies which can be applied in the process of
teaching and learning speaking is through songs. There are some ways to apply
English songs. Teachers can use songs as background music while studying, or
sing the song for speaking activity. Besides, through English songs the students
can improve their speaking ability in interesting way.

REFERENCES

Aleksandrzak, Magdalena. 2011. Problems and Challenges in Teaching and

Learning Speaking at Advanced Level. Glottodidactica. 21. 37-48.
Brown, H.D. 1994. Teaching by Principles. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Inc.

Cheng, L. 2007. Targeting Language Support for Non-native English Speaking

Graduate Student at Canadian University. TESL Canada Journal. 21 (2),
50-71.
Cora, L., Knight, P. 2000. Learning and Teaching English, a Course for Teachers.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Farabi, Gorjian, Hassavand. 2017. Using Guided Oral Presentation in Teaching
English Language Learners’ Speaking Skills. Journal of Applied
Linguistics and Learning. 3 (1), 17-24.
Grifree, D.T. 2001. Songs in Action. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International.

Nanda, Narius, D. 2012. Improving Student’s Speaking Ability through Western

Song at Junior High School. Journal of English Language Teaching. 1 (1),
101-108.

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Paul, D. 2003. Teaching English to Children in Asia. Hongkong: Longman Asia
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Shumin, Kang. 1997. Factors in Considering Developing Adult EFL Student’s
Speaking Ability. English Teaching Forum. 33 (1).
Sugandi, Bastian. 2014. The Impact of Using English Songs Towards The
Students’ Vocabulary Mastery at Grade Ten of SMK Negeri 1
Bandarlampung in Academic Year 2013-2014. The Second International
Conference on Education and Language. 285-289.
Ur, P. 1995. A Course in Language Teaching. Practice and Theory. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

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