IMPROVING STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN SPEAKING

THROUGH BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUE

* Defriyanti Ziraluo
**Lince Sihombing

Abstract
The objective of this study is to find out whether Brainstorming Technique can
improve students Achievement in speaking. This study was conducted by using
classroom action research. The subject of this research was the second year
students of SMA Swasta Katolik Budi Murni 3 Medan. The research was
conducted in two cycles. The first cycle was three meetings and the second cycle
was two meetings. The instruments for collecting data used speaking test for
quantitative data and used diary notes, questionnaires sheet, interview and
observation sheet for qualitative data. Based on the speaking test result, the
students score kept improving in every test. In orientation test, the mean score
was 47,8. In the test of cycle 1 the mean score was 59,2 and the mean score in the
test of cycle 2 was 70,1. In line with the data, it was found that the Brainstorming
technique can improve students speaking achievement.
Keywords: Speaking, Speaking Assessment, Brainstorming, Classroom Action
Research

Introduction
Backgrouund of the study
English as international language has already become one of the
compulsory subjects for both senior and junior high school students. In many
countries including Indonesia, it cannot be denied that the importance of English
has gained a lot of attention from many people all over the world. In order to
master this, so English students should achieve the four basic skills of language,
they are listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
According to Smith (2002:1), speaking is many things- it is thinking of
what one wishes to say, choosing the right words from the language users
vocabulary, putting the words in the proper grammatical framework,
communicating the feelings the speakers have, and so on. In fact, most of students
are difficult to speak out when they want to ask something or answer teachers
question because they never practice speaking in English regularly. So, most of
the students become passive in the class. Teachers should help the students
overcome this problem by motivating them to speak. For this reason, teacher
should use effective teaching methods that encourage students to take part actively
in the class. The teaching learning process has to involve not only teacher and
students, but also the students and students. To help students solve these problems,
the teacher should motivate them and create the most effective way to stimulate
them, so they will be interested in practicing their speaking.
On the other hand, the teacher should use certain technique to stimulate
students to practice their speaking, because good strategy will support them in
achieving skill including English skill. Teachers have to teach the materials by
using good method, good technique and organize teaching-learning process as
good as possible, so teaching-learning process can run well, that can make
students master English skill, especially in this case speaking skill successfully,
because one of the teaching failures is caused by unsuitable method or strategy.
The goal of teaching speaking skill is to make the students communicate
effectively. Students should be able to make themselves understood and use good
communication with others. They should try to avoid confusion in the message
due to the problems of pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary. The students

should know how to observe the social and cultural rules applied in each
communication situation. Many teachers have already been very good at teaching
vocabulary and grammar in order to translate texts and to prepare students for
examinations. However, organizing lessons to practice speaking English can be a
big challenge for both teachers and students.
This problem happened too when the writer did Teaching Training
Practice. Most of students of Senior High School cannot speak English fluently.
They are passive in the class and in turn it makes them bored. So they put
themselves only as hearers although they expect that they can speak English
fluently. Of course the class does not give anything to their improvement. The fact
shows that teaching speaking does not give satisfied result.
One of the appropriate and comprehensive strategies for teaching speaking
is brainstorming technique. Brainstorming is a group or individual creativity
technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by
gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members. By using
brainstorming technique, the writer tries to make students speaking easily, because
the students free to think and give information about the topic. And the students
can then be responsible for recording the thoughts and ideas which are simply
written up on a wall, flip chart or blackboard for all to see.
The very advantages of using brainstorming technique in teaching English
for the students thought are activated to express their opinion, makes students
think quickly and logically, increases the participation of students in receiving
lessons, even students feel free and happy, and democratic atmosphere and
discipline can be grown in the class.
Research Question
Is students achievement in speaking significantly improved if they are
taught by using brainstorming technique?
Conceptual Framework
Speaking is process of building and sharing meaning through the uses of
verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts. Speaking is a crucial

part of the language learning process. The major goal of teaching speaking skill is
communicative efficiency. Language learners should be able to make themselves
understood by using their current proficiency. They should try to avoid confusion
in the message because of the faulty pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.(Kayi,
2006:1).
The purpose of speaking is to inform or to communicate what is in the
speakers mind to the listener. The speakers have to be careful when the speaker
wants to utter words or articulate sound with the ordinary voice so the speakers
expressions, thought, and feeling can be understood by the listener. It is important
to make the communication with other language user run well.
The goal of classroom assessment is to enhance student learning result.
Instructors use a variety of methods in the classroom to get feedback about students
learning in terms. There are five categories of speaking assessment adapted from FSI
proficiency rating, namely, accent, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension
(Hughes, 2003: 132). Each category is rated on six- point scale. The highest score possibly
acquired is 100 if a student gets the highest point in each category.
Proficiency description

Accent

Grammar

12

18

24

30

36

Vocabulary

12

16

20

24

Fluency

10

12

Comprehension

12

15

19

23

Total

16

35

50

67

87

100

a. Accent / Pronunciation

1) Pronunciation frequently unintelligible (0)

2) Frequent gross errors and a very heavy accent make understanding

difficult, require frequent repletion (2)

3) Foreign accent requires concentrated listening and mispronunciations

lead to occasional misunderstanding and apparent errors in grammar or

vocabulary (3)
4) Marked foreign accent and occasional mispronunciations that to do not

interfere with understanding (4)

5) No conspicuous mispronunciations, but would not be taking for a native

speaker (5)
6) Native pronunciation, with no trace of foreign accent (6)

b. Grammar
1) Grammar almost entirely inappropriate or inaccurate, except in stock

phrases (6)
2) Constant errors showing control of very few controversial micro skills or

major patterns, and frequently preventing communication (12)

3) Frequent errors showing inappropriate use of some conversational micro

skills or some major patterns uncontrolled, and using causing occasional

irritation and misunderstanding (18)
4) Occasional errors showing imperfect control of some conversation micro

skills or some patterns, but no mistakes that causes misunderstanding

(24)
5) Few errors with no pattern of failure (30)
6) No more than two errors during the presentation (36)

c. Vocabulary
1) Vocabulary limited to minimum courtesy requirements (2)
2) Vocabulary limited to basic personal areas and very familiar topics

(autobiographic information, personal experiences, etc) (8)

3) Word choice sometimes inaccurate (12)
4) Vocabulary adequate, to discuss special interest and any non-technical

subject with some circumlocutions (16)

5) Vocabulary broad, precise and adequate to cope with various topic (20)
6) Vocabulary apparently as accurate and expensive as that of educated

native speaker (24)

d. Fluency
1) Speech is so halting and fragmentary that conversation is virtually

impossible (2)
2) Speech is very slow and uneven, except for short or routine sentences;

frequently punctuated by silence or long pause (4)

3) Speech is frequently hesitant or jerky; sentence may be left uncompleted

(6)
4) Speech is occasionally hesitant, with some unevenness caused by

rephrasing and grouping for words (8)

5) Speech is effortless and smooth but perceptibly nonnative in speed and

evenness (10)
6) Speech on all general topics as effortless and smooth as native speaker

(12)
e. Comprehension
1) Understand too little to respond to the topic (4)
2) Understand only slow, very simple speech on topics of general interest;

requires constant repetition and rephrasing (8)

3) Understand careful, somewhat simplified speech directed to him, with

considerable repetition and rephrasing (12)

4) Understand quite well normal educated speech directed to him, but

requires occasional repetition or rephrasing (15)

5) Understand everything in normal educated conversation, except for

every colloquial or low frequently items or exceptionally rapid or slurred

speech (19)
6) Understand everything in informal and colloquial speech to be expected

an educated native speaker (23)

Methodology
This research was based on classroom action research (CAR). According
to Mettetal (2003:1), Classroom Action Research (CAR) is systematic inquiry
with the goal of informing practice in a particular situation. Action research is

different from other more conventional or additional types of research and that is
very focused on individual or small group professional practice and is not so
concerned with making general statement. This classroom action research was
conducted on students of second grade of senior high school of SMA Katolik Budi
Murni 3 Medan. It is located on Jalan Teratai No. 21 A Medan. The class consists
of 20 students with 12 girls and 8 boys.
This study applied quantitative and qualitative data. The qualitative data was
taken from diary notes, observation sheet, interview and questionnaire sheet to
describe the improvement of speaking ability. The quantitative data was taken
from students speaking performance in class. The mean of the students score for
each cycle was obtained using the application of the following formula:

x
100%
N

Where: = the mean of the students

x = the total of score
N = the number of the students

Result and Discussion

The data was taken from the students of SMA Swasta Katolik Budi Murni
3 Medan in class XI (IPA). The numbers of students were 20 and the researcher
took all of students in one class. The data were analyzed qualitatively which
included diary notes, observation sheets, interview and questionnaire sheets and
quantitatively which included the students speaking

test.

The research had been done for three weeks within two cycles. The first
meeting was done to conduct the orientation test. The second, third and the fourth
meeting were done to conduct the first cycle. The fifth and sixth were done to
conduct the second cycle, questionnaire sheets and interviewed. So, totally there

were six meetings in this research. Brainstorming Technique was applied in

teaching speaking class.
Table 1 The Percentage of Students who Got Point up to 70
Speaking Test

Percentage

1st

0%

2nd

20%

3rd

70%

The diary notes were written about student activity in every meeting
during teaching learning process as personal note. It recorded everything which
happened in the class. This diary notes were made for evaluating the teaching and
learning process.
Observation sheets were used to measure the level of the students
activities during the teaching learning process or tool of the evaluation. The
observation was focused on the situation of teaching learning process in which
brainstorming technique was applied; teachers performance, students behavior,
interaction between teacher and students. The result of observation was used as
basic reflection to plan the next cycle.
The Interview was conducted in two sessions, in the first meeting and
the last meeting. The first session was done by interviewing teacher about the
teacher difficulties in teaching English especially in speaking skill and what is
the weakness of the students in teaching and learning process after that the
researcher interviewed students about their interest and difficulties in learning
speaking English. In the last session, this interview was conducted to know the
students opinion about teaching and learning process during the research time.
The interview showed that the students enjoyed the teaching and learning process
by Brainstorming technique. The students felt more interested and motivated to
learn English.
Questionnaire Sheet was conducted in the last meeting. This sheet was
given to the students in order to know students perception and respond about
Brainstorming Technique in teaching speaking. There were six questions that

should be answered by the students related to the students response during the
lesson.
Based on the research, it was proved that the data showed the mean of the
students score increased in every test. It meant that the action, which were done
successfully, and improved the students speaking ability. It was supported by the
improvement of the mean of the students score namely the mean of the pre-test
(47,8), the mean of the test 1 in cycle 1 (59,2) and the mean of the test in cycle II
(70,1). The pre-test was 0% (no students) who got point up to 70. In the test cycle
I there was 20% (4 students) who got up to 70. It means that there was an
improvement about 20%. In the test cycle II, there were 14 students (70%) who
got points up to 70. There was an improvement about 20 % from pre-test to the
test cycle I and about 70% from the test cycle I to test cycle II.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Conclusion
After analyzing the data, it was found that the students speaking achievement
increased from the pre-test until to the last test. It is supported by the mean of the
pre-test (47,8), test cycle I (59,2) and test cycle II (70,1). It can be stated that the
score continuously improved from the pre-test until to the third test. Therefore, it
can be concluded that brainstorming technique can improved students speaking
achievement.
Suggestions
The result of the study shows that the use of brainstorming technique
improves the students speaking achievement in speaking. These following
suggestions are offered: To English teacher, it is better to use brainstorming
technique especially in teaching speaking because it can help the teacher in
monitoring and encouraging the students so that the students can comprehend
the material easily. To the students of university, it is suggested to use relevant
topic to conduct further research by using brainstorming technique. To students,
it is better to apply brainstorming technique to improve students speaking skill.

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