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TEACHING SPEAKING SKILL THROUGH LANGUAGE GAMES STUDY CASE AT SMAN 8 KOTA BENGKULU

One of language skills that must be mastered by any foreign language learner is the ability to speak or communicate in the target language. In KTSP Curriculum, it is clearly stated that one of the objectives of the English subject in Junior High School is developing the ability to communicate in English, either in written or oral form which covers listening, speaking, reading and writing. Unfortunately the fact has shown that the students are quite difficult to improve their speaking ability because they are accustomed to use their native language language in their daily life than using English. This is the reason why we can not deny the fact that the students still considered speaking skill as the most difficult skill to be mastered. In class, the teachers often find the students can hardly use English for communicative objectives even in the simple form or may find the students who are able to point the answer of the question on a text but they can not explain their reason in choosing the answer. It is also evident that in class, the students have limited time to practice their speaking skills, and it resulted on their ability to use the target language, as the old saying “Practice makes perfect”. Ur (1996:121) also states some problems that may prohibit the students to develop their speaking skill, which are inhibition, lack of ideas sy, low participation, and students; preference to use their mother language.

Based on those conditions, in this thesis, the writer tries to solve the problem by offering one teaching technique for teaching speaking which is language games. The reason why the writer purposes language games because games can be a very useful teaching technique for the effective and joyful learning. Games also believed can give the positive effect on the students’ interest and motivation in studying English as well as to increase their speaking ability. Steinberg ( as cited in Arifin,2003) emphasized that games are viable method to achieve many educational objectives such as reinforcement, review, reward, relax, inhibition, reduction, attentiveness, retention and motivation.