AN ANALYSIS ENGLISH SPEECH TASK IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL (STUDY AT THE EIGHT GRADE OF SMP NEGERI 3 PINRANG)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of English speech activities in developing students' speaking abilities in grade eight at SMP Negeri 3 Pinrang. This study specifically aimed to assess whether these activities could significantly enhance the fluency and pronunciation of the students involved the study employed a pre-experimental design, with students assessed before and after the intervention to gauge improvements. The results revealed that students' speaking skills improved after completing the task, with fluency scores increasing from a pre-test score of 50.04 to a post-test score of 78.92 and pronunciation scores rising from a pre-test score of 49.33 to a post-test score of 71.42. Furthermore, the study concluded that engaging in English speech tasks not only improved students' speaking abilities, as evidenced by higher post-test scores but also contributed to an increase in their self-confidence when speaking English. Despite these positive outcomes, the study also identified several persistent obstacles.These included poor pronunciation, shyness, low motivation, and a fear of public speaking. These factors continued to challenge the students, suggesting that while the intervention was beneficial, there was still a need for ongoing support and additional strategies to address these barriers effectively.