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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

I.1 The Background of the Research

English is one of important subjects taught to the students of the university

besides the other primary subject. English is important because it is an international

language. If the students master English, they will be easier to communicate with the

other people from the other countries and to get the science written in English.

Learning a language is not a matter acquiring a set of rules and building up a

large vocabulary. The teacher's effort should not be directed at informing his students

about a language, but at enabling them to use it. A student's mastery of a language is

ultimately measured by how well he can use it, not how much he know about it. In

this respect, learning a language has much in common with learning a musical

instrument. These drills and exercises are to enable him become a skilled performer.

In Indonesia, the department of education has been long introducing English

as the first foreign language to be taught at school. The language is introduced as a

compulsory subject, first at junior high school and continued to senior high school.

Since several years ago, we can also find English taught at elementary school. It is

hope that students will have higher competency of English at the end of their

education. Yet, this expectation still cannot be seen up to now. The final goal of

English teaching and learning has not been reach yet.

Learning English usually involves the four language skills, which support it

other. The skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. Those skills can be

divided into categories. It is known as an active skills and passive skills. Active skill
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consists of speaking reading. Passive skill consists of listening and writing. In this

opportunity would like to focus her description on active skill that is speaking. Based

on the word, speak mean make use of language in normal way not a singing.

According to Hornby, Et. Al (1963: 964), speak is convey ideas and known and able

to use the language to express one's view in one's own way.

Speaking is an important skill that has to be mastered by the student at the

English Department of the faculty of teacher training and education. In the teaching

curriculum of English department, it is stated that speaking IV course is the

continuity of speaking course in the previous semester. It is also the last speaking

course in English department. This course is focused on the methodology and

technique of teaching speaking. Meanwhile, the communication skill will improve

and increase itself at the same time while the application of teaching method and

technique is given (English Department Curriculum for Speaking IV).

Speaking is one of the main subjects which must be taken by the student from

the first semester through the fourth semester (speaking I, II, III and IV). The

students are hoped that they can interact and express their opinion in the spoken

form. To reach this goal successfully the students master the language well by doing

a lot and regular practice.

Many people thought that speaking in a new language is harder than reading,

writing or listening for two reasons. First, unlike reading or writing, speaking

happens in real time: usually the person we are talking to is walking for use to speak

right. Second, when we speak we cannot edit and revise what we wish to say, as we

can if we are writing.

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Speaking is one of the most difficult aspects for students to master (Pollard:

2008:33). Sometimes, we wish to say something, but it is impossible to do that if we

do not have the words or the grammatical structure to say it. People talk to

communicate, that is to express their ideas, to get good and service to influence

people, to convey meaning and to enjoy the conversation of other immediately.

To master speaking, it is needed the ability to read English, to have a mastery

of basic grammar, know much vocabulary in English and have to performance the

language. We see a reality of the performance of the students of English department

which is considered unsatisfactory. They do not use language actively and

productively in and outside classroom. It is still hard for them to use English as a

mean of communication in classroom, university yard and other part of university. In

fact we rarely find the students of English department chatting in English with their

friends, teachers and other member of English department community.

The writer means that the students of English Department of Almuslim

University face difficulty in speaking English. The writer is interested in doing the

research on The Problems faced by the Students of English Department of Almuslim

University in speaking.

I.2 The Problem of Research

The problems of this research activity are as follow:

1. What are the real problems faced by the students of English Department of

Almuslim University in speaking English?

2. Why do many students of Almuslim University face the difficulty in speaking

English?
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I.3 The Purpose of Research

The purposes of the research are to know:

1. To know the problems faced by the students of Almuslim university (English

Department) in speaking English.

2. To know the cause of difficulties faced by the students in speaking English.

I.4 The Hypothesis of Research

The basic hypothesis in this research are as follows :

1. The students of English department in almuslim university face several

problem in speaking English such as lack of vocabulary grammar or structure and

self-confidence.

2. Most of students have no interest in speaking English and they have a little

time in speaking English.

I.5 Scope of Research

It is always necessary to arrow down the object one is going to study, so she

is going to cover the whole aspects of English Department of Almuslim University in

speaking English.

I.6 The Significance of Research

This study is targeted toward investigating the mastery and the achievement

of speaking. To know what extend the student of Almuslim master speaking English.

And it is also to fine the problems and the difficulties that they face in speaking

English. If the result of speaking English is far from perfection. It is expected to

current evidence can be helped by English teacher of English general. Speaking

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English in particular the teacher should device better strategy for the development of

their student in the future.

The future research, result of the proposal will also be expected to guide the

student in conducting further research to determine factors that hamper the student in

developing their ability in speaking English. The future research hopes both of

student and teacher can solve the problem faced by students together. And the quality

of education at Almuslim University will be improved.

I.7 Definition of Key Terms

To avoid ambiguity in understanding some words, the writer tries to clarify

them as follows:

- Speaking

Speaking is an interaction process between two or more people where in

speaking there is a process of communication with convey the messages from a

speaker to a listener orally (Brown, 2001:251). In this case, speaking means that

one of the course taught to the forth semester student of English department of

Almuslim University.

- Problem

Problem is something hard to understand. It is mean difficulties (Oxford

Learner’s Pocket Dictionary, 2005:429). In this research, the problem mean that

the difficulties in speaking English face by the fourth semester students of

English department of Almuslim University.