article

ROLE-PLAY AS THE COMMUNICATIVE ACTIVITIES STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL OF TOURISM DEPARTMENT AT SMK NEGERI 3 KEDIRI

ULIN NOVA ARDIANI

UNIVERSITY OF NUSANTARA PGRI KEDIRI

ulinnova5@gmail.com

 Abstract—It is believed that the communicative activities students’ using role-play in speaking subject of tourism department at  SMK negeri 3 Kediri.  is one of the most effective methods to keep away from the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method in developing students’ communicative ability. Using games especially Role-Play, which is communicative in essence, are often considered effective in developing students’ communicative ability. In order to help English teachers put the communicative language teaching approach into practice, this paper, on the basis of pointing out the weaknesses of the traditional English teaching method, discusses what the communicative language teaching approach is, states the value and importance of using games especially Role-Play in English-teaching class.

Key word—communicative ability, role-play, tourism department at SMK.

I.     INTRODUCTION

Much has been said about the disadvantages of the traditional methods of teaching English at SMK mainly students from the department of tourism in SMK Negeri 3 Kediri, and the strength of the communicative approach to language teaching. However, the general situation in the school "s English teaching and learning today is not very satisfactory, as" dumb English "remains stubbornly rooted in a large number of English language learners. So it's safe to say that there is still a long way to go in reforming the teaching of English and improve the quality of English teaching students of department of tourism in SMK Negeri 3 Kediri. Sometimes it is easy to get new methods such as communicative language teaching approaches hear but hard to get it accepted, understood and applied to practical classroom teaching in the end. therefore it is not out of date to discuss the technique of applying the communicative language teaching approach to teaching in the classroom. In this paper, the author, on the basis of showing the weakness of traditional teaching methods, discuss and explore a way to teach students effectively - using games in the classroom English language, which is often regarded as one of the best ways to get students engaged in classroom activities in which their communication skills practiced and improved. language game, as one of the most valuable techniques and effective in the teaching of English, has been used for time long by many Western teachers. however, they are rarely used in their early school, especially in the tourism department at SMK. Mostly teachers and students think the game is a waste of time or just a fun activity for the kids. In this article, the authors propose to talk about the importance of using games in the tourism department at the vocational school and one of them role play. Finally, some considerations on the proposed use and the success of the game using the game.

II.  THEORY

A.  TRADITIONAL TEACHING METHOD

For years, the main method of teaching English is like this: firstly, the teacher explains the new words in the vocabulary list by giving definitions and examples. Then he/she will give a brief introduction to the background of the text. When dealing with the text, the teacher always explains and translates it sentence by sentence or even word by word, sometimes with a few questions which seldom elicit answers or responses from students. Finally, a reciting task or translation exercise is given to the students. In short, the traditional way of English teaching is teacher-centered and language-knowledge-focused. The way of teaching English is similar to that of teaching mathematics: new words presented, related grammar explained, and then written exercises assigned; if students can do the exercises well, it means that they have learned the language knowledge well, and then the lesson moves on. Under such pattern of teaching, students are passive information receiver and written exercises doer. They can remember large numbers of words and grammatical rules, and they can do very well in exams, but they scarcely have chances to express themselves in the target language and test their understanding of the received information about the language. And they are found having a lot of difficulty in communicating with others in English. This phenomenon is ironically defined as “Dumb English”, which is the “product” of long hard work of both teachers and students.

B.  ROLE PLAY

1.      Definitions of role-play

Paulstone (1976) states that role-play is exercise where the student is assigned a fictitious role from which he has to improvise some kind of behavior toward the other role characters in the exercise.

Livingstone (1983) sees role-play as a class activity which gives the students the opportunities to practice the language aspects of role-behavior, the actual roles they may need outside the classroom.

According to Richards (2008), role-play involves a situation in which a setting, participants and a goal problem are described. Participants are to accomplish the task given, drawing on whatever language resources they can.

Bailey (2005) states that a role-play is a speaking activity in which the students take the part of other people and interact using the characteristics of those people.

Role plays often consist of short scenes, which can be realistic or pure fantasy. Role plays may be enacted around everyday situations as well as around topical problems. One easily-obtained role play is from the text, which may be actual role play material. After learning the text, students can be asked to give a performance of it. This can improve their oral performance generally and, of course, help students to understand what they have learned in an easy way.

Littlewood (1988) draws some steps in applying simulation and role-play as the social interaction activities as follows:

1)      The students are asked to imagine themselves in a situation which could occur outside the classroom, such as a series of business negotiation.

2) The students are asked to adopt a specific role in the situation. In some cases, they may simply have to act as themselves. In others, they may have to adopt a simulated identity.

3) The students are asked to behave as if the situation really existed, in accordance with their roles.

Bailey (2005) suggests some steps in applying role-play in the class room as follows:

1) Make it clear that everyone will do the activities;

2) Include time for a planning phase;

3) Build in a pair-work or group-work step during the preparation phase, so that learners can interact with and benefit from others in planning their role-play together;

4) Demonstrate the activity the first time you use it so that the students will understand what is expected of them;

5) Have the students do the role-play in pairs or small groups first before having them do the role-play in front of a larger audience of their classmates;

6) Create a climate in your classroom in general where oral mistakes are seen as natural learning opportunities instead of lapses in judgment or evidence that the students are not motivated.

Aliponga (2003) suggests making role-play work in the classroom as follows:

1) Justify the use of role-play;

2) Give explicit detailed instructions;

3) Involve learners in making dialogues;

4) Model the role-play;

5) Group learners;

6) Specify the assessment criteria;

7) Avoid corrections and guide the learners.

Furthermore Joyce and Weil in Savage (1996) suggest some steps in implementing role-play as follows:

1) Enactment

Role-players act out responses. They are encouraged to be as realistic as possible. The teacher may intervene occasionally to remind learners of their roles, of the basic problem, and of issues relevant to the situation

2) Discussion and evaluation

The teacher leads a discussion. Students who were to look for specific things are asked to speak. The teacher highlights motives and priorities of individual characters. Courses of action different from those that came out during the enactment are sometimes discussed.

3) Reenactment

When feasible, reenact the situation to give additional pupils opportunities to play roles. Such reenactments also allow for more responses to the problem to be considered.

4) Final discussion and debriefing

If there have been reenactments, this phase begins with a discussion and evaluation similar to the one that followed the initial enactment. This phase concludes with teacher summarizing major points players made during the enactments. Learners’ ideas are actively solicited at this time.

 Furthermore, role plays are useful for generating free expression and the feeling of spontaneity in the language classroom.

2.      Types of  role-play

Littlewood (1988) classified simulation and role-play into several types as follows:

a) Role-playing controlled through cued dialogues

Students will normally have their cues printed on separate cards. This gives the interaction some of the uncertainty and spontaneity involved in real communication. On the other hand, the cues enable them to predict a large proportion of what the other will say and, of course, to prepare the general gist of their own responses.

b) Role-playing controlled through cues and information

This kind of framework is obviously best suited to those situations where there is a natural initiator, whose cues can control the interaction. These are mostly situations where one person needs to gather information or obtain a service, for example: in a travel agency, where one student needs to find out train times and fares.

c) Role-playing controlled through situation and goals

In this type, the teachers give the students greater responsibility for creating the interaction themselves. Students are initially aware only for the overall situation and their own goals in it. They must negotiate the interaction itself as it unfolds, each partner responding spontaneously to the other’s communicative acts and strategies. This role-play is directed at the higher level of situation and the goals that students have to achieve through communication.

d) Role-playing in the form of debate or discussion

The situation is a debate or discussion about a real or simulated issue. The students’ roles ensure that they have adequate shared knowledge about the issue and the different opinions or interest to defend.

e) Large scale simulation activities

This type consists of a number of interrelated components which may be long and complex. In some extended simulation exercises, gaming conventions are used in order to simulate the rewards and sanctions that motivate real-life interaction.

f) Improvisation

Improvisation is closely associated with work in the native language context, notably in drama. The starting point for an improvisation may be a simple everyday situation into which the learners are asked to project themselves.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of  role-play

a. Advantages

Doff (1990) describes the benefits of using role-plays in the language classroom as follows:

a) They are fun.

b) They help to prepare students for real-life communication by simulating reality in situations. In this sense, they bridge the gap between the classroom and the world outside the classroom.

c) They can be used for assessment and feedback purposes at the end of a textbook unit.

d) They can consolidate learning and allow students the opportunity to discover their own level of mastery over specific language content.

e) By simulating reality, they allow beginning students and EFL students to feel that they are really using the language for a communicative purpose.

f) They heighten students’ self-esteem and improve their ability to work cooperatively.

g) They allow students to experiment with language they have learned.

h) They allow students to express who they are, their sense of humor, and their own personal communication style.

i) They offer good listening practice.

j) They provide an opportunity for practicing the rules of social behavior and the various sociolinguistic elements of communication.

k) They engage the learner physically. This involves the learner more fully and can be an aid in language retention.

l) They can be liberating for many students who may enjoy expressing themselves through a role or a mask but may be inhibited about expressing themselves otherwise during the class.

m) They provide a context for understanding attitudes, expectations, and behaviors related to the target culture.

n) They may be used as a stimulus to discussion and problem solving.

o) They can be extensions of more controlled practice using dialogues.

Role-play activities stimulate authentic learner-to-learner conversational interaction. The activities also develop conversational competence among second language learners.

a) The fluency activities

Role-play as a fluency activity where opportunities arise for the learner to use language freely and creatively. Role-play focuses on using language as a conversational resource.

b) Suitable for consolidation

Since role-play activities are more practice/revision activities than teaching activities, they are useful and more suitable for consolidating and practicing aspects of conversational proficiency than teaching new forms.

c) Creates sensitivity and a sense of awareness

Role-play brings the outside world into the classroom. This could have affective effects in terms of social interaction and cultural awareness.

d) Increases motivation

Role-play prompts mental and bodily activity. The activities require active participation. Concentration is also often required and it is not easy for a student to stay passive for long. Situations are created for the students to use the language meaningfully and this would motivate the students towards participation. The less motivated students will be gradually drawn into the activity when they see the rest of the group having a good time.

e) A break from routine

The use of role-play activities is a break from the usual textbook teaching and the 'chalk and talk' method of the teacher. The students have opportunities to mix around and to act out different roles. The atmosphere in the classroom is less formal and this can reduce tension.

f) Prepare students for real life and unpredictability

Real life situations and communication are unpredictable. A student may learn all the correct forms of communication but may not know when to use them appropriately. Role-play provide opportunities to react to these situations and to give the students a taste of real life.

b. Disadvantages

Sam (2008) has drawn disadvantages of using role-play as the teaching technique in ELT as follows:

a) Activity is artificial

Role-play is supposed to provide authentic situations for students to use language, the situations sometimes created were artificial and not relevant to the needs of the students.

b) Activities are difficult to monitor

With so much activity both physical and verbal going on, it is sometimes difficult for the teacher to monitor a student's performance. There is the fear among teachers that the students are having too much fun and that no learning is taking place.

c) Causes embarrassment

In some situations, especially among adult learners, role-play activities cause a lot of embarrassment, awkwardness and very little spontaneous language use. The choice of appropriate roles for different students is thus very important.

d) Encourages incorrect forms

Since the teacher is not encouraged to correct mistakes immediately so as not to discourage students, this provides opportunities for learners to produce and practice ungrammatical and inappropriate forms.

e) Has cultural bias

These activities are more suited for learners from cultures where drama activities and learner - directed activities in teaching is common. In cultures where the teacher-dominated classroom is still the norm, the learners may not respond willingly to the activities.

f) Teachers' fear of losing control

Since the activities require the full participation of the students and minimum participation from the teacher, the teacher may fear that he may lose control of the class. Furthermore the students may get carried away and become disruptive.

g) Spontaneity is lost

Very often the students get too caught up with what to say. They hesitate to choose their words and do not interact spontaneously.

h) Timing lessons is difficult

The teacher has to spend a lot of time in preparation work especially for simulations. He is not able to predict the amount of class time that will be taken to carry out the activity since the ability of each class varies.

i) Activities may not be suitable for all levels

Role-play involve a lot of conversation and discussion. Thus it may not be very suitable for low proficiency students who do not have the necessary communicative competence to carry out the activity. These activities would be more suitable for intermediate and advanced learners

4.    Role-Play at SMK Tourism Department

First, Role-players act out responses. They are encouraged to be as realistic as possible. The teacher may intervene occasionally to remind learners of their roles, of the basic problem, and of issues relevant to the situation

The teacher leads a discussion. Students who were to look for specific things are asked to speak. The teacher highlights motives and priorities of individual characters. Courses of action different from those that came out during the enactment are sometimes discussed.

When feasible, reenact the situation to give additional pupils opportunities to play roles. Such reenactments also allow for more responses to the problem to be considered.

This phase begins with a discussion and evaluation similar to the one that followed the initial enactment. Last, concludes with teacher summarizing major points players made during the enactments. Learners’ ideas are actively solicited at this time.

III.   CONCLUSION

From  a conclusion can be drawn that teaching and learning English by means of language games is effective and efficient in improving students‟ communicative ability. While in the traditional method of teaching English, students sit still listening to teachers talking about English language and try their best to remember English words and grammatical rules by rote memory, in the communicative language teaching approach they are actively involved in playing games which in turn can arouse and maintain their interest in learning, promote their motivation of study, and at the same time get lots of opportunities to have their basic skills of listening and speaking practiced. Admittedly, there are many difficulties in using games in most English classes, but it is possible to use them as long as both teachers and students  especially tourism department at SMK Negeri 3 K ediri. When using games, such factors as the time, choice, preparation and management should be put into consideration, which is the guarantee of successful use of language games in class.

REFERENCES

Bailey, Kathleen M. 2005. Practical English Language Teaching: Speaking. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Carrier, Michael. (1980). Take 5 Games and Activities for the Language Learner. Edinburgh: Nelson 's Company.

Doff, A. 1990. Teach English: A Training Course for Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Littlewood. 1988. Communicative Language Teaching. USA: Cambridge University Press.

Porter-Ladousse, G. (1987). Role Play. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Richards, J.C. and Renandya, W. A. 2002. Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

Sam, Wan Yee. 2008. Drama in Teaching English as a Second Language – A Communicative Approach. Available on-line at: http://www.melta.org.my

/2008/main8.html. Retrieved on October 2, 2008.