Broadcasting Activities in Speaking Class

NURDEVI BTE ABDUL

English Department, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Muhammadiyah University of Makassar
Sultan Alauddin Street No. 259 Makassar, South-Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract: Broadcasting is news delivered though media, such as radio, television and
the internet, instead of the traditional print sources of newspapers and magazines.
This study was conducted to know the students broadcasting activities in speaking
class; the strategies used in broadcasting activities; and students perception on
broadcasting activities. The research employed a descriptive qualitative design. The
data obtained from the video of broadcasting activities in speaking class and
interview. Interview was used to identify students opinion of broadcasting activities.
The data was analyzed qualitatively. The findings indicated that the students
broadcasting activities in speaking class were reporting the headline news by reporter
from studio, reporting the hot news from some provinces and countries by journalist,
reporting the weather, sport news, and advertisement. All of the students were
involved in these activities and each student had different role and the instructor
helped students in preparing their news. The students gave positive perception in
broadcasting activities. They felt happy, fun, free, and enjoy in participating in those
activities. On the other hand, they also could express and practice their speaking skill
effectively. In this case each student have different role and some of them pretended
as an actor and actress. It can be concluded that broadcasting activities could promote
students speaking skill.

Key word: speaking, broadcasting activities, reporting news

INTRODUCTION

Speaking is one of the important and essential skills that must be practiced to
communicate orally. By speaking, people are able to know what kinds of situations
the world. People who have ability to speak will be better in sending and receiving
information or message to another. Speaking is the process of building and sharing
meaning through the uses of verbal and non verbal symbol in various contexts.
Teaching speaking to the students is considered to be the most difficult among
the four language skills. Bourdious (in Nunan, 1993) stated that spoken language
needs the mastery of vocabulary discourse and the social context of culture and
situation. In short, it needs the mastery of linguistics and the cultural competence.
Besides, since speaking is difficult, more effort is required on the part of the students
and teachers. It is not enough for the students to listen to or to hear speech only. The
teachers need to give the students activities to practice the new speech habit. This
means that practice speaking needs much time to fulfill the requirements of the
mastery of spoken English.
In teaching speaking, teacher should define the exact purposes of the speaking
lesson such as the teacher must explain clearly the objective of the material will be
taught in every meeting to the students because it can be the reason that motivates the
students to learn in the classroom.
In this case, many teachers agree that students should learn to speak the
second language by interacting with others. For this case, students should master
several speaking components, such as accuracy, fluency, and comprehensibility. In
brief, English teacher should be creative to develop their teaching learning process to
create good atmosphere, improve the students speaking skill, give attention to the
speaking components, and make the English lesson more exciting.
Based on the researcher teaching experiences and primary observation of the
second semester students at Muhammadiyah University of Makassar, there are some
problems that the researcher found in teaching speaking in the classroom. The first,
the students always do mistake in grammar and pronunciation aspect. They do not
pay attention to the sentence structure and correct pronunciation. The second, the
students are afraid of making mistake in speaking English. It indicates that the
students have limited vocabulary which can be seen from their difficulty in spelling
and arranging the sentence. The teacher dominates in teaching the students using
Indonesian so it can not increase students speaking ability. Moreover, the students
are lack of opportunity to practice, and some lecturers are hardly to choose and create
teaching techniques and teaching activities. The students are also difficult to speak
fluently and it is difficult to understand what they are talking about. The last,
environmental and family factors also influence such as, they came from village, and
they only get English teaching in school.
One of the interesting activities is broadcasting. Broadcasting is news
delivered though media, such as radio, television and the internet, instead of the
traditional print sources of newspapers and magazines. Broadcasting is the practice of
creating audio and video program content and distributing it to the mass audiences of
radio, television and Internet media (Curtis, ).
Problem Statement
1. What are students activities of broadcasting in speaking class?
2. What are the strategies used in applying broadcasting activities in speaking
class?
3. What are students perceptions on broadcasting activities?

Objective of Study
This study was conducted to know the students broadcasting activities in speaking
class; the strategies used in broadcasting activities; and students perception on
broadcasting activities.

TEACHING SPEAKING
 Teaching speaking is sometimes considered as a simple process of commercial
language school around the world, which hires people with no training to teach
conversation. Although speaking is totally natural, speaking in a language other than
our own is anything but simple (Nunan, 2003:48).
Based on the statement above that teaching conversation to the students in
foreign language is simple. Because learning spoken language sometimes ignores the
grammar rule and the other hand the students need to form good habit in English
speaking practice. Furthermore, the writer will elaborate the notion of teaching
according to oxford advanced learners dictionary teaching which means giving the
instruction to someone else: give someone else ( knowledge, skill, etc).
While according Haskew and Lendon in Sutopo, (2000:9) states as follows:
a. Teaching is action to increase the odds that potential learners will learn.
b. Teaching is action to point learning toward desired to accomplishment by
learners.
c. Teaching is action to make knowledge create sense.
d. Teaching is to present learners a live opportunity to learn.
e. Teaching is action to enhance the persons who are learning.
Moreover, teaching speaking skill emphasizes on the activities to make the
students active and creative. West (1968) in Fauziati, (2002:145) states that to
increase students speaking mastery the teacher must concern with the student to
student interaction. The great part of time in the process of learning speaking is
dominated by students. Afterwards, its dominated by the instructor. This maximizes
the students competence in speaking. The students learn what they are going to say
with other in front of the class and try to develop their creativity orally. Therefore, the
writer tries to give definition of teaching speaking is the instruction of the
teacher/tutor to the students to encourage them in using the language orally to express
their ideas, feeling and opinion to someone else and also encourage the potential of
the learners to develop their speaking skill naturally.
 There are some principles of teaching speaking are as follows (Harmer, 2001:
102):
a. Help students overcome their initial reluctance to speak. Be encouraging;
provide opportunity; start from something simple;
b. Ask students to talk about what they want to talk about.
c. Ask students to talk about what they are able to talk about.
d. Provide appropriate feedback.
e. Combine speaking with listening and reading.
f. Incorporate the teaching of speech acts in teaching speaking.
According to Hornby (1995: 37) teaching means giving the instruction to (a
person): give a person (knowledge skill, etc). While speaking means to make use of
words in an ordinary voice. So, teaching speaking is giving instruction to a person in
order to communicate.
If one thinks of speaking is manifested through the use of the organs of
speech. It is said to productive and operates through the aural. If one thinks of
speaking as exemplify use rather than usage, as being communicative activity, then it
is both productive are receptive, both aural and visual.
Harmer (in Suriani,2007:9) states that two people are engaged in talking to
each other we can be fairly sure that they are doing so for a reason when one of these
people speaks we can probably make the following generalization:
a. He wants to speak, want is used here in general way to suggest that speaker
makes a definite decision to address someone; speaking may be forced on
him some way but we can still say that he will intend in speaking,
otherwise her would keep silent.
b. He has some communication purposed: speakers say things because they
want something to happen as result of way say.
c. He selects from his language store: the speaker has a infinite capacity to
create new sentences if he is a native speaker.
 Teaching speaking, in my opinion, is the way for students to express their
emotions, communicative needs, interact to other person in any situation, and
influence the others. For this reason, in teaching speaking skill it is necessary to have
clear understanding involved in speech.
There are three components of speaking skill that are normally recognize as
crucial aspects that should be mastered for learning English, namely pronunciation,
vocabulary, and grammar. These three components should be understood well by
teachers and students in order to apply and practice the improving of the students
speaking skill using Information Gap (IG) Speaking covers two elements that cannot
be separated one another they are accuracy which consists of grammar, vocabulary,
and fluency which consists of effectiveness and accent.

a. Accuracy
Speaking accuracy lies on acceptable pronunciation, correct grammar and
appropriate word-choice (Byrne, 1988).
According to Webster dictionary (1996: 15) accuracy is the quality of being
accurate. While in oxford dictionary (1996: 20) accuracy is degree of being correct.
Marcel (1978) states that accuracy is a people in using appropriate word and pattern
of sentences. Accuracy covers three elements that cannot be separated one another.
They are grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

1) Vocabulary
It is impossible without mastering vocabulary. Therefore this element is
somewhat essential to learn before practicing speaking. The students sometimes get
trouble in memorizing all vocabulary that they know because they lack of practicing
and use them. Thus, they need to practice more to keep them in mind.. Furthermore,
Harmer (2001: 10) distinguishes two types of vocabulary in the words, active
vocabulary and passive vocabulary is the words, which we want students to
understand, but they will not use themselves. In addition, Marcel (1978: 10) defines
that someone can be consider of having good vocabulary use, when the vocabulary
produce is wide (lack of repetition) or appropriate with certain situation of dialog or
speech.
When speaking the language, the speaker conveys words based on his mind.
Words are the means of communication. Literally, word has a meaning that is used in
a certain proper context. Word is known as vocabulary used in structural sentence.
Simon and Schuster in Amin (2006: 38) defined vocabulary as (1) a list of
words and sometimes phrases, usually arranged in alphabetical order and defined;
a dictionary; glossary or lexicon, (2) all the words of a language, and (3) all the words
used by a particular person, class, profession, etc., sometimes all the words
recognized and understood by a particular person, although not necessarily used by
that person.
Vocabulary is total number of words which (with rules for combining them)
make up a language. It consists of content words; noun, verb, adjective and function
words such as preposition, conjunction, article and pronoun.

2) Pronunciation
Mckeenhill (1997) stated that it is the fact or manner of pronunciation
something: articulated, utterance. Certainly, pronunciation cannot be separated from
intonation and stress. Pronunciation, intonation, and stress are largely learnt by
imitating and repetition. Therefore, the lectures should have good standards of
pronunciation in order that the students can imitate their lectures in teaching and
learning process.
According to Alexander et al. (1998: 830) pronunciation is the way in which a
language or a word particular is pronounced. Teaching pronunciation deals with
recognition or understanding the flow of speech and production of words. Teaching
pronunciation is intended students can produce English speech which is intelligible in
the areas where they use it. When a teacher teaches English, he makes sure that the
students utterances can be understood. They need to be able to say what they want to
say. This means that students pronunciation should be at least adequate for the
purpose.
According to Carter and Nunan (1993: 147), pronunciation plays a central role
in both personal and social intercourse. Correct pronunciation is the pronunciation
that almost same with the native speaker and correct based on the phonological.
When the students have good pronunciation, it will be easy to make sense what they
say.
Sometimes the listener does not understand what we are talking about because
lock in pronunciation. According to oxford dictionary (1996: 343) pronunciation is
the way in which a language or particular word or sound is spoken.

3) Grammar
Grammar is one of the major language components. It pertains to sentence and
word. It figures the categories such as noun, subject, imperative clause, and so on.
One often presupposes that speaking communicatively does not have to use grammar.
However, we sometimes do not realize that by ignoring grammar, we can
misunderstanding which maybe it is not bad in relax conversation but it can really
bring about serious bad effect in formal conversation.

Grammar is a branch of linguistics study that deal with classes of words, their
inflection or their means of indicating relation to each other function and relation in
the sentences as employed according to established usage and that is sometimes
extended include related matter (Webster, 1996: 275).
Simon and Schuster in Amin (2006: 20) defined grammar as the part of the
study of language which deals with the forms and structure of words (morphology)
and with their customary arrangement in phrases and sentences (syntax), formerly
used to denote all phrases of language study (except that of the detailed meaning of
words), as centered on morphology and syntax, and now often distinguished from the
study of pronunciation (phonology) and that of word meanings (semantics). It can be
said that a grammar is the system of word structures and word arrangements of
a given language at a given time.
Besides, Littlewood in Amin (2006: 23) stated three meanings of grammar as:
(1) the basic way a language is put together, (2) an explanation or description of the
way language is put together, and (3) some rules about talking and writing properly.
Therefore, they use grammar as the principles to put together the message that they
convey.
b. Fluency
Fluency is defined by Brumfit (1983 in Tahir, 2008:22) that is an ability to
speak as ability to speak as naturally as the native speaker can. Speaking performance
does not totally lay on accuracy as mastering the language system but also lies on the
fluency as using the language system communicatively and without too much
hesitation.
Simon and Schuster (1976) define fluency as the quality of flowing
smoothness, freedom from harshness and the ability to write or to speak easily,
smoothly, expressively, readiness, or smoothness of speech.
As said by Brown (1982 : 255) fluency is probably best achieved by allowing
the stream of speech to flow then, assumes of his speech spills over beyond of
comprehensibility to riverbank of instruction or someone detail of phonology,
grammar, discourse will channel to speech or more purpose full course.
There are four characteristics of fluency activity are as follows:

1. The facts are usually whole pieces of discourse: conversation, stories etc.
2. Performance is assessed and how well ideas are expressed or understood.
3. Texts are usually used as they would be in real life.
4. Tasks are often simulated real like situation.
c. Comprehensibility
Comprehensibility is the process of understanding of the structure sent by the
speaker done listener. According to Clark, (1977:43) states that comprehension has
two common senses, namely narrow sense and broader sense. In narrow sense, it
denotes the building of meaning from sounds. Comprehension in broader sense
denotes the interpretation the meaning and utilized the speech act conveyed. For
example, a question, listener extracts the importation then tries to search the answer
it.
Ur (1996) lists the characteristics of a successful speaking activity as the
following:
1. Learners talk a lot. As much as possible of the period of time allotted to the
activity is in fact occupied by learner talk.
2. Participation is even. Classroom discussion is not dominated by a minority
of talkative participants: all get a chance to speak, and contributions are
fairly evenly distributed.
3. Motivation is high. Learners are eager to speak: because they are interested
in the topic and have something new to say about it, or because they want
to contribute to achieving a task objective.
4. Language is of an acceptable level. Learners express themselves in
utterances that are relevant, easily comprehensible to each other, and of an
acceptable level of language accuracy.

CONCEPT OF BROADCASTING

1. Definition of Broadcasting?

Curtis (2011) defines Broadcasting, Radio and Television, primary means by

which information and entertainment are delivered to the public in virtually every
nation around the world. The term broadcasting refers to the airborne transmission of
electromagnetic audio signals (radio) or audiovisual signals (television) that are
readily accessible to a wide population via standard receivers. Broadcasting is a
crucial instrument of modern social and political organization. At its peak of
influence in the mid-20th century, national leaders often used radio and television
broadcasting to address entire countries. Because of its capacity to reach large
numbers of people, broadcasting has been regulated since it was recognized as a
significant means of communication (Marc, 2000).
 Broadcast journalism is a type of news reporting presented to the public
electronically or by radio instead of being published in newspapers. Media in
broadcast journalism include television, radio and the Internet. Broadcast journalism
is meant to be dispersed more quickly than older forms of journalism, including print
media, and is meant to be more accessible. Radio and television broadcasts are
designed to get the news out to a wide variety of people in language that is much less
formal than traditional print media. News that is broadcast over the Internet can
update people on events as soon as they happen.

2. What Does a Student Learn?

Students in a broadcasting program learn the basic skills of proper news

reporting, including the interview process and the writing of segments. They also
learn how to produce the news by managing video and audio equipment. A broadcast
journalism graduate can either be the person who is in front of the camera or the
microphone, working as the voice of the news, or the person in the production booth.
The behind-the-scenes action of managing microphones and properly shooting a
broadcast are as important as the accuracy and promptness of the information. The
major is also for those students who want to edit or direct the news. A degree in
broadcast journalism prepares the student to update the public on all types of news. A
bachelor's degree qualifies graduates for most careers, though master's-level programs
in broadcast journalism are also available. A broadcast journalism major learns to
locate sources, properly conduct interviews, write scripts for TV or the radio, record
sound clips and edit audio and video. An interested student also learns to work under
pressure and handle deadlines. Students currently enrolled in school often opt to work
at an on-campus TV or radio station; some complete an internship somewhere off-
campus to gain working experience.

METHODOLOGY
 The research employed a descriptive qualitative design. The data obtained
from the video of broadcasting activities in speaking class and interview.
Unstructured interview was used to identify students perceptions of broadcasting
activities. The data was analyzed qualitatively. The subject of this research
was the the students at Muhammadiyah University of Makassar. The
researcher took speaking III subject.

FINDINGS
1. Students broadcasting Activities
There are many broadcasting activities students did in broadcasting in speaking class.
Those are reporting the headline news by reporter from studio (announcer); reporting
the hot news from some provinces and countries; reporting the weather new; sport
news; making advertisement; host of celebrity news; and celebrity.
2. The strategies used in broadcasting activities
The strategies used in broadcasting activities are (1) Discussion. Before doing
broadcasting, the researcher discussed about the topic that students will
report. In this case, the students agreed to report the up-date news at the
time; (2) Finding the hot news; after discussing, the students had chance to find the
hot news from television, radio, news paper or the other mass media; (3) Determining
students role. The important things that the researcher and students did were
students role or job in broadcasting. The students role was as reporter/announcer,
journalist, victims, advertiser, cameraman, host, and celebrity; (4) Giving two weeks
for preparation. The students were given two weeks to prepare all things for their
class broadcasting; and (5) Finding tool for recording students broadcasting
activities. The students use handy came to record students news.

3. Students Perception
The researcher used unstructured interview to find out students perceptions. The
students were interviewed after they presented their news. Some of the students
perceptions are as follows:
Broadcasting is interesting activities. We can practice our English especially
speaking.
Its really amazing, because we can cooperate to our friends to prepare our class
show.
In my mind, broadcasting is a good activity because we pretended as a reporter; its
time to appear in h.TV.
I think broadcasting is really amazing activity. I can improve my speaking ability
and my self-confidence.
In my mind, I like this speaking activity because I can watch my acting in my laptop
and it is also a real evidence.
I think broadcasting activities help me to practice my English, self-confidence, I
really enjoy doing this activity.
CONCLUSION
The students broadcasting activities in speaking class were reporting the headline
news by reporter from studio, reporting the hot news from some provinces and
countries by journalist, reporting the weather, sport news, and advertisement. All of
the students were involved in these activities and each student had different role and
the instructor helped students in preparing their news. The students gave positive
perception in broadcasting activities. They felt happy, fun, free, and enjoy in
participating in those activities.

Broadcasting is news delivered though media, such as radio, television and the
internet, instead of the traditional print sources of newspapers and magazines. In this
case each student have different role and some of them pretended as an actor and
actress. It can be concluded that broadcasting activities could promote students
speaking skill.
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