Paper for International Conference 2018

VLOG, STUDENT’S SPEAKING ABILITY: EFFECTIVE ENGLISH LEARNING FOR INDONESIAN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE

Izatussariroh

The State Islamic Institut of Surakarta, Bondo Sidorejo, Jepara, Indonesia

English Language Education, The State Islamic Institute of Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Indonesia

@Izzatussariroh@gmail.com 

Abstract: This study aims to describe about utilization Vlog as an effective media to increase the English-speaking ability for student.This qualitative research focuses on the use of Vlog by Sharia English Squad, an English club of Sharia Faculty IAIN Surakarta, to enhance their English speaking abilities. Twenty students were interviewed to reveal whether the use of Vlog is effective or not. The findings show that the use of Vlog is effective in enhancing the speaking abilities of the students in the university. The effectiveness is shown from the increase on vocabulary mastery, self-confidence, and motivation to learn English. 

 Keywords: Vlog, learning media, speaking ability.

Many students feel difficult when they speak English.  It was found that the students’ average score for speaking 50.15 was still below 75 as the passing grade. There were only seven students, out of thirty-five students who had achieved the passing. (Purwatiningsih, 2015) Whereas we know that English is international language in the world. Manurung (2015) said that most of them feel difficult to begin monologue and dialogue. Students should use language to express their feelings, ideas, monologue and dialogue, using language communicate and giving response in a forum or discussion. But, they are still reluctant to ask question during discussion and are difficult to build an effective question.

Wahyuni and Yulianti (2017) added that students were unable to cannot say word perfectly in English. As a student in the university, they must be able to improve students’ skill to speak English, since they have learned English from the elementary school. According to Maulidah (2018) vlog is one of the technology which is currently used by teacher to increase students’ performance, especially in speaking. Several studies have promoted the phenomena that Vlog can effectively facilitate language teaching and learning, especially in terms of “learners’ language complexity, grammatical correctness, and fluency”. However, the existence of Vlog as one of latest technology is really expected to improve students’ speaking ability.

On the other hand, the errors are made by the students in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary, fluency, and interactive communication (Pradana, 2017). Speaking ability is important, as stated by Rakhmanina & Kusumaningrum (2017) since it is necessary for language learners to express their ideas orally. Speaking' ability also can be affected by the instruction of teacher. Students' spoken language tends to be monotous as it is bound by the structure presented (Mudra, 2016). Sometimes, students still think whether the sentences that they say adhere to the grammatical rules or not. It can inhibit students to develop their speaking. Meanwhile the students' expectation in speaking course is able to communicate fluently in English (Mudra, 2016)

Another problem which was faced by students to increase their speaking’ ability, according to Heri (2016) is the lecturer does not act as role model for the students (Mudra, 2016). Teacher or lecturer must become role model for the students to possess a motivation to learn speaking routinely. From the background of the  study above, it can be concluded that most of the students’ problem in speaking are lack of vocabularies, confidences, and teachers’ way to teach. If the problem is not resolved, it can inhibit speaking’ ability of students. One of the things that affects students’ interest in learning process is learning media. Muhson (2010) said that learning media is an instrument used for information processing, to transfer and receive the information. One of the media which is suitable to face the problem above is social media. In a study on the importance of Social Networking Sites (SNS), Rasiah (2014) concluded that SNS could be used as educational platforms with a significant potential capacity to promote critical thinking among students. Rasiah (2014) claims that social networking sites have the ability to transform students from being passive learners to becoming active and intentional learners, which is indeed the very tenet of student-centered learning.

Rasiah (2014) states that the use of social software in higher education provides a collaborative landscape to learning and teaching, allowing increased peer interaction as well as interaction between the educator and the students. According to Baſöz (2016) developing active language learning environment is the key element for supporting EFL learners and social media can be integrated into the EFL curriculum purposefully and appropriately in order to promote communities of learning in which EFL learners can participate on a regular basis. Moreover, social media can provide learners with richer mental images, thereby facilitating language learning as it can present material in more than one modality.

                Baſöz (2016) conveys that social media is a major part of our lives and a very large amount of people are spending many hours on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube worldwide. In this era, Vlog is a more suitable media for the students’ needs in the digital based era.  They can share their ideas through Vlog using English, so it can make students develop their vocabulary and confidence easily.

                Rakhmanina and Kusumaningrum (2017) argue that the use of Vlogs plays an important role in developing interactions among students and between teachers and students in the target language. Vlogs invite participation and have the potential to democratize a classroom since the learners are given the chance of equal participation. Vlog is one of the effective learning media. It is a potential learning tool which becomes a worthy topic for research. Blogs, Wikis, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter nowadays are usable as a learning tool to connect students, and students closer, propagate university culture. (Moghavvemi, Sulaiman, Jaafar, & Kasem, 2018)

Based on the descriptive-qualitative approach, wherein the data gathered from 20 students of Sharia Faculty at IAIN Surakarta, who are members of the Sharia English Squad. The researcher used content analysis as the theoretical approach and learning experiences of the students after making an English Video. From the perevious study above, it can be concluded that most students' speaking ability is still low vecause of many factors namely lack of vocabulary, lest interest in using learning media, conveying material in a monotous manner, which bored the students. In the previous study, it was explained that the stages of the Vlog, perspective of the students, and the way to increase motivation of the students through make an English Vlog. In this study, the researcher focus on the how is the effectiveness of using Vlog as a learning media to improve English speaking ability.

METHOD

This study was undertaken in IAIN Surakarta, especially in Sharia English Squad. The member of Sharia English Squad consists of 20 students. They are considered to have knowledge and ability in English as reflected from their daily performance through their Vlogs, especially in the speaking activities, yet they have problem in speaking. The researcher make an analysis of the student’s response, carried out on the student’s Vlog and their learning experiences, and interview with the lecturers and the students.

This study employed two techniques of collecting data, namely analyzing the video and interview with the teachers and students. The observation was carried to find out students’ participations and responses in speaking activities. It was done three times, each after one Vlog tasks. The interview with the classroom teacher was conducted to gain further information on students’ motivation and confidence to speak English.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Student more motivated                       

Through interviews with the student, the data shows that making a Vlog can increase students’ motivation to speak English. Here, student is indirectly motivated to develop their vocabularies in order to be able to speak English fluently when they make a Vlog and post Vlog in YouTube channel. Moreover, student can also practice how to make a good video, to edit a video, and to take a video with a good angle.

Student more confident

After doing task to make a Vlog, students felt more confident in their studies, not only for the English, but also in another subject. Speaking in English makes student more confident, especially in term of tourism:

“Through make a task about Vlog, it make me learn about confident. Because, I’m required to be brave speak up in the public place, moreover in the tourist attraction. When my friend took my video, I feel shy because all of eyes staring at me, but I must be brave and I can solve it well, before I took a video, I must prepare to develop my vocabulary, make an outline in order to became a good Vlog,”  (Sela Mahribi Nurhidayah, 07/13/2018).

Vlog can also help students to promote the tourism’s object which was unknown before; not only in term of describing object of tourism, but also describing its procedure, and its history. 

Vlog can develop student’ ability in English

Through Vlog, the students are also able to develop their knowledge on English. Especially in term of pronunciation and vocabulary. Furthermore, it can also increase motivation of the student to make a good Vlog.

“Although I’m not from English Education mayor, I love to learn English because my lecture ask me to make a video and post it in you tube channel. I always watch a video from you tubers. Because make an an English Vlog make me feel cool. Beside, make a Vlog can make us to practice to do teamwork, confident,  brave to speak in the public place, learn about edit a video, and make a use of digital literacy.” (Ajeng, 8/12/2018)

Vlog as an effective media

Vlog is a modern learning media that used for English learning. Vlog called as an effective media in the English learning, because it is a learning media that is accordance with the current situation.

“Vlog is an effective media in the learning process of English because it suitable with an Industrial Revolution 4.0, is an industrial revolution characterized by a cyber-physical system. In this era, the industry is beginning to close the virtual world, in the form of human, machine and data connectivity. This term is known as the Internet of Things (IoT). So, the educator can make use of this Industrial Revolution 4.0 to apply in the learning process through making a video, then post in social media.” (Ana Wiyasa Nugrahawati, the English lecturer of the Faculty of Ushuludin and Dakwah  07/07/2018)

On the other hand, the effectiveness of Vlog can be seen from the score of the final speaking test. The coach of Sharia English Squad, Arkin Haris said that after the students make a Vlog, their vocabulary getting increase, and they are more confident to speak in front of the class. So, the result of speaking test is better than before the student making a Vlog.

Based on the findings above, it can be proved that Vlog is an effective media for the English learning process that is suitable with the theory of Rakhmanina & Kusumaningrum (2017) which is emphasized that Vlog plays an important role in developing interactions among students, and between teachers and students in the target language. Vlogs invite participation and have the potential to democratize a classroom since the learners are given the chance of equal participation.

In addition, Khoiriyah (2017) added that students can enjoy their learning through Vlog, because it is more interactive, descriptive, and more visual. Therefore, Vlog has many advantages to support students to enhance their speaking skill. Vlogs are utilized as supporting media and model for students to learn speaking independently. Through Vlog students can also learn about how to edit a video and make a good Vlog.

 

CONCLUSION

The study does have limitations, especially in the sample is quite restricted and the weakness of using Vlog to enhance Speaking ability.

Despite this, the findings provide clear evidence of the effectiveness of using social media via Vlog to enhance Speaking ability outside the classroom.The findings of the constructs of learning that showed,  the use of Vlog  as an effective learning and teaching tool.
The results of this study provide evidence that students in the digital era, perceive the use of Vlog to be beneficial for instructional purposes. The rapid growth and current popularity of Vlog and other social media tools has enhanced their role, not only the learning media and theaching purposes, but also for various other beneficial purposes.
  

SUGGESTION

From the study above, it can be suggested that Vlog as a learning media can be used as one alternative in teaching speaking to the students. The following suggestions are offered to the following:

1. The Teacher

-  Teachers and lecturers can use Vlog as a media in the learning process

-  Teachers and lecture should give better motivation to the students’ in the learning process

2.  The Students

- Students should more be active  in the teaching learning process to improve  Speaking skill

- Students should realize the importance of active involvement in the teaching learning process.

3.  The Researcher

- Other researches can make this research as a reference to continue some related research in different condition and characteristic

- They are also able to create a better study after they know the weaknesses of this research.

REFERENCES

Baſöz, T. (2016). Pre-service EFL Teachers⿿ Attitudes towards Language Learning through Social Media. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 232(April), 430–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.059

Khoiriyah, I. (2017). Students ’ Perceptions on the Use of English Vlog ( Video Blog ) to Enhance Speaking Skill.

Manurung, K. (2015). Improving the speaking skill using reading contextual internet-based instructional materials in an EFL class in Indonesia, 176, 44–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.442

Maulidah, I. (2018). Vlog : t he Mean to Improve Students ’ Speaking Ability, 145(Iconelt 2017), 12–15.

Moghavvemi, S., Sulaiman, A., Jaafar, N. I., & Kasem, N. (2018). Social media as a complementary learning tool for teaching and learning: The case of youtube. International Journal of Management Education, 16(1), 37–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.12.001

Mudra, H. (2016). Enhancing Students’ Speaking Skill through Task-Based Language Teaching at English Tadris Department of STAIN Kerinci, 1.

Muhson, A. (2010). Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Berbasis Teknologi Informasi. Jurnal Pendidikan Akuntansi Indonesia, 8(2), 1–10.

Pradana, S. A. (2017). Using Debate to Enhance Students ’ Speaking Ability As Their Character Building, 10(1), 149–163.

Purwatiningsih. (2015). Improving Speaking Ability Through Story Telling, 5(1), 57–66.

Rakhmanina, L., & Kusumaningrum, D. (2017). The Effectiveness of Video Blogging In Teaching Speaking Viewed From Students ’ Learning Motivation, 27–34.

Rasiah, R. R. V. (2014). Transformative Higher Education Teaching and Learning : Using Social Media in a Team-Based Learning Environment. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 123(2012), 369–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.1435

Wahyuni, S., & Yulianti, F. (2017). the Use of Guessing Game To Improve Student’S Speaking Skill. Getsempena English Education Journal, 3(2), 12–22. Retrieved from http://geej.stkipgetsempena.ac.id/home/article/view/40

DOKUMENTASI

NB : Tulisan ini pernah terseleksi dan saya presentasikan dalam acara Konferensi Internasional yang diselenggarakan di IAIN Palangka Raya pada bulan Oktober 2018.