The Effect of Role-Playing Techniques on the Speaking Skills of Students at University

Abstract

Students must master the skill of speaking in order to be able to communicate effectively in a foreign language. The fear of making errors and a lack of motivation are just a few reasons for students' difficulty in speaking. Role-Playing is used to help students overcome speaking difficulties. This study aims to determine the efficacy of role-playing in teaching speaking to second-grade students at the University of Sumer's College of Basic Education and determine whether there is a significant difference in speaking achievement between students taught with and without role play. The data were collected in 2021 by applying the quasi-experimental method in which two groups were involved in pre-test and post-test. The research consisted of forty-six students from two classes. The study indicates that the student's speaking score is improving. As a result, role-playing benefits students by offering an opportunity to struggle with oral communication. The results showed a significant improvement in the speaking skill of the experimental group. The students taught through the role-play method performed better than those taught through the grammar-translation method. It can be concluded that role-play significantly affects students’ speaking skills. These findings have positive implications for implementing role-playing techniques at the University of Sumer.