THE USE OF PODCASTS IN IMPROVING STUDENTS ’ SPEAKING SKILL

Podcast is a digital recording which contains a recorded programs from television, radio, and interviews. Many researchers have discussed about the podcast as an alternative teaching media to support students developing their speaking skills. This research article aims at finding out if there is a significant improvement on students’ speaking skills by using this Podcast. Class XI IS3 was chosen as the sample of this study with total 30 students. This pre-experimental study employs pre-test and post-test. These tests are provided in the form of oral tests. The data from these tests were then calculated by using statistical formulas. The result showed that the post-test score was higher than the pre-test. The finding showed that there was a significant improvement of the students’ speaking skills performance after undertaking treatments. Thus, podcast media can be used as one of the alternative media in teaching English especially speaking skill in EFL classes.


INTRODUCTION
Speaking is widely known as an ability to share thoughts, ideas, and intentions to the other people by using a language in oral form.
According to Shiamaa (2006, p. 30), speaking represents an interactive process which involves of producing and processing or receiving information to serve both interactional and transactional.In addition, Nunan (2003, p. 48) mentions that speaking is a productive skill which consists of systematic verbal utterances that carry out a meaning.This means that speaking plays an important role in communication.
In most of non-native countries, for example, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, most students may find speaking English in a good level of functional is difficult.This is an evidence when we observed and interviewed teachers at Senior High School 11 of Banda Aceh, Indonesia.Teachers at this school argue that the students face some difficulties in expressing ideas, choosing correct structures, lack of producing appropriate vocabulary and producing correct pronunciation.These problems occured because the students have less exposure to speaking activity.
What possibly could help students to perform appropriately in speaking is by introducing an alternative media, the podcast.
According to Jordan (2007), the term podcast is a combination between the words pod (i.e., from the brand name iPod) and broadcast.The podcast is an audio/video file that is uploaded to the website where the website users can download it through the internet freely.This can be listened on any devices that support MP3/MP4 files such as on a computer, smartphone, and MP3 Player.The podcast gives chances for teachers to support students in developing speaking skill.The idea of using podcast media is based on some following statements from many experts in literature.
Podcast is believed not just accelerating listening skill but also it stimulates the other language area for instances pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and learning activities (Chan et al. 2011;Kaplan-Leiserson, 2005).
Other researchers, Fitria, Vianty, and Petrus (2015, p. 64-65) explain that podcast gives good contribution in case of improving students' speaking achievement.The podcast can be one of the alternatives and innovative tools that may improve the students' understanding and their accomplishment in speaking.Moreover, this idea has been discussed by Dan Schmit, an instructional technology expert in the College of Education at the University of Nebraska, which is reflected in his statement as follows: Educators are as starting points to see how podcasting can help students' vocabulary, writing, editing, public speaking, and presentation skills.
Students can also learn skills that will be valuable in the working world, such as communication, time management and problem-solving.(Schmit, as cited in Borja, 2005, p. 8).
In addition, by using the podcast, teachers have a new method of teaching to stay connect with their students outside of the classroom and to enhance learning beyond of the school schedule (Bongey, Cizadlo, & Kalnback, 2006, p. 350-367).These researchers believe that Podcast supports students in developing speaking skill.Students can also play it on their devices anywhere and at any time as they pleased.
As described above, for the sake of making effective speaking skills, the students are required to produce good fluency and appropriate pronunciation in speaking.It would be the basis of using podcast media.Therefore, the question of this research is: "Is there any significant improvement on students' speaking skill by using podcast media?" The researchers expect this study would contribute to filling the gap in the body of literature and also teachers especially for those who teach English at senior high school.It also could contribute to all students to improve their speaking ability, particularly in fluency and pronunciation.

Podcast as Language Learning Material
In this global era, being able to speak English is essential for people to communicate with global community (Samad and Fitriani, 2016).To help non native speakers to learn to speak this language, there are many kinds of technologies invented.According to Marshall (2002, p. 18), new opportunities can be gained by using technology.It offers users to connect with people around the world and gives a lot of unique perspectives and experiences.
There are a ton technologies invented, and one of those which provides material for language learning is called the podcast.The podcast, an uploading audio or video file to the internet, has emerged as sources in the academic field, and it provides many kinds of material in learning.The podcast is a recorded audio/video file uploaded to a website, so the website users can download freely and listen to it later time.Kavaliauskienė (2008) and Fernando (2015, p. 32) wrote "The podcast was a convenient and easy to use format."As was previously stated, podcast is surely easy to access, it would be attractive, and it motivates the students in learning.
In supporting this research, the idea of using podcast media is based on some following statements from the experts, in order to see the improvement of students' speaking skill.According to SZE (2006, p. 115), a number researchers have revealed the positive fruitions that podcasting can assist language education.According to (Chan et al. 2011;Kaplan-Leiserson, 2005), since the podcast is as one of the alternatives, the teacher can fairly easy to provide an authentic material in teaching.
Podcast media affirmatively shows good point for students in case of it would bring the students closer to the target language, and it affects students' attitude and motivation.In other studies, as pointed out by Mohammadzadeh (2010Mohammadzadeh ( , p. 1193) that podcast materials can boost students' motivation and help them become more independent and confidence in speaking.By using podcast media, the teacher can support the students in building self-confidence and the learning situation enjoyable.This self-confidence may be raising due to their ability to understand the rhetoric of a particular topic as a result of listening repetion dan oral performance (Samad, 2016).This understanding makes them find the learning process is enjoyable.This study assumes that the podcast media gives contribution for the students in improving their speaking performance.

Speaking Skill
Speaking is a productive skill that is similar to writing.It has its own genre as it has several stages to reach the goal using a language in an interactive way (Martin, 2009;Martin & Rose, 2012).Speaking involves sound to express meanings to make interaction occur.This means that speaking is an interactive process of communication that connects ideas between speaker and interlocutor with a certain purpose.Referring to Chaney and Burk (1998, p. 20), speaking is the process of sharing and constructing the sense of using oral/verbal in variety contexts.Speaking, an act of making vocal sounds, helps to assure the listener in following messages, convincing manner and thoughtful.Harmer (2002, p. 78) mentions speaking is about generating words in the correct sequence.Speaking needs not only vocal sound involved but also needs to be aware of the aspects of speaking within which includes the generic structure of the speaking event that need to be followed sequentially or it is called genre (Samad and Adnan, 2017).

Aspects of Speaking
During speaking process occurred in interaction, there are several features of speaking involved.According to Duong (2014, p. 86), commonly thought of the most important aspects of speaking is grammar, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary and pronunciation.
Firstly is vocabulary.Vocabulary is a word which has its meaning in every function.
A word expresses the content of ideas to avoid confusion in communication.It plays a useful role to define any objects, actions, ideas as well.According to Horby (1989, p. 289), an acceptable language is made up of the number of vocabularies.Mastering vocabulary would define someone's capability in understanding language.
Secondly is Grammar.This is similar to rigid rules in oral and written form.Brown (2000, p. 36) mentions that, Grammar is a system of rules governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in the sentence.

Moreover, Al-Mekhlafi and
Nagaratnam (2011, p. 71) write that grammar is a set of rules that determines the structure of a language, and it could be the way to combine units of a language.Combining necessary units of language help a speaker or a writer in expanding any ideas in their mind, and it makes a person a lot easier to build communication in expressing messages in spoken or written.
Thirdly is Pronunciation.This is the process of pronouncing a particular word in a proper manner.Where pronunciation should be acceptable is a necessary aspect in speaking as Fifth is accuracy.According to Kusnierek (2015, p. 78), accuracy refers to an understanding word, right in structures, syntax, and better in catching the meaning of messages of language without part of mistakes, and it does not cause hesitation in interaction.
Obviously, good accuracy creates impression toward how he/she delivers the message to the other.
In addition, Nunan (1989, p. 32) suggests that to be successful in speaking, the involvement of appropriate conversational formula, good ability to express phonological features of a language, excellent of mastery stress and an acceptable degree of fluency are required.All of those aspects should have emerged for the duration of speaking, and features of speaking need to be constructed well to avoid misunderstanding in speaking.Brown (2004, p. 142-143)  Actually, an appropriate material that is provided would bring proper quality of learning process in the class.Warschauer (2004, p. 12) mentions that CALL brings a powerful mean for students in making their path to the world.It is appropriate to help students to improve their speaking skills.

The Use of CALL in Speaking Skill
Nowadays, teaching speaking is required to be attractive and interactive.Therefore, teachers are required to support learners to practice the language.
The teacher provides students many chances to rehearse English.Indeed, that the benefits of the computer can be reached depends on how wise she/he utilizes it.
Besides, the teacher and student could find learning materials on the internet freely, or they can make it with advantages of the computer itself as well.
As aforementioned, that the availibility of podcast on the internet, becomes one of the learning materials in teaching and learning.The

Research Instrument
The researchers collected the data by

Technique Data Collection
In conducting this research, five meetings were organised, including a pre-test, three treatments and a post-test.Below is further explanation of how data collection done.

Pre-Test
In the first meeting, the researchers explained all steps in case avoiding misunderstanding process.Firstly, the researchers requested all participants to listen to a podcast talk very carefully with the topic "Vegetable Salad".When they listened to a podcast talk, they were allowed to jot down every detail information that was delivered by the speaker.Then, after they had heard the podcast talk, five minutes were free for them to prepare an outline.Then, the researchers asked them one by one to retell the podcast talk based on the topic given.Eventually, the researchers gave marks for their performance, especially their fluency and pronunciation.

Treatment
In the treatment meetings, the researchers used podcast as the main media in improving the students' speaking skills.The treatment was administered for three meetings; it took 2x40 minutes for each meeting.
Besides, in the treatment process, the researchers used different podcast talk in each meeting.Below is the description of the treatment activities.

First Teaching
Initially, in this first meeting, the researchers explained all steps and asked them to follow every hint to avoid any possible of misunderstanding of it.Then, the researchers gave them first treatment.
Firstly, the researchers taught them about the procedure text and provided them an example that was taken from the podcast talk with the title "Chocolate Fudge Brownies".
Next, the researchers distributed script of the podcast talk and played podcast talk for three times, and students read a script and listened to it at the same time.After that, the researchers discussed the podcast talk and gave them feedback.Then, the researchers provided them chances to ask questions about the talk and helped them while they have any difficulties.Afterward, the researchers called students randomly to retell the podcast talk which was based on the topic given in front of the class to ensure that they are familiar to rehearse and to produce appropriate fluency, and pronunciation.Furthermore, the researchers asked each student to reconstruct any podcast that is related to procedure text at their home.In other words, it became as their homework in every week due to treatment sessions.

Second Teaching
Before the researchers explained them about materials that have been prepared, the researchers selected seven students randomly to perform their homework in front of the class.The researchers also gave feedbacks for their homework by giving them advice on how to produce appropriate speaking and it is followed by stimulating them on how to build appropriate fluency and pronunciation.After that, the researchers asked the students to sit in a group which consists of four persons.Then, the researchers distributed scripts of the podcast talk for each group with a new topic with the title "Beef Stew".
The researchers played the podcast talk four times and asked every group to read the script and listen to the topic of the podcast talk carefully.Next, the researchers asked them to discuss the topic given with each member of the group.Also, the researchers provided them feedbacks and tried to convince them to imitate the way how the native speaker speaks.
Afterward, the researchers invited one representative from each group to retell the podcast talk that was given.The researchers also helped them if they made inaccurate pronunciation and facilitated the students about how to pronounce a word correctly.

Third Teaching
The researchers conducted the third treatment.It was similar to the second meeting.Firstly, the researchers invited seven students randomly to perform their homework in front of the class, and the researchers also helped them in case correcting the inaccurate pronunciation.After that, the researchers asked the students to sit in a group which consists of four persons.Then, the researchers distributed scripts of the podcast talk for each group with the title "Roasted Chicken".
Then, the researchers played the podcast talk four times and asked every group to read the script and listen to the topic of the podcast talk carefully.Next, the researchers asked them to discuss the topic given with each member of the group.Afterward, the researchers randomly invited one representative from each group to reconstruct the podcast talk given.The researchers gave feedback for the students in case of helping them to acquire appropriate speaking.

Post-Test
At the end of the meeting, the researchers gave them a post-test.The specific aim of this post-test was to identify their improvement after such treatment sessions.
The talk that was given in this test was just like the researchers once given in the pre-test.
The researchers asked students to listen to the podcast talk very carefully with the topic "Vegetable Salad".The researchers allowed them to jot down every detail information as an outline.After that, five minutes were free for them to prepare the material for their speaking.Then, the researchers called them one by one to retell the podcast talk which was based on the topic given.

Technique of Data Analysis
For data analysis, the researchers analyzed students' score based on aspects of speaking proposed by Brown (2004, p. 179) where for each component of speaking was categorized into four band scales.In addition, the researchers recorded their speaking in every test.This helps the researchers analyze their speaking performance easier.
In statistic calculation process, the researchers analyze the data as follows: Mean Score Firstly, the researchers found out mean score from raw data from both tests and the median score used to see the average score.
The formula of mean suggested by Arikunto

Hypothesis Testing
The researchers analyzed data by using statistical formula suggested by Arikunto (2010, p. 349), t-test (t) is the primary statistic used to determine whether or not both tests (pre and post-test) have a significant difference.
The stage of the formula is put in order as follows: Where: there are any differences.In this case, the researchers used the alternative hypothesis (Ha) and the null hypothesis (Ho).For the significance, the researchers used the significant value 5% (α = 0,05), There are two rules in comparing the t-score that are proposed by Bungin (2005, p. 186); a.If t-score is equal or higher than critical ttable, so the null hypothesis is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis is accepted.
b.If t-score is lower than critical t-table, so the null hypothesis is accepted, and the alternative hypothesis is rejected.

Research findings
This pre-experimental research found that there is an improvement of the students' speaking skill by using the podcast.This improvement can be seen from the results of pre-test and post-test.Furthermore, the score of pronunciation aspect also increases after students had the treatment as planned.In addition, the students gain better score in the post-test than the pre-test.
Participants gain score 64 in the pre-test and score 84 in the post-test.In fact, they could increase 20 points from 64 to 84.Indeed, it illustrates that the significant improvement of the pronunciation aspect reached.

Hypothesis Testing
The researchers calculated the t-score that was suggested by Arikunto (2010, p. 349).
The level of significance had been determined before the researchers conducted this experimental research, where level significance is 5% (α= 0,05) set in this research.The specific aim of this level significance is to approve the hypothesis whether it is accepted or rejected.In addition, participants of this study were 30 students.The degree of freedom (df) was N-1 = 30-1 = 29, where the t-table is 2.045.Indeed, as has been noted above t-score was 8.21.So that, t-score was higher than ttable (tscore = 8.21 > ttable = 2.045).
It can be concluded that alternative Furthermore, the researchers also found that the application of podcast media in the class made the students more active in practicing speaking.For instance, the students feel a bit nervous and less confident in performance their speaking in front of the class, but after rehearsing a lot in treatment sessions, they became calm and better than the pre-test.
This situation was similar to the evidence that was found by Mohammadzadeh (2010Mohammadzadeh ( , p. 1193) ) that podcast materials can boost students' motivation and help them become more responsible, independent and confident.Thus, since podcast is one of the authentic material and a real language which is produced by native speaker, so the students can imitate the way how the native speaks real language.It is believed that podcast media could enhance students' in building critical thinking, comprehension, and expanding vocabulary and it is more enjoyable while the students can read a text and listen at the same time.

CONCLUSION
well.Referring toNation and Newton (2009, p.   76), pronunciation is an individual sound which involves good articulation, and it has features of sound such as aspiration, voicing, voicesetting, intonation, and stress.Pronunciation plays a great role in speaking, and it gives a hint toward what is being said.The interlocutor will misunderstand on catching the meaning whether the speaker pronounces wrong pronunciation.Therefore, pronunciation is how to generate an acceptable and an unambiguous lexical word in language.Fourthly is fluency.It means knowing about how he/she expresses ideas without using filling word ("um" and "ah") while talking to the other occurs.Yingjie (2014, p. 58) mentions that fluency is the capability to speak in effective speed and to speak smoothly and to produce the right word without thinking too much.In this case, excellent fluency will create better confidence in expressing ideas and it improves communication skill as well.To be classified as a fluent speaker, we might well fulfill this features as presented by Thornbury (2005, p. 8) as follows, pauses may be long but not often, and pauses allow at the meaningful transition point.
podcast contains modes of instruction issues in teaching and learning.The teacher could use the podcast as a media at improving students' speaking skill.Furthermore, the use of this media stimulates students' interest as well.Indeed, a talk in the podcast provides every component in speaking namely, the background setting of conversation, the body movements, cultural atmosphere clearly and communicative competence.In brief, through a ton of positive experience by means of using the podcast in learning.Then, students would be able to have more motivation in learning a language.This leads them to better performances in their intelligibility, fluency, and accuracy.approach where one group pretest and post-test design is involved.This research aims at finding out an actual description and to prove the hypothesis whether the use of podcast media in teaching could improve students' speaking skill, especially in fluency and pronunciation.Hence, in collectingthe data, two sets of tests, pre-test and post-test, which were given to this experimental group.The researchers conducted five meetings to gather sufficient data.Those meetings were divided into one meeting for pre-test, three meetings for treatments and one meeting for post-test.In this design, a pre-test was given before applying the treatments and post-test followed after the treatment.For these two tests, the code X1 is for the pre-test, and X2 for the post-test, while T is a code for treatment.In addition, the variables of this research were speaking skill and podcast.The independent variable was the speaking skill whereas dependent variable was podcast.The population of this research is the second-grade students of SMA Negeri 11 Banda Aceh.To select them, the researchers used a lottery technique to pick the sample of this research to avoid bias.From this technique, it is selected that 30 females students of the class XI IS 3 as the research participants.
using a set of an oral test for pre test and post test.The pre-test was given to this experimental group to measure their ability prior the podcast media treatment.Conversely, post-test was conducted to measure the students' achievement in speaking after applying several treatments.The researchers also used his smartphone as a tool to record their speaking performance.This helps the researchers analyze their speaking.The students' performance was marked objectively.In addition, the researchers focused on evaluating students' speaking particularly in fluency and pronunciation aspect.Materials of the test were downloaded from http://www.startcooking.com.The topic of pre-test and post-test were about the procedure and tips since they were congruent with the syllabus that used in school at secondgrade class.Besides, the talk of the podcast was not quite long; it was just about three to five minutes.
count xd : deviation each subject (d -Md) the sum of the square deviation Md : mean of difference between pre-test and post-test N : the number of sample Finally, after the calculation and finding out the final result of the t-test, then the researchers compared them to figure out if 3 x̄2= 70.5 The Table1 above shows the result score of pre-test and post-test and the differences.It can be interpreted that the highest score of the pre-test was 75 and the lowest score was 40, the total score of pre-test session was 1750, and the mean score was 58.3.In the same way, the table above shows that the lowest score of posttest was 55 and the highest score was 90, and the total score of pre-test session was 2115, and the average score was 70.5.Hence, it can be concluded that the students' post-test scores were higher than the students' pre-test score.The Result of Speaking Aspects in the Pretest and the Post-test In teaching speaking, there are several aspects required to be mastered by students such as grammar, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary and pronunciation.However, the researchers limited to focusing at improving students' fluency and pronunciation aspect.

Figure1
Figure1 below presents further information of speaking aspect scores.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Speaking Aspects Improvement The figure 1 above shows that the students had significant improvement in both aspects (fluency and pronunciation).Regarding pre-test, the total score of the students' fluency is 58.
hypothesis (Ha) is accepted, and null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected.In conclusion, after gathering all of the data by using several statistical formulas, it indicated that this research supported the alternative hypothesis (Ha).Discussion This study was aimed at finding out whether the use of podcast media in teaching can improve students' speaking skill especially in fluency and pronunciation.When the researchers have done analyzing all data, it was revealed that this research supported the alternative hypothesis.As described in the research background, that students found many difficulties in speaking performance.They could not express ideas, speak fluently, use right structures, lack of producing appropriate vocabulary and produce correct pronunciation.However, after doing several treatments, it showed the previous problems encountered by the students was solved, especially their fluency and pronunciation became better.Previously they made mistakes, but after they had rehearsed to reconstruct podcast every week during treatment sessions, a number of students showed a satisfactory progress in certain aspects.For example, in the pre-test, several students produced incorrect pronunciation, and not fluent in speaking.When they had enough practice in treatment sessions, they can solve these problems calmly in the post-test.Meanwhile, some other students also made decent improvement in more than one aspect, including vocabulary, grammar, and expressing ideas.Based on the explanation aforementioned, it is flawless that implemented podcast media can increase students' speaking skill, where the result showed statistically significant was found.This result was consistent with the finding of Fitria, Vianty, and Petrus (2015, p. 55-56) which explains that podcast helped the students in gaining better achievement in speaking.Podcast positively brings many advantages, and it completed objectives of this research.In addition, students can enhance their speaking aspects by practicing to reconstruct the podcast talk that they have heard.
The researchers concluded that the podcast media demonstrated positive fruitions on students' speaking achievement.In addition, this media could cope with students' problems in speaking, such as incorrect pronunciation and not good fluency.Where these problems only procured them unexpected score to pass Minimum Completion Criteria (Kriteria Ketuntatasan Minimal) in the test conducted by the researchers.Obviously, after post-test was held, the students' score was increased; it implies that their speaking performance have improved.Given this point, applying podcast media in teaching speaking showed positive result in assisting students to improve speaking performance especially pronunciation and fluency.Based on findings of this research, the researchers would like to propose some suggestions.For teachers, this media is appropriate to be implemented in the classroom.This helps teachers to improve students' speaking skills and to provide correct teaching materials.Nowadays, teachers do not need to worry about how to provide suitable material for teaching.There are many materials available on the internet.Thus, the podcast is recommended for a teacher in solving problems, for example finding out appropriate material for students.The teachers only need to download it for good.There are a ton of podcast materials stored in what is called the internet which are free to download.In short, these suggestions are not only directly addressed for the English teachers of SMA Negeri 11 Banda Aceh, but it also fits with other English teachers who teach speaking.In order to improve individual skill such as speaking skill, the students should immerse themselves in learning English.It means that they have to enlighten themselves with English.Students need positively to boost time in practicing English because learning English at school is not enough.Thus, one of many ways that they can do in practicing English is downloading a podcast.Additionally, podcast exposures components in speaking namely, of positive experience by means of using the podcast in learning, students will earn more motivation in learning a language,and it leads them to the better performances in their intelligibility, fluency and pronunciation.
Table 1 below illustrates the result of the students' pre-test and post-test and the differences between them.