Teaching Speaking using Information-Gap

As information-gap activity is done in group, the teaching procedures is like group-work activity.  Before talking more about group work activity, it is better to know the meaning of group work.  According to Brown (2000: 177), group work is a technique in which two or more students are assigned a task that involves collaboration and self-initiated language.  It means that in group activity, the teacher should divide the students into pairs or a group of three or more students.

Further, Brown (2000: 187) stated the procedures of group work activity.  The procedures or steps in teaching speaking using information-gap are as follows:

a.          Introduce the technique

     In this step, the teacher introduces what activity will be done, including the rules where the students have to work in group or pairs and what they should do.

b.         Model the technique

      In this step, the teacher should give model as the example in doing the technique.  In this case, the teacher can do it with one of the students to come forward as a model with the teacher.  Next model is a pair of students in the class to come forward and practice it.

c.          Give explicit detailed instructions

     Here, the teacher gives detail rules how to do this activity, including what the students should do in this activity.

d.         Divide the class into groups

    After giving example and gives detail rules, the teacher should divide the students into group or pairs.  In this information-gap activity, the teacher divides the students into pairs.

e.          Check for clarification

    What is meant by check for clarification here is the teacher asks the students whether they understand or not.  It can be done by controlling the students’ activity from group to group.

f.          Set the task in motion

    In this way, the teacher sets the activity in joyful and relax situation.  Here, the students are free from being forced.  So, they have to do the task freely and enjoyably so that they can be motivated to do the task well.

Source:

Brown, Douglas, H., 2000 . Principles of Language Learning and Teaching . London : Longman.

Conversation about Describing Places, Expressing Feeling and Making Suggestions.

Erma        :Hi..guys, have you finished the assignment?

H,M,S      :Not yet..

Heni         :How about we finishing the assignment together?

May          :That’s good idea

Sinta        :But, where we have to finish the assignment?

Erma        :How about hotspot area? we also can browse internet.

H,M,S      :OK, lets go

Heni         :Wow the situation is very crowded here.

May          :Yes, because many university students are here for browsing internet to finish the assignment, but they are also opening their FB or twitter.

Sinta        :Actually the connection internet is very slow here.

Erma        :Yes,whereas we need connect internet for browsing this assignmnet.

Heni         :It’s very disappointed.

May         :Au ch..it’s hot here, although the fan is everywhere.

Sinta        :Of course it is hot, look at the roof is made of fiber.

Erma        :More over, this area is surrounded by many rooms, so the air is not fresh.

Heni         :How do you feel?

Erma        :I feel uncomfortable in here.

May          :So am I, I feel hungry and thirsty guys, how about we going to the canteen?

Sinta        :Wait for a moment, we have to finish the assignment before right.

May          :But I can’t hold on the situation.

Heni         :Why don’t you be patient?

May          :I’ll try that.

Erma        :Do you have suggestion for it place?.

Sinta        :The roof should be changed with the tile roof like my house, so can be more overcast.

Heni         :Yes, and the internet connection must be fastened because many students need the internet.

May          :So we can spend time here more comfortable.

Erma        :That’s good idea.

EXPRESSIONS ABOUT LIKE AND DISLIKE

Erma   : Hi, good morning..

Sinta   : Good morning too..

Erma   : You so look beautiful today.

Sinta   : ohh...thank you.

             You know what make’s me beautiful?

Erma   : It must be your shirt is new!

Sinta   : How do you know it?

              This shirt is gift from my boyfriend.

Erma   : oh...so sweet..

Sinta   : I like it, this shirt is casual,comfortable,simple and beautiful color, so I look beautiful.

Erma   : I agree.

Sinta   : Do you like casual clothes?

Erma   : Yes I do, I think casual clothes is comfortable and confidence.

Sinta   : Wow, we have same the favorite fashion style, How about we go to shopping together next   time?

Erma   : That’s good idea.

Sinta   : By the way, you hear this music?

Erma   : Yes this music is very romantic.

Sinra   : yeah, this song remain me to my beloved former.

Erma   :oh dear..

Sinta   : But. No problem, I didn’t think about him anymore.

Erma   : That’s good, you did a great job for that.

Sinta   : Ok, by the way do you like romantic song?

Erma   : yes I do, but I like dangdut song more than romantic song.

Sinta   : That’s really interesting, why do you like dangdut?

Erma   : I think dangdut always make me happy every time.

Sinta   : Can you sing a dangdut song?

Erma   : Yes I can, next time I will perform for you.

Characteristic of Successful Speaking Activity

To support the teaching learning process of speaking skill, the teachers must know about the characteristics of students and also the characteristics of successful speaking activity. If the teacher knows about the characteristics of each student, the teacher can easily give the material to students. According to Underhil (1987; 120), there are some characteristics of successful speaking activity:

1.   Students talk a lot

As much as possible period of time allotted to the activity occupied by students talk. This is obvious, but often most time is taken up with teacher talks or pauses. It means the students must be active to speak with their friends as mush as possible. It is very clear that the students are busy, but they seldom spent their time to talk with their teacher.

2.   Participation is even

            Classroom discussion is not dominated by a monitory of talkative participants: all get a chance to speak, and contributions are fairly evenly distributed. It means that the classroom discussion is not dominated by one participant only, but all of participants get a same chance to speak.

3.   Motivation is high

Students 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 achieve an objective task. It means that the students have high motivation to speak English. By having a high motivation, the students will be interested in learning English, especially in speaking. They often try to deliver their own idea confidently.

            4.   Language is of an acceptable level

Students express themselves in utterances that are relevant, easily comprehensible to each other, and of an acceptable level of language accuracy. It means that they use the components of speaking which are relevant with the acceptable level of language such as, pronunciation, grammar, fluency, and comprehensible. So, the students often try to speaking English correctly in real communication.

Source :

Underhil nic. 1987. Testing Spoken Language. London: Cambridge University Press.