Using impromptu role-playing as an instructional technique to improve senior high school students' speaking skills in EFL context
Abstract
Students’ speaking problems include limited vocabulary mastery and insufficient opportunities for classroom practice. Previous studies have shown that impromptu role-play is an effective technique for improving speaking skills. This study aims to investigate the effect of the impromptu role-play technique on the English-speaking ability of eleventh-grade English Literature students at a senior high school in Tanjungpinang. This research employed a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design. The instrument was a two-minute speaking test performed in front of the class. The sample consisted of 30 students selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. The result of the paired-sample t-test revealed a significance value of 0.000, which was lower than 0.05, indicating that the alternative hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis was rejected. This finding shows that the implementation of impromptu role-play significantly improved students’ speaking skills. The study implies that impromptu role-play can be used as an effective technique to promote students’ speaking performance and confidence through simulated real-life communication.
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References
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Harris, D. P. (1969). Testing English as a Second Language. Mcgraw-Hill.
Idham, S. Y., Subramaniam, I., Khan, A. B. B. M. A., & Mugair, S. K. (2022). The effect of role-playing techniques on the speaking skills of students at university. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(8), 1622–1629. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1208.19
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Krebt, D. M. (2017). The effectiveness of role play techniques in teaching speaking for EFL college students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(5), 863–870. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0805.04
Lahbibi, K., & Farhane, H. (2023). The impact of role play on enhancing EFL students’ interaction in English. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 5(1), 28–51. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v5i1.1155
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
Mandasari, B., & Aminatun, D. (2020). Improving students’ speaking performance through vlog. English Education : Journal of English Teaching and Research, 5(2), 136–142. https://doi.org/10.29407/jetar.v5i2.14772
Maulana, D., Wahyuni, W. S., & Siregar, D. (2018). The correlation between motivation behaviour and speaking ability. PROJECT: Professional Journal of English Education, 1(2), 115-124. https://doi.org/10.22460/project.v1i2.p115-124
Namaziandost, E., Homayouni, M., & Rahmani, P. (2020). The impact of cooperative learning approach on the development of EFL learners’ speaking fluency. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2020.1780811
Nikmah, A., & Zami, M. A. N. Z. (2019). The implementation of role play to improve EFL speaking skill of the second semester students of IAIN KUDUS. Journal of English Teaching and Learning Issues, 2(2), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.21043/jetli.v2i2.6104
Pinatih, I. G. A. D. P. (2021). Improving students’ speaking skill through role-play technique in 21st century. Journal of Educational Study, 1(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.36663/joes.v1i1.159
Rojas, M. A., & Villafuerte, J. (2018). The influence of implementing role-play as an educational technique on EFL speaking development. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 8(7), 726–732. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0807.02
Telaumbanua, A. T., Telaumbanua, W. A., Lahagu, A., & Laoli, E. S. (2024). Pengaruh sistem pembelajaran moving class terhadap motivasi belajar siswa di SMK Negeri 1 Gunungsitoli Utara. CONSILIUM Journal: Journal Education and Counseling, 636–647. https://doi.org/10.36841/consilium.v5i1.6091
Wael, A., Asnur, M. N. A., & Ibrahim, I. (2018). Exploring students’ learning strategies in speaking performance. International Journal of Language Education, 2(1), 65–71. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v2i1.5238
Ayuningtias, D. O., Wulandari, & Yana. (2019). The use of role play to improve students’ speaking skill. PROJECT: Professional Journal of English Education, 2(3), 416–420. https://doi.org/10.22460/project.v2i3.p416-420
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education (Eight edition). Routledge.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research Design, Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications.
Guebba, B. (2021). The nature of speaking in the classroom: An overview. Middle East Research Journal of Linguistics and Literature, 1(1), 9–12. https://doi.org/10.36348/merjll.2021.v01i01.002
Harefa, P. T., Harefa, A. T., Zega, R., & Waruwu, Y. (2025). The implementation of the role play method in improving students’ speaking skill at the eighth grade of UPTD SMP Negeri 4 Gunungsitoli Selatan. International Journal of English Education and Linguistics (IJoEEL), 7(2), 259–275. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33650/ijoeel.v7i2.12267
Harris, D. P. (1969). Testing English as a Second Language. Mcgraw-Hill.
Idham, S. Y., Subramaniam, I., Khan, A. B. B. M. A., & Mugair, S. K. (2022). The effect of role-playing techniques on the speaking skills of students at university. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(8), 1622–1629. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1208.19
Irawan, D., Susyla, D., Angraini, R., & Ananda, R. P. (2022). Students’ speaking performances evaluation in English webinar series activity article history. Literary Critism, 08(01), 22–29. https://jurnal.unived.ac.id/index.php/jlc/article/view/2757
Ishak, S. A., & Aziz, A. A. (2022). Role play to improve ESL learners’ communication skills: A systematic review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v12-i10/14851
Jaya, H. P., Petrus, I., & Pitaloka, N. L. (2022). Speaking performance and problems faced by English major students at a university in South Sumatera. Indonesian EFL Journal (IEFLJ), 8(1), 105–112. https://doi.org/10.25134/ieflj.v8i1.5603
Kardiansyah, M. Y., & Qodriani, L. U. (2018). English extracurricular and its role to improve students’ english speaking ability. RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 4(1), 60–69. https://doi.org/10.22225/jr.4.1.522.60-69
Karmida, K., Hasibuan, A. L., & Nurlaili, N. (2024). An analysis of students’ low confidence in speaking, as the attribute of pronunciation context. Journey: Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 7(2), 331–336. https://doi.org/10.33503/journey.v7i2.845
Kholifah, S., Saleh, M., & Faridi, A. (2021). The effect of intrinsic motivation on students’ improvement of english speaking skill: A case study of the second grade students of MA Futuhiyyah 2 Demak. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 11(10), 228–235. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.10.2021.p11824
Krebt, D. M. (2017). The effectiveness of role play techniques in teaching speaking for EFL college students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(5), 863–870. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0805.04
Lahbibi, K., & Farhane, H. (2023). The impact of role play on enhancing EFL students’ interaction in English. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 5(1), 28–51. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v5i1.1155
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics, 33(1), 159–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
Mandasari, B., & Aminatun, D. (2020). Improving students’ speaking performance through vlog. English Education : Journal of English Teaching and Research, 5(2), 136–142. https://doi.org/10.29407/jetar.v5i2.14772
Maulana, D., Wahyuni, W. S., & Siregar, D. (2018). The correlation between motivation behaviour and speaking ability. PROJECT: Professional Journal of English Education, 1(2), 115-124. https://doi.org/10.22460/project.v1i2.p115-124
Namaziandost, E., Homayouni, M., & Rahmani, P. (2020). The impact of cooperative learning approach on the development of EFL learners’ speaking fluency. Cogent Arts and Humanities, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2020.1780811
Nikmah, A., & Zami, M. A. N. Z. (2019). The implementation of role play to improve EFL speaking skill of the second semester students of IAIN KUDUS. Journal of English Teaching and Learning Issues, 2(2), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.21043/jetli.v2i2.6104
Pinatih, I. G. A. D. P. (2021). Improving students’ speaking skill through role-play technique in 21st century. Journal of Educational Study, 1(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.36663/joes.v1i1.159
Rojas, M. A., & Villafuerte, J. (2018). The influence of implementing role-play as an educational technique on EFL speaking development. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 8(7), 726–732. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0807.02
Telaumbanua, A. T., Telaumbanua, W. A., Lahagu, A., & Laoli, E. S. (2024). Pengaruh sistem pembelajaran moving class terhadap motivasi belajar siswa di SMK Negeri 1 Gunungsitoli Utara. CONSILIUM Journal: Journal Education and Counseling, 636–647. https://doi.org/10.36841/consilium.v5i1.6091
Wael, A., Asnur, M. N. A., & Ibrahim, I. (2018). Exploring students’ learning strategies in speaking performance. International Journal of Language Education, 2(1), 65–71. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v2i1.5238
Published
2026-06-30
How to Cite
NI'MATUZZAKIYAH, Ni'matuzzakiyah et al.
Using impromptu role-playing as an instructional technique to improve senior high school students' speaking skills in EFL context.
Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, [S.l.], v. 18, n. 1, p. 16-31, june 2026.
ISSN 2655-8718.
Available at: <https://unars.ac.id/ojs/index.php/pioneer/article/view/7050>. Date accessed: 28 july 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v18i1.7050.
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