CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

This chapter consists of elaboration about teaching speaking in English-

learning classroom and films in English language learning.

2.1. Teaching Speaking in English-Learning Classroom

Speaking aspects such as conversational discourse, pronunciation,

accuracy and fluency, affective factors and the interaction effect are current issue
in teaching communicative oral skills (Brown, 2001). Richards (2008:20) states
that conversational routines, style of speaking, and functions of speaking are
considered to be understood in learning speaking.
Conversational routines are the use of proper expression that has specific
function in conversation and give conversational discourse (Richard, 2008). The
style of speaking is used in the certain condition appropriately that reflect the
roles, ages, sex, and status of participants in interactions and the expression of
politeness (Richards, 2008:21). Functions of speaking relates to the interaction
function in which building and maintaining the social interaction and the
transaction function that focuses to the information exchange (Richard, 2008).
In addition, Brown (2001:267-268) elaborates more about the
conversational discourse that includes teaching the principle of conversation for
topic nomination, maintaining a conversation, turn-taking, interruption, and
termination, beside the sociolinguistic appropriateness, style of speech, nonverbal
communication and conversational routines.
The teaching speaking itself focuses on the functional aspects that are
speaking as interaction and as transaction (Richards 2008:21-24)
Speaking as interaction refers to conversation that maintains social
functions. It deals with greeting exchange, engage in small talk, recount recent
experiences, etc. Speaking as transaction is the conversation that aims to
information exchange without focusing on the participant and their social
interaction. Because the focus is on how the information or the message is
conveyed and is understood (Richard, 2008).
Referring to speaking as interaction and transaction above, the teaching
speaking implication focuses on the interaction and transaction. The teaching
implication of interaction provides model of dialogue relate to how to open and
close the conversation, having small talk, and recounting personal incidents and
experiences. In this teaching speaking, feedback when having conversation is the
important aspect. It relates to giving responses with expression that indicates
interest (Richards, 2008).
Teaching implication of transaction is built by providing the dialogue that
carries out the real world transaction such as information-gap activities and role
play. The main point of the activities is how the students can ask and give the
information (Richard, 2008). Thus, one of strategies in teaching speaking as
transaction is recognizing script. A predictable set of spoken exchanges are called
as a script associate some communication situations such as greeting, apologizing,
compliment, invitations, and other social and cultural norm functions that have
patterns and scripts. It becomes important for teachers to introduce these kinds of
patterns in doing speaking to support the students to realize the conversation
patterns and how they can response it (NCLRC, 2004).
Besides, the two functional aspects of speaking adapted by Richards
(2008), moreover, Brown (2001) adds another aspects, namely imitative.
Imitative is the classroom speaking types in which the learners practice a
certain intonation contour or try to pinpoint a certain sound vowel. This is just
focus on some elements of language form but it has less meaningful interaction
purpose. Therefore, the drills technique of this learning is important as the drills
offer students to listen and repeat orally in certain strings of language. In the end
the psychomotor patters will be established and accustom the students to associate
selected grammatical patterns with their appropriate context (Brown, 2001).

2.2. Films in Teaching Speaking

Film is a medium with huge potential of language and culture learning

context. Film is designed to invoke to our emotion directly and fully, besides it is
a medium of entertainment. This means the positive aspect of films is enjoyment
and emotional involvement (Mishan, 2005). In addition, film as a medium of
learning which record the social and natural environment simulates the original
sample of the learning (Wittch and Schuller, 1957).
Film consists of two elements, namely picture track and sound track. In
picture track, series of pictures are projected onto screen each second. In this
process uses light that is controlled by the projector. The sound track is combined
with the pictures in the projector. Wave of the sound is picked by a microphone to
reproduce during the projection of the pictures (Wittch and Schuller, 1957).
In this era the development of film increases to ease the use of film
especially for teaching learning. Film in this era is provided in digital video
technologies in which it can be changed, edited, displayed, shared or sent from
one computer to another. One of the forms is digital video disc (DVD) that is
compatible for playback in which it can replay and discuss as part of lesson. Even,
nowadays, it can be accessed from internet (Duffy and McDonald, 2011).
There are some reasons of using films in teaching speaking. First, besides
film can helps students practice the pronunciation (Lubis, 1988), films can
encourage students’ learning motivation (Stempleski and Tomalin, 2010; Lyna,
2009). By using films, it makes traditional English vocabulary learning and drill
memorizing practice replaces the experience of refreshing and more realistic
learning (Lyna, 2009). However, films viewing activity has potential
disadvantages for instance passiveness in which the students watch the films
without any activities. Thus, it is important for the teacher to balance the
enjoyment of watching films with detail learning process, such as, exploring the
knowledge of vocabulary and language analysis of the films (Mishan, 2005).
Second, films describe visual context of the conversation that takes place
with the speech (Altman 1989, Kitajima and Lyman-Hager 1998, Burt 1999, and
Stoller 1993, cited in Ishihara and Chi, 2004). Besides, it provides easy,
understandable illustrations that show target language related to structures,
vocabularies, and specific functional language; scripts and speech events (e.g.
making conversation, bargaining, inviting, ordering a meal, quarrelling, telephone
conversations, meetings, announcements); common native-speaker accents (UK
and US); common setting (e.g. an airport, a pub, a flat); common activities and
pattern of behavior (e.g. getting up); and interesting reaction and interaction with
expressive face and body language (Sherman, 2003). It accords with Sweeting
who (2010) states that the students can notice the different attitudes, emotion and
facial expression related to body language. As films provides detail daily life,
body language of the dialogue, and makes understandable facial expression based
on the situation of the dialogue (Ishihara and Chi, 2004; King, 2002; Gebhardt,
2004).
In addition, Sweeting in his article states that film raises the learners’
awareness of different attitudes and emotions in communication. It relates to the
role of body language and facial expression. However, films can be difficult to
comprehend the language, for instance, high verbal density which the actor has a
lot of speech with very little action; unmatched words with action; actors back to
the camera; facial expression, mouth movements, and body language are not as
expressive as the real people (Sherman, 2003).
Third, films can provide cultural information such as value and ideals, the
observable how people speak, move, behave and having relationship (Pulverness,
1999a:101 as cited in Mishan, 2005). Other cultural information for instance what
do people eat and drink, where and with whom; how do people spend their free
time; where do they shop, what do they where, what are they grooming habit; to
their basic value system, attitudes to birth, death, religion, the family, foreigners,
etc (Mishan, 2005).
However, dialect, regional accent, and period language where the old and
modern settings influence the use of language can be difficult to comprehend
(Sherman, 2003).
The last, film assists memory retention (Ishihara and Chi, 2004).
Furthermore, the recognizing of the actor and actress’ characters from the films
can make people remember more about the message in the films (Hobbs, 1990).
Dobson (2005) proposed the techniques using films in teaching speaking
especially conversation as described as follows.
1. Find out the proper films and preview to choose the current films that are
proper for the students’ characteristic deals with age, interest, and their
English proficiency level (also proposed by Lubis, 1988). Prepare the films
in short form (no more than thirty minutes) in order to make the students
have more attention rather than the whole films. The short form of films is
the proper films with the lesson topic.
2. Brainstorming or building knowledge conducted before the students watch
the films is important to encourage their curiosity of the learning. For
instance, stimulate their interest; discuss the background of the films shown,
and asking question to be answered after watching the films.
3. Present the films by using some techniques such as sound and video on
(normal viewing) in which the students are given some questions to be
answered related to the scene of the films, the students produce the
 summary of the clips shown orally, and the script of the dialogue in the
films are given to the students to be practiced (Stempleski and Tomalin,
2010:4).

4. Discuss the content of the films with the whole class.

5. Show the films more than once in the same time.

In addition, Sherman (2003:17) states there are several methods to

comprehend films. The methods are dubbing and subtitling. These can be English
films dubbed into the learners’ language, films with learners’ language subtitled in
English, English films subtitled in the learners’ language, and English films
subtitled in English that are possible provided in DVDs. It is useful for
transcribing the script of the scene by subtitling method. It is possible to improve
the reading comprehension however it will possibly decrease the listening
comprehension as the students focus to read the subtitle.