The Influence of the Harry Potter Series to Improve the Speaking

Skills of Students with British Accent by Practicing the

Vocabulary and Dialogue

Andre Silitonga¹, Hammi Kasifa Pohan², Yenita³

English Education Study Program, Medan State University
andresilitonga554@gmail.com,
hammikasifapohan@gmail.com, syahwasabilla12@gmail.com

Abstract

A movie is a picture recorded with a sound that tells a story. Movies or movie series can be
used as a medium of language learning to improve the ability to speak a foreign language,
such as English. One series that can be used as a medium of English learning is the Harry
Potter series. The series can help students in improving speaking skills with a British accent.
The study aims to find out if the Harry Potter series can influence and improve the speaking
ability of students with British accents. The research was designed descriptively by
distributing questionnaires and asking students to watch the Harry Potter series titled Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and then students were asked to record their voices by
saying some of the dialogue spoken by the characters in the Harry Potter series in a British
accent. The subject of this study is a second-semester student of Medan State University.

Keyword: Harry Potter series, Improve the Speaking Skills, British accent

a temporary answer because the conjecture

INTRODUCTION
can be true, it can also be wrong.
Hypothesis Therefore, it is necessary to research the

Hypotheses were proposed to types of hypotheses used in this study are:

prove whether or not the author's guesses

 The null hypothesis: There is no
regarding the influence of the Harry Potter
influence of the Harry Potter series
series in improving students' speaking
on improving students' speaking
skills, especially using British accents, by
skills.
practicing vocabulary and dialogue spoken
by characters in the series. A hypothesis is

1
  The alternative hypothesis: There
is an influence of the Harry Potter
series on improving students'
speaking skills.
Background
Language is a symbol used to carry
out communication between individuals
with individuals, individuals with groups,
and groups with groups. One form of
communication is by speaking. Speaking
skills become one of the keys to success in
the field of education, career, work, and in
social relationships that everyone has. This
is because speaking skills will facilitate
verbal or verbal communication.
According to Brown and Yule (2007),
speaking is the ability to pronounce
language sounds to express or convey
thoughts, thoughts or feelings orally. Thus,
it can be said that the ability to speak can
facilitate the passage of communication
between humans.
English is an international
language, in other words English has
become a necessity in this day and age.
Therefore, learning English is
important, especially for students. In
general, English is categorized into two
styles, namely British and American.
These two styles certainly
differences, and the most fundamental
difference is the accent used. British
accents tend to be considered to have a
more difficult level when compared to
American accents.
Movie is one alternative that can be
used as a medium of language learning.
Referring to sederet.com "watching
movies can help us know the appropriate
intonation when a word or phrase is said.
What's more, we will know the
pronunciation of a word through the
movie. It's even better if after or while
watching a movie we try to recite the
words that have just been said by the
characters in the movie to practice
speaking skills. In addition, watching
movies can add to the preservation of our
English vocabulary. Movies can present
new vocabulary, idioms, or phrases that
we've never learned before." One movie
that is suitable for use as a medium of
learning English is the Harry Potter series
adapted from the novel written by J. K
Rowling. The series is very good to use to
learn English British accents. In addition,
the genre of the series is also not boring,
namely fantasy and magic. It is very
very interesting to be used as a medium of
learning and fatigue relief.
In the way mentioned above,
students can easily imitate the British
have
accent spoken by the cast of the Harry
Potter series. By practicing vocabulary and
dialogue spoken by figures can perfect the
2
speaking skills of students with a British State University to be exact at the
accent. Language and Arts Faculty who are taking
the English Education Study Program for
Problem
the 2021/2022 academic year. This
Based on this hypothesis and research was conducted online by utilizing
background comes the formulation of the various media such as Google Forms and
following problem: Whether the Harry the WhatsApp application to get the results
Potter series can help improve the ability of the student speaking test which was
to speak a British accent for students of conducted on May 10, 2022.
Medan State University?
Sample
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
According to Arikunto (2006: 131),
Method the sample is part or representative of the
population to be studied. If the research is
This research applied descriptive
carried out by part of the population, it can
quantitative methods. According to
be said that the study is a sample study. ).
(Arikunto, 2006), the quantitative research
The researcher applies a questionnaire
method is a method that aims to make a
system or questionnaire which is
picture or descriptive about a situation
distributed to all students of the second
objectively using numbers, starting from
semester English education study program
data collection, to the data as well as the
to answer several questions that will be
appearance and results. The instrument
answered according to the research title.
used was a speaking test using recorded
However, there are only 30 answers or
media and also by using a questionnaire
samples obtained by researchers.
through a Google form in collecting data.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Population
The Harry Potter Series' Influence
Population is the total number of
Questionnaire in Improving Student
units or individuals whose characteristics
Speaking Skills has been shared on
are to be studied. And these units are
Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The spread of
called units of analysis, and can be people,
questionnaires was carried out on 30
institutions, things, and so on. (Djarwanto,
students of Medan State University to find
1994: 420). The population in this study is
out whether the Harry Potter series had an
the second semester students of Medan

3
effect in improving speaking skills, terms of speaking
especially the use of British accents for skills?
students. The results of the questionnaire 5 Have you tried to 53,3 46,7
obtained are as follows: practice the % %
pronunciation of
The Students' responses based on the
vocabulary and
questionnaires that have been distributed
dialogues spoken
N Question Percentage
by the cast of the
O of Student
Harry Potter
Responses
series?
Yes No
6 In your opinion, 86,7 13,3
1 Do you watch the 73,3 26,7
can practicing % %
Harry Potter % %
vocabulary
series?
pronunciation
2 Do you think 83,3 16,7
and dialogue
watching the % %
spoken by the
Harry Potter
characters in the
series can
Harry Potter
improve your
series help
speaking skills?
improve your
3 Do you think the 83,3 16,7
speaking skills?
Harry Potter % %
7 Do you 86,7 13,3
series can help
recommend the % %
you pronounce
Harry Potter
British accents
series to watch
more easily?
and serve as a
4 In your opinion, 86,7 13,3
medium for
can watching the % %
learning English
Harry Potter
for students,
series be a
especially in
suitable
improving
alternative in
speaking skills?
learning English,
especially in

4
 The table above contains questions
about how respondents responded to the
Harry Potter series, where the questions
aimed to find out whether the Harry Potter
series is suitable for use as a medium of
English learning in terms of improving
speaking skills, especially the use of
accent Britis among students. From the
table above, it can be concluded that the
Harry Potter series is suitable for use as
one of the mediums of learning English
British accents.
In addition to using the
questionnaire instrument from Google
Forms, we also use voice recordings to get
more accurate results. Students were asked
to record their own voices by saying one
of the dialogues in the Harry Potter series
entitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone (2001). From the records that have
been obtained, 87% of students still have
difficulty in practicing a British accent.
However, after being asked to listen
carefully to the dialogue spoken by the
characters in the Harry Potter series their
pronunciation sounded better than before.
This proves that practice and repetition
will help students in improving better
speaking skills.
CONCLUSION
Based on the analysis results
obtained, quite a lot of good feedback
5
about this harry potter series will help
speaking skills, especially in the use of
British accent. That explains that this
Harry Potter series can help or improve
our English language skills for Medan
State University students and students
from other universities. The number of
respondents who filled out the
questionnaire that we distributed was 30
students. The results obtained indicate that
the Harry Potter series can influence and
improve students' speaking skills,
especially in the use of British accents.
The method of practice and repetition of
dialogue and vocabulary are spoken by the
characters in the Harry Potter series is very
helpful for students in terms of improving
the pronunciation of students British
accent.
SUGGESTION
Our advice to respondents and
language learners is to try to improve and
maintain our English speaking skills by
using available media, especially learning
from film series. We highly recommend
this series and quite a few have realized
that it can help us to practice using accents
in English.
REFERENCES
What is a hypothesis?
https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-
is-a-
hypotheses.html#:~:text=In%20research%
2C%20there%20is%20a,of%20investigati
on%20is%20an%20experiment) Retrieved
and downloaded on May 16th, 2022.

Brown and Yule (2007),

http://digilib.uinsgd.ac.id/35483/4/4_bab1.
pdf Retrieved and downloaded on May
16th, 2022.

Learn English with Movies,

https://www.sederet.com/tutorial/belajar-
bahasa-inggris-lewat-film/ Retrieved and
downloaded on May 16th, 2022.

British accent through Harry Potter movie,

http://iconelepbi.uin-
alauddin.ac.id/index.php/iconele02/procee
ding02/paper/view/180/90 Retrieved and
downloaded on May 16th, 2022.