THE CORRELATION BETWEEN GRAMMAR AND THE STUDENT SPEAKING

SKILLS

Oleh
Nabila Widiastari
nabilawidiastari2704@gmail.com
Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiya dan Keguruan
Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara,Indonesia

Abstract
research using quantitative methods, this study aims to determine the relationship between
grammar and speaking skills of sixth semester students of the English language education
study program at the state Islamic university of North Sumatra. participants in the
correlational study were asked to describe themselves, their daily routines, and an
unforgettable experience. Then, they were assigned to do a grammar test. Data analyzed
using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. This shows that there is a
positive correlation between students grammar and speaking skills which means that
grammar contributes to speaking skills, but grammar is not the main predictor of achievement
of speaking skills. There are several other aspects of speaking influencing students' speaking
skills, namely accuracy (in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation), fluency and
understanding. The implications of these findings for teaching speaking skills are: that
lecturers need to integrate the teaching of speaking skills with grammar and other supports
aspects, such as vocabulary and pronunciation.

Keywords: correlation, grammar, speaking skills

Introduction

Speaking skill and grammar are interrelated. Grammar gives a very important
contribution to the speaking skill. Al Hosni (2014) mentions grammar as one of the aspects
affecting speaking performance. People are able to speak effectively if they have good
grammar. With the good grammar, people can use the words and communicate with others
properly.The correlation between grammar and students' speaking skills is a topic of interest
and discussion in the field of language learning and teaching. Grammar refers to the rules and

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structures that govern a language, including how words are organized, how sentences are
formed, and how tenses and verb agreements are used. Speaking skill, on the other hand,
pertains to the ability to communicate effectively and fluently in a spoken language. strong
relationship between understanding of grammar and students' ability to speak. It is hoped that
a good understanding of grammar rules will help students express themselves fluently and
accurately in speaking.

Grammar plays a crucial role in language learning as it provides learners with the
foundation to construct meaningful and accurate sentences. It helps learners understand the
structure of a language and facilitates the expression of their ideas in a coherent manner.
Proficiency in grammar enables learners to produce grammatically correct sentences, use
appropriate verb forms, employ accurate word order, and convey their intended meaning
accurately.When it comes to speaking skills, the importance of grammar becomes evident.
While fluency and effective communication involve more than just grammatical accuracy, the
presence of grammatical errors can hinder comprehension and impact the clarity of the
message being conveyed. Inaccurate grammar can lead to misunderstandings and
misinterpretations, making it essential for learners to develop a solid grasp of grammatical
rules.

However, it is important to note that grammar alone does not guarantee effective
speaking skills. Fluency in speaking requires more than just the application of grammatical
rules. Other factors such as vocabulary, pronunciation, intonation, and sociolinguistic
competence also play crucial roles. Learners need to develop a wide range of language skills
to communicate effectively in various contexts and situations.While a strong correlation
exists between grammar and speaking skills, it is worth considering that language acquisition
is a complex process influenced by various individual and contextual factors. Some learners
may demonstrate better speaking skills despite having limited grammatical knowledge, while
others may struggle with speaking fluently even with a solid understanding of grammar.
Additionally, learners' motivation, exposure to the target language, practice opportunities,
and their own language learning strategies can impact their speaking proficiency.

In language teaching, it is important for educators to strike a balance between

teaching grammar explicitly and providing opportunities for meaningful communication.
Integrating communicative activities, such as discussions, role-plays, and real-life
simulations, alongside targeted grammar instruction can help learners develop both their

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grammatical accuracy and their speaking skills. Providing feedback and corrective guidance
on grammar during speaking activities can also contribute to learners' overall language
development.In summary, while grammar and speaking skills are correlated, they are not
mutually exclusive. Grammar forms the foundation for accurate and meaningful
communication, but other factors, such as vocabulary, pronunciation, and sociolinguistic
competence, also contribute to effective speaking. Language educators need to consider a
holistic approach to language teaching, encompassing various language skills to support
learners' overall proficiency in spoken language

Literature review

(inNunan, 1991: 23) speaking is somethingactivity to describe someone in a

particular situation or activity toreport something. Meanwhile, according to Tarigan (1990: 8)
"Talking isa way to communicate that influences our daily lives”. This mattermeans speaking
is a way of communicating that can influencesomeone's life. Speaking is one of the skills or
abilities in English to express opinions, comment, and reject the opinions of othersif it is not
in accordance with our opinion, as well as the ability to ask and answer the
question.Lazaraton (2001), speaking requires active interaction between the speaker and the
listener as the process of constructing and sharing meaning involving components of
pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and understanding.

Speaking is one aspect of skill language that is owned by someone to convey ideas,
thoughtsand feelings so that the ideas that are in the mind speaker can be understood by
others. Iskandarwassid&Sunendar(2011: 241) states that speaking skills arethe skill of
reproducing the currents of the articulation sound system forconvey wishes, feelings, needs,
and desires to others.In line with the opinion of Iskandarwassid&Sunendar, Solchan, et al.
(2014: 132) states that speaking is an ability convey messages orally to others. Messages can
bethoughts, feelings, attitudes, responses, judgments, and so on.The essence of speaking is
someone conveying a message to others. This message can be in the form of thoughts, ideas,
feelings, attitudes, responses, assessments, and so on according to the speaker's needs. Speech
must be coherent and conveyed properly, thereforeSpeaking skills must be properly trained
so that they are deep convey information, ideas, thoughts, feelings, and desireseasily received

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and understood by listeners. Besides oneSpeakers are also required to be able to
communicate ideas his ideas according to the needs of his listeners.

Grammar is English grammar. Grammar is basic in English because it is related to the

formation of sentence structure the good, Michael Swan, linguists who are more likely to pay
attention British native English (British English) defines grammar as “The rules that show
how words are combined, arranged or changed to show certain kinds of meaning.” Several
studies have investigated the impact of explicit grammar instruction on students' speaking
skills. For example, Smith (2015) conducted research with a group of English as a second
language (ESL) students and found that explicit grammar instruction helped improve their
speaking skills, especially in terms of accuracy and fluency.

Method

This research is a quantitative research, this study uses a correlational research design.
According to Sugiyono (2018; 13) quantitative data is a research method that is based on
positivistic (concrete data), research data is in the form of numbers that will be measured
using statistics as a counting test tool, related to the problem being studied to produce a
conclusion. According to Sinambela (2020) quantitative research is a type of research that
uses numbers to process data to produce structured information. This research will be carried
out at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra, the ethics in this research is that the
authors before conducting research have received permission from language students English
at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra, and participants always participate in this
research without coercion., carried out in the sixth semester of TBI1, TBI2 and TBI3 student
classes majoring in English.This study uses a correlational research design. It is used to find
correlation between two variables, namely grammar as a variable x and speaking skills as the
y variable. The population of this study were all six semester students English Education
Study Program at Islamic State University of North Sumatra The total population is 85
students divided into 3 parallel classes, namely TBI 1 consisting of 34 students.students, TBI
2 consists of 28 students, and TBI 3 consists of 23 students. That samples from the population
were taken using purposive sampling technique. In conducting research, researchers used
grammar and speaking tests test as a data collection instrument. In the grammar test, the test
is given in a multiple choice test simple present tense and simple past tense. Meanwhile in
speaking test, the test given is in the form of an oral interview about self-description,daily
routines, and unforgettable experiences. The validity of the speaking test was measured using

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SPSS 20. The test contained 3 numbered items about self-description, daily routines, and
memorable experiences. The researcher also measured the reliability of the speaking test
using Cronbach's Alpha on SPSS 20.