ENHANCING STUDENTŚ SPEAKING SKILLS THROUGHT TASK-BASED LEARNING: AN ACTION RESEARCH AT THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

This research was conducted with the objective of enhancing the speaking abilities of students within the Senior High School. Initial interviews were conducted to assess the students' speaking skills, which revealed that their proficiency was hindered by a lack of language knowledge, resulting in a lack of confidence. The students were unfamiliar with various speaking techniques and often resorted to reading text to convey their ideas, lacking effective speaking strategies. To address this, task-based learning was implemented through an action research approach in an eleventh grade, involving twenty five students. Data was collected from pre-tests, post-tests, interviews, and observations. The results indicate that the adoption of task-based learning significantly improved the students' speaking skills in terms of accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension. The students successfully completed tasks through three phases of learning: pre-task, task-cycle, and form focus, leading to increased confidence and the ability to assess their own progress in pair and group activities.