The use of role-play to improve students’ speaking ability: A case of the tenth grade students at Islamic high school

Abstrak

The acquisition of speaking proficiency is a fundamental objective in English language pedagogy, serving as a primary indicator of linguistic mastery in global communication. However, a significant discrepancy remains in the implementation of role-play, where many educators often neglect structured preparation and feedback phases. This study aimed to examine whether the use of a structured role-play framework within the role-play method improved students' speaking ability. Adopting a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group, the research involved tenth-grade students at MAN 1 Kediri. The experimental group received optimized role-play treatment focusing on linguistic scaffolding and systematic feedback, while the control group was taught using conventional practices. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests measuring fluency, accuracy, pronunciation, and grammar, and were analyzed using Independent Sample T-tests and N-Gain scores. The results revealed that the systematic integration of preparation and evaluation phases within Role-Play effectively improved students' speaking ability, as evidenced by the experimental group's superior post-test scores and moderate N-Gain improvement. This research provided empirical evidence on how pedagogical depth in role-play procedures can bridge the gap between fluency and formal linguistic competence in EFL contexts.