STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT IN “SNOWBALL THROWING TECHNIQUE” IN SPEAKING CLASS (A Case Study at the Eleventh Grade in of One Vocational High Schools in Ciamis)

Abstract

Engagement takes important part in language learning because it will be able to increase students’ positive attitudes and behaviors as well as increase students’ success and learning ownership. Embracing students in speaking is a language teachers’ challenge. Today, some students have less engagement in speaking classes because of lack of vocabulary, so that they feel embarrassed in speaking class. This study intends to observe the students engagement in doing Snowball Throwing Technique as a means in speaking class. There are two research questions addresed: (1) How is the student engaged in snowball throwing technique in speaking class? And (2) How are the students perception on the Snowball Throwing Technique implementation in speaking class?. The researcher used a case study in this research. There were thirty-five students as the participants at grade eleven of one Vocational High School in Ciamis. The researcher distributed a classroom observation and close-ended questionaire. In analysing the classroom observation, the researcher transcribe and interpret the data. Then, the researcher used the precentage computation from close-ended questionaire which was showed into the table completed with the description and conclusion of each item. The data interpretation was based on responses from the close-ended questionaire. The study result showed that Snowball Throwing Technique can improve students’ engagement in speaking class and give a new learning environment, enable students to collaborate. In addition, the results also show that the students show their engagement dimension. They are the engagement of emotion, behavior, cognitive, reflection, social, and goal-clarity with different level.