The Use of Tongue Twister to Motivate Students in Speaking Class

Abstract

This study investigates the use of tongue twister activities as a strategy to enhance students’ motivation in speaking English. The research was conducted at a senior high school in Ciamis and employed a qualitative narrative inquiry approach. The participants consisted of a pre-service teacher and senior high school students observed over three classroom meetings. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings revealed that students showed low motivation and participation during the first meeting when tongue twisters were not used. However, in the second and third meetings, the use of tongue twister games increased student engagement, enthusiasm, and confidence in speaking. Tongue twisters served as effective warm-up activities that reduced anxiety and made the class atmosphere more enjoyable. Moreover, pre-service teachers perceived tongue twisters as a fun and creative medium to teach pronunciation and fluency. It is concluded that tongue twisters can be a valuable pedagogical tool to foster intrinsic motivation and speaking performance in English classrooms.