ABSTRACT

Nabilah, Muhammad Yafie. 2026. Role Play on Students’ Speaking Fluency for the Eighth Grade Students of SMPN 24 Banjarmasin. Sarjana’s Thesis. English Language Education Department, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Lambung Mangkurat University, Banjarmasin. The first advisor: Sirajuddin Kamal, S.S. M.Ed., the second advisor: Dr. Hj. Noor Eka Chandra,M.Pd.

Keywords: role play, speaking fluency, storytelling

              Speaking fluency is an essential aspect of learning English as a foreign language, yet many students still face difficulties in speaking smoothly and confidently due to limited opportunities for real-time communication. This study aims to investigate the effect of role play on students’ speaking fluency. Role play was selected because it encourages spontaneous and interactive communication through simulated real-life situations, in line with the principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). In contrast, storytelling was used as the control technique because it is a conventional speaking activity commonly implemented in English classrooms, allowing a comparison between an interactive and a more traditional instructional approach. This research employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent control group design. The participants consisted of two classes of eighth-grade students at SMPN 24 Banjarmasin, selected through cluster random sampling. The experimental group was taught using role play, while the control group was taught using storytelling. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test speaking assessments based on three indicators of speaking fluency: speech rate (the natural speed of speech production), pausing (the frequency and appropriateness of pauses during speaking), and repair (the occurrence of self-corrections, repetitions, or false starts). The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired sample t-test and independent sample t-test in IBM SPSS Statistics 27. The findings showed that both groups improved; however, the experimental group demonstrated a higher increase, with the mean score rising from 66 to 77.7, while the control group improved from 66.67 to 73. The result of the independent sample t-test revealed a significance value of 0.017, which is lower than 0.05, indicating that the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis was accepted. These results confirm that role play has a significant effect on students’ speaking fluency and is more effective than storytelling, as it provides greater opportunities for meaningful interaction and spontaneous language production. Therefore, role play is recommended as an effective teaching technique to enhance students’ speaking fluency and confidence in English communication.