The Effect of Picture Series as A Visual Learning Aid on Students’ Speaking Skill at Eighth Grade in Mtsn 1 Sintang

Abstract

Speaking is one of the most crucial skills in learning English, but many students still find it difficult to master in the classroom. This research was carried because students tend to feel unconfident when speaking, which affects their fluency and pronunciation. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of using picture series as a visual learning aid and to evaluate its effectiveness based on the students’ perceptions. The subject of this research is eighth-grade students at MTsN 1 Sintang, specifically class 8D. The researchers employed a quantitative study using a pre-experimental one-group pretest posttest. To collect the data, the researchers used speaking tests to measure students’ speaking performance and and questionnaires to explore their perceptions toward the use of picture series in speaking activities. The findings showed a significant difference in students’ speaking ability, with the mean scores increased from 66.71 in the pre-test to 79.29 in the post-test. The statistical test result showed that significance value of 0.000, was less than 0.05. In addition, the results of the questionnaires showed that students responded positively to the use of picture series. It can be concluded that the use of picture series as a visual learning aid has a statistically significant effect on students’ speaking skill and considered an effective aid in the learning process.