A CORRELATIONAL STUDY BETWEEN ENGLISH SPEAKING

ABILITY AND FREQUENCY OF WATCHING HOLLYWOOD MOVIES

AT MTSN BARABAI

THESIS PROPOSAL

presented in the fulfillment of final assignment

of Quantitative Research Methods taught by Dr. Gunadi Harry Sulistyo, M.A.

by:
Nur Alfa Rahmah

STATE UNIVERSITY OF MALANG

GRADUATE PROGRAM
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
December 2011

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

This introductory chapter provides basic ideas related to the study being
carried out. This chapter presents several subtopics as background of the study,
statement of the problems, objectives of the study, statement of hypothesis,
significance of the study, assumptions, delimitation of the study, and definition of
key terms, which are presented in that order.

1.1.

Background of the Study

Learning a second language is a long and complex process. A total

commitment, involvement, and response are necessary to successfully send and

receive messages in a second language. In a non-English-speaking country, such
as Indonesia, where English is a foreign language, inadequate training grounds are
still one of the problem in teaching English to young learners successfully. It
explains, in some extend, why there are only a few people who achieve fluency in
a foreign language within the classroom boundary (Brown, 2000).
Language fluency has a close and strong relation with receptive skills and
productive skills issue. What we say or write is heavily influenced by what we
hear and see. As stated by Harmer (2007), the more we see and listen to
comprehensible input, the more English we acquire, notice or learn. A lot of
exposure to English input is, then, necessary to rapidly improve someones
English skills, especially speaking.

English speaking input generally covers the types of spoken language

suggested by Nunan (1991 in Brown, 2001) and Thornburry (2005 in Harmer,
2007) which divides speaking events into monologue and dialogue. Dialogue is
subdivided into two functions: transactional and interpersonal (Thornburry, 2005
in Harmer, 2007) these two speaking events mostly are just not accommodated
enough by the limited hour of the teaching of English speaking in the class.
Teachers role alone cannot support the rapid progress of English young learners.
The learners also need to be creative and active in practicing the language outside
formal educational confine.
The mastery of language skills starts from imitating the original producer
of the language or native speaker. To have good English speaking ability, learners
need to know and get used to how native speakers normally speak. It might be
impossible and not necessary anymore to speak like a native speaker; however,
native speakers English until today still forms an ideal goal to keep in mind. The
native speakers competence, proficiency, or knowledge of the language is a
necessary point of reference for the second language proficiency concept used in
language teaching theory (Stern, 1991).
To be able to speak like one, English learners should be exposed to the
authentic audio materials so that they can imitate the way native speaker speak.
Nevertheless, hoping that students can be that diligent to learn the non-reciprocal
monotonousauthentic material regularly may be too excessive in a sense that
young learners can easily get bored with non-communicative material. An audio
visual material is way better than just an audio. It does not only conform to the
need of students with auditory and visual learning styles, but is also

communicative and easily understood, not to mention the influence it has on the
audiences subconscious mind. In language pedagogy, we recognize subconscious
mind as a place where learners acquisition is stored and has an important role in
communication, in this case, speaking.
Visual learner tend to prefer reading and studying charts, drawings and
other graphic information; audio material will be hard for them, while auditory
learners prefer listening to lectures and audiotapes; visual material will be hard for
them. Most successful learners utilize both visual and auditory input (Brown,
2000). Therefore, using audio visual media such as computer or television for
independent study is a very effective strategy to improve ones ability in speaking
because it accommodate both learning styles and influences language users
subconscious mind.
Among all English authentic audio-visual materials existing among
Indonesian societies, Hollywood movies are the most accessible ones. It is
available not only in movie rental but also internet and downloadable with low
prices. Young teenagers are the largest consumers of these movies.
Regarding Hollywood movies as audio visual media to which people can
get direct access to English authentic material and learners nature to grasp easily
the materials which are presented in audio visual way, the researcher is interested
to know whether students frequency of watching Hollywood movies has
correlation with their English speaking ability.

1.2. Statement of the Problems

In line with the background of the study above, the research problem to be
investigated is whether the correlation between English speaking ability and
frequency of watching Hollywood movies exists. This general research can be
specified into the following:
1. Is the increased of students score in accuracy (grammar) during speaking
followed by the students frequency of watching Hollywood movies?
2. Is the increased of students score in fluency during speaking followed by the
students frequency of watching Hollywood movies?
3. Is the increased of students score in pronunciation during speaking followed
by the students frequency of watching Hollywood movies?
4. Is the increased of students score in using proper vocabulary during speaking
followed by the students frequency of watching Hollywood movies?

1.3. Objectives of the Study

In general, the purpose of the study is to investigate the correlation
between English speaking ability and frequency of watching Hollywood movies.
Specifically, the purpose of the study is formulated as follows:
1. to examine whether there is a correlation between students score in accuracy
(grammar) during speaking and their frequency of watching Hollywood
movies;
2. to examine whether there is a correlation between students score in fluency
during speaking and their frequency of watching Hollywood movies;

3. to examine whether there is a correlation between students score in

pronunciation during speaking and their frequency of watching Hollywood
movies; and
4. to examine whether there is a correlation between students score in using
proper vocabulary during speaking and their frequency of watching
Hollywood movies.

1.4. Statement of Hypothesis

In accordance with the general research problem mentioned previously, the
hypotheses are constructed as below:
1. The ability to speak accurately is related to the frequency of watching
Hollywood movies.
2. The ability to speak fluently is related to the frequency of watching
Hollywood movies.
3. The ability to pronounce words correctly during speaking is related to the
frequency of watching Hollywood movies.
4. The ability to use vocabulary properly during speaking is related to the
frequency of watching Hollywood movies.

1.5. Significance of the Study

The result of this study is expected to give useful contribution to English
language teaching (ELT) generally and the teaching of speaking especially. The
findings hopefully can be suggestion for teachers to utilize audio visual media in
teaching learning process to make it more attractive and easily comprehended and

acquired by the students; and to use authentic material so that students can get
access to real life situation in English speaking environment. In this case, schools
are expected to provide more learning media which explore both auditory and
visual learning styles to make acquisition process of the lesson being taught easier
for students. The result of this research can also be used to for further research,
such as experimental research, which examines whether students who are asked to
watch certain Hollywood movies regularly in a week can have better English
speaking ability compared to those who do not watch Hollywood movies
regularly or have not watched any of them.

1.6. Assumptions
Several assumptions is carrying out the present study need to be
established. Substantially, the assumptions that underlie the current study are
formulated as follows:
1. The abilities that are measure in the present study like the ability to speak
accurately, the ability to speak fluently, the ability to pronounce correctly
during speaking, and the ability to use words properly during speaking can be
obtained because the subjects have sufficient abilities to speak accurately,
fluently, pronounce correctly during speaking, and use words properly during
speaking.
2. All the variables under interest such as the ability to speak accurately, the
ability to speak fluently, the ability to pronounce correctly during speaking,
and the ability to use words properly during speaking are trainable and
measurable.

3. Although individual differences exist, the population is considered to be

homogenous because they came from the same school, MAN 3 Barabai. It is
assumed that the students have the same age about 14-16 years old, and have
relatively the same proficiency level, learning environment, tasks, and
teachers.

1.7. Delimitation of the Study

This study only concerns with the influence of audio visual media, in this
case, Hollywood movies to factors related to English speaking ability. The
frequency of watching Hollywood movie as an audio visual media is chosen as
the independent variable in this research since it is suggested by some researchers
(Brown, 2000; Babin in Iswarahadi, ___; Jeremy; 2007; Stern, 1991; and Brown,
2001) to have positive correlation with students speaking ability.
Four skills are classified as under English speaking skills or ability namely
the ability to speak fluently, the ability to speak accurately, the ability to
pronounce words correctly during speaking, and the ability to use words properly
during speaking. These factors are then used as measurement to determine
whether a certain student has good English speaking ability.

1.8. Definition of Key Terms

1.8.1. English Speaking Ability
Speaking is "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use
of verbal and non-verbal symbols, in a variety of contexts" (Chaney, 1998, p. 13).
today's world requires that the goal of teaching speaking should improve students'

communicative skills, because, only in that way, students can express themselves
and learn how to follow the social and cultural rules appropriate in each
communicative circumstance (Kayi, 2006).
1.8.1. Hollywood Movies
Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., situated westnorthwest of Downtown. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical
center of movie studios and stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a
metonym for the American film and television industry. (http://www.holly
woodusa.co.uk/ hollywood.htm).
Until today, Hollywood has shaped our most vivid images of reality and
imagination of past, todays world, and future. Hollywood movies, especially
drama portray many speech events and narration plot that can enrich non-English
native speakers ability in speaking.

CHAPTER II
RESEARCH METHOD

This chapter presents the discussion of the methods and procedures used to
carry out the current study. This chapter includes several topics as research design,
population and sample, and instrumentation which are presented in that order.

2.1. Research Design

This research is conducted using correlational research since this research
is intended to know the correlation between English speaking ability of second
year students of MTsN Barabai and their frequency of watching Hollywood
movies. This is in line with the definition of correlational research by Ary et al.
(2006: 276) who state that correlational research is a type of non experimental
research which investigates whether there is an association between two or more
variables. In this present study, the researcher tries to see the relationship between
the students speaking ability and their frequency of watching Hollywood movies.
Based on the research problems, the research purposes, and the research
hypothesis, five different variables are identified namely fluency in speaking
English (X1), accuracy (grammar) in speaking English (X2), correct pronunciation
in speaking English (X3), proper word usage in speaking English, and frequency
of watching Hollywood movies (Y). The relationship among variables is shown in
X
Figure 3.1.
X
X1
X2
X3
X4

Figure 3.1. Research Design

2.2. Population and Sample

2.2.1. Population
The population of this study is 56 students of MTsN Barabai in the year of
2011/2012. There are two classes for the second-year; the first class consists of 24
students and the other class consists of 22 students. The population is chosen
because the school has a language laboratory with sufficient audio-visual facility
that probably trigger students to have more access to audio-visual media from
computer or television to watch movies with authentic material, Hollywood
movies.

2.2.1. Sample
As it is stated by Arikunto (2007), if the population number is less than
100, it is better to take them all as the sample. However, if the number of
population is more than 100, it will be better to take 10% up to 15%, 20% - 25%
of the number of the population as the sample of this study. Because the number
of second year students of MTsN Barabai, Hulu Sungai Tengah, is just 56, the

researcher decides to take them all as the sample. Therefore, sampling technique
is not applied in this case. That number, according to Lodico et al. (2006: 1530 is
already considered enough since correlational study requires a sample of at leat 30
individuals. The results of the study then can be generalized for the school
(Lodico et al., 2006: 146).

2.3. Instrumentation
The instruments used in this research are: speaking rubric assessment and
interview recorder.
2.3.1. Speaking Rubric Assessment
Speaking Rubric Assessment is used to collect data about students English
speaking ability in four areas: accuracy (grammar), fluency, pronunciation, and
vocabulary, as below:

SPEAKING RUBRIC ASSESSMENT

Students name

Class/ academic year :

Materials
Category
Grammar

________________________________
________________________________

________________________________

very good
Student uses

good
A few minor

fair
Grammatical

bad
Grammatical

grammar to

difficulties

errors led to

errors

communicate arose from

many minor

severely

effectively.

not using the

difficulties or

hampered

grammar.

one major

communicatio

breakdown in

n.

communication
Vocabulary

Student uses

A few minor

.
Some

Communicati

Score

Fluency

vocabulary to difficulties

difficulties

on was

express ideas

arose from

arose due to

severely

properly.

not using

limited

disturbed due

appropriate

vocabulary

to lack of

vocabulary.

and/or bad

vocabulary.

Student helps Student has

diction.
Some effort

Much effort

the

some minor

was required to was required

conversation

difficulties in

maintain the

to maintain

flow and

maintaining

conversation.

the

develop.

the

There may

conversation.

conversation.

have been a

There may

few long

have been

pauses.

many long
pauses.
Pronunciation

Pronunciatio Pronunciatio

No serious

Some

n was clear

problems

communication , inflection,

and

arose, but

problems arose

and/or

inflection

better

due to unclear

expression

and

pronunciatio

pronunciation

confused

expressions

n, inflection,

and/or lack of

communicatio

were used to

and/or non-

inflection

n. Student

enhance

verbal

and/or

may have

communicati

communicati

expression.

been very

on.

on could

Student may

difficult to

have made

have been

hear.

communicati

difficult to

on more

hear.

efficient.
2.3.1. Interview Recorder
Interview Recorder is used to record interview with the participants of
investigation. The researcher will ask several questions that explore their speaking

ability, and assess them based on what is recorded in the interview recorder. Their
speaking ability will be assessed using the Speaking Rubric Assessment above
and will be graded based on the criteria or level of speaking ability mentioned in
the columns.

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(http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/hollywood.htm)