Speaking is an essential yet challenging skill for young English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners because it requires linguistic knowledge, communicative competence, and self-confidence. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the Buzz Group Technique in improving the English speaking skills of sixth-grade students at MI Ma'arif NU Miru, Lamongan, Indonesia. A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed involving 18 students selected through total sampling. Data were collected using speaking performance tests assessing pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and comprehension, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, and the paired-samples t-test. The findings revealed a significant improvement in students' speaking performance, with the mean score increasing from 62.11 in the pretest to 80.06 in the posttest. The paired-samples t-test confirmed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (t(17) = −18.26, p < .001). All speaking components improved, with fluency showing the greatest gain. These findings indicate that the Buzz Group Technique is an effective student-centered strategy for enhancing English speaking skills and communicative competence among young EFL learners in Indonesian elementary schools.
Muhammad Afthon Ulin Nuha, K. Huda, Buyun Khulel· Jurnal Ragam Pengabdian· 0 citations
Listening and vocabulary are mutually dependent in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, yet students often struggle with rapid speech and unfamiliar words when their exposure to English is limited. Animated YouTube videos can combine spoken language, images, actions, captions, and narrative context, but entertainment-oriented content may also overload learners. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of Clash-A-Rama animated videos in listening and vocabulary learning and to identify the benefits, barriers, and instructional support they considered necessary. A qualitative descriptive design supported by descriptive questionnaire data was used with 26 Grade X students at an Indonesian senior high school. Data were collected through a 15-item Likert questionnaire and ten open-ended interview questions. Questionnaire data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, and an internal-consistency check, while interview data were analysed through Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The findings showed conditionally positive listening perceptions: 61.54% reported easier conversational comprehension, whereas 73.08% struggled with speech rate and 76.92% needed subtitles. Vocabulary perceptions were stronger: 88.46% reported learning new words and 92.31% found pictures and situations helpful, although 53.85% still encountered difficult vocabulary. Interview themes showed that multimodal cues, narrative context, and enjoyment supported learning, while fast dialogue, uneven proficiency, fragile recall, and pronunciation difficulties limited outcomes. Clash-A-Rama is therefore most useful as supplementary material when teachers segment clips, sequence captions strategically, pre-teach essential vocabulary, and provide repetition, pronunciation, and retrieval practice.
Farid Hidayatul Arofi, Syifa' Khuriyatuz Zahro, Buyun Khulel· International Journal of Edu...· 0 citations
This study describes the experiences of first-year students related to academic culture silence in English language learning during their transition from high school to university. The study was carried out in the English Education Department of Islamic Darul Ulum University Lamongan, Indonesia, and involved four students (two males and two females). The results show that students experienced diverse difficulties, including contradictions in high school teacher-centered approach and university student-centered approach, extensive use of English during classes, great number of academic assignments, inability to follow lectures, and psychological obstacles like anxiety, fear of errors, low self-esteem, and social comparison. Nevertheless, the students managed to overcome the difficulties by applying different techniques such as self-study with materials and watching English videos, consulting with professors and graduate students, teamwork with peers in learning, vocabulary improvement and building self-confidence, and perception of mistakes as a natural part of the learning process. Based on the findings, it could be said that academic culture silence is not a permanent barrier, but only a transitional state, and that linguistic competence, independence, and socialization are crucial for successful adaptation. This study is important for understanding the experience of freshmen at EFL local.
