2.

1 Definition of speaking skill

Speaking is an important aspect in learning a language as a way to communicate

with other people which convey the meaning. As stated by Cameron (2001) that speaking

is the use of language to show the meanings and other people can make a sense. Speaking

becomes an activity that happens in our daily life. When people try to speak, it means that

people do an interaction by using the language to show their ideas or thinks, and also can

be used to show their feelings.

Speaking is the tools to share and exchange information with other people,

speaking also can be used to express their opinions or ideas toward communication. That

is why speaking skill is important that should be mastered by them.

2.2 Function of Speaking 

Speaking skill is an important thing for human life. Experts have attempted to

classify the functions of speaking in human interaction. Brown and Yule explain there

have three functions in speaking, “…three part version of Brown and Yule’s framework

(after Jones 1996 and Burns 1998): talks as interaction: talk as transaction: talk as

performance. Each of these speech activities is quite distinct in term of form and function

and requires different teaching approaches.”

1)      Talk as interaction

The communication that happens in our daily life to build an interactional with

other people that is what we said as conversation. It is an interactive communication

which happens spontaneously between two people or more. This is about how people try

to deliver the message from one people to other people. Therefore, people have to use
 speaking skill to communicate with other people. The main of this function is to create

social relationship.

2)        Talk as transaction

This function more focus on message that will be delivered and making others

people understand by speaking clearly and accurately based on what we want to deliver.

In this function usually focus on meaning or talking what their way for understanding.

3)        Talk as performance

In the third function, speaking as performance is the speaking activities which

more focus on monolog better than dialog. This function usually happens in public talk

such as speeches, public announcements, retell story, telling story and so on.

2.3 Elements of speaking skill

The ability to speak fluently presupposes not only knowledge of language

features, but also the ability to process information and language on the spot (Harmer,

2001: 269-271). There are elements of speaking skill that should be competent by the

speaker, which consist four points, namely:

a. Connected speech: effective speakers of English need to able to produce the individual

phonemes of English. In connected speech sounds are modified (assimilation), omitted

(elision), added (linking) or weaken (through contraction and stress patterning). It is for

this reason that we should involve students in activities designed specifically to improve

their connected speech.

b. Expressive devices: native speakers of English change the pitch and stress of particular

parts of utterances, vary volume and speed of speech. By using these devices people will

be able to show what and how they are feeling to whom they are talking.

c. Grammar and lexis: spontaneous speech is marked by the use of a number of common

lexical phrases, especially in the performance of certain language function.

d. Negotiation language: effective speaking benefit from the negotiator language. We use

to seek clarification and show the structure of what are saying.

To be a good speaker, those elements of speaking is should be mastered because

those elements is something necessary in speaking.