ROLE PLAYING ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT STUDENT'S SPEAKING SKILLS IN ASKING AND GIVING DIRECTIONS IN AN EFL CLASSROOM

Abstract

In supporting oral communicating skills, role play provides the students with the opportunity to practice in contextal and interactive setting. This research investigated the use of role-playing activities to support students' oral communication skills, especially in asking and giving direction. The study was conducted at a senior high school in West Java Indonesia with 30 tenth-grade students as participants. It employed a qualitative case study approach, using classroom observations, student questionnaires, and interviews as instruments for data collection. The findings reveal that role play supported the students' communication skill development in asking and giving direction through the stage of modeling, practicing and performance. Role-playing encouraged students' engagement and reduced anxiety during speaking activities. Although some challenges were encountered such as limited vocabulary, fear of public speaking, and time constraints students generally responded positively to the method and expressed enthusiasm for its use in English lessons. The students' positive perceptions indicate that role-playing can be an effective and enjoyable method for developing oral communication skills in EFL context. The results suggest that integrating role-playing into regular language instruction can provide a dynamic, student-centered approach to develop essential speaking skills in high school settings.