ROLE PLAY AS STRATEGY TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ SPEAKING SKILL: A CASE STUDY AT SMKN 2 BLITAR

Speaking skill remains one of the most challenging aspects for vocational high school students, who often struggle with low confidence, limited vocabulary, and anxiety about making mistakes. To address these challenges, this study explored the use of the role play method as an instructional strategy to enhance students’ speaking skills. This research aimed to investigate how teachers prepare, implement, and assess role play activities, as well as how students respond to them.
Employing a qualitative approach with a single case study design, the research was conducted at SMKN 2 Blitar in the Fashion Design program. Data were collected from November 2024 to June 2025 through classroom observations, interviews with one English teacher and selected students, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was used following the stages of data condensation, display, and conclusion drawing as proposed by Miles and Huberman.
The findings revealed that the teacher carefully planned role play activities by selecting suitable topics, designing scenarios, and grouping students according to readiness and ability. During implementation, students engaged in role play collaboratively, which helped reduce anxiety and fostered more active participation. Assessment was conducted using performance rubrics focusing on pronunciation, fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and confidence. Overall, students showed improved motivation, higher engagement, and gradual development in speaking skills, especially in expressing ideas more confidently.
In conclusion, role play proved to be an effective strategy in promoting speaking skills among vocational students by providing a supportive and interactive environment. The study recommends English teachers consider incorporating role play into their teaching to better address students’ linguistic and psychological needs. Future research could explore its application in other vocational programs or educational contexts to broaden the understanding of its effectiveness.