The effect of using script on tenth grade students’ speaking at sman 2 kediri in the academic year 2025/2026

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of script-based instruction on the speaking performance of tenth-grade students at SMAN 2 Kediri in the academic year 2025/2026. Speaking remains one of the most challenging language skills for Indonesian high school learners, particularly due to limited vocabulary, speaking anxiety, and difficulty organizing ideas during oral communication. Script-based learning is introduced as a structured technique that supports students in preparing linguistic content before speaking, thereby promoting fluency, accuracy, and confidence. This research employed a quantitative pre-experimental design using a one-group pre-test–post-test model. Thirty-six tenth-grade students participated, completing a pre-test, receiving two sessions of script-based treatment, and taking a post-test. Students’ performances were assessed using an analytic rubric adapted from Brown (2016) and Harmer (2015), measuring pronunciation, fluency, grammatical accuracy, and vocabulary. The data were analyzed using a paired sample t-test to determine whether significant improvement occurred after the treatment. The findings indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ speaking scores, demonstrating that script-based instruction positively contributes to speaking development. The study concludes that script-supported practice is an effective strategy to enhance students’ oral performance and can be integrated into classroom speaking activities to support the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum.