Improving Vocational Students’ Speaking Skills Through Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): A Classroom Action Research in a Retail Business Context

Abstract

This classroom action research examined the implementation of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) to develop workplace-oriented English speaking skills among 36 Grade XI Retail Business students, aged approximately 16–17 years, at SMK Negeri 1 Bantul. The study followed the Kemmis and McTaggart cycle of planning, action, observation, and reflection. A pre-cycle assessment was followed by two action cycles, each comprising three 90-minute meetings. Data were collected through classroom observation, CEFR-informed speaking assessments, a student questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with five students, and reflective journals. The mean total speaking score increased from 33.75 in the pre-cycle to 40.89 in Cycle I and 41.50 in Cycle II. The largest gain occurred in task achievement (7.11 → 10.94 → 11.22), followed by pronunciation (6.78 → 8.64 → 8.69), while fluency and vocabulary improved gradually. Accuracy increased in Cycle I but declined slightly in Cycle II (6.19 → 6.64 → 6.36), indicating that communicative performance developed faster than grammatical control. The proportion of students at CEFR B1 increased from 22.22% to 58.33% and then 61.11%. Questionnaire results showed that 75% of students agreed or strongly agreed that TBLT improved their fluency, and 66.67% agreed or strongly agreed that it provided opportunities to improve pronunciation and grammar. The findings indicate that occupationally authentic tasks supported students’ participation, confidence, and ability to complete retail-related speaking tasks, although accuracy, note dependence, unequal participation, and time management remained concerns. Because the study involved one class, no comparison group, and single-rater speaking assessment, the findings should be interpreted as context-specific classroom evidence rather than definitive causal proof.