The Importance of Speaking Skills Among Young Learners

There are some ways of using speaking skills to communicate among young learners
beyond classes. Zhang (2009) claims that for the majority of the English learners, speaking is
the most difficult skill to master. But according to Chomsky (1986) children have an inherent
ability to learn any languages, Chomsky believes that children are born with a Language
Acquisition Devise (LAD). So we have to make ourselves are usual with some communication.
Among the ways is for asking for or giving information. Speaking skill could help other people
who need information. Another way to use speaking skills is for telling stories or experience
among students.
Speaking skill is also important for public speaking among young learners. Public
speaking involves talking in front of a group of people, usually with some preparation. Speaking
fluency appears to develop with increased exposure to second language input (Al-Sibai 2004).
It is a crucial skill that can strongly impact how the child develop their speaking skill and
succeed in school. Sometimes student is asked to do oral presentation in front of their
classmates and teachers. Child who can effectively address the audience is likely to be seen in
a more positive light by their peers and develop a stronger sense of self. Public speaking is not
only help them in school, but also empower them in any situation in their life such as in the
social situations.
The other importance of speaking skill among young learners is when they join a
speaking contest or they have a plan to join a speaking contest. There are a lot of contests that
a good speaking skill is very needed, such as speech contest, debate, story telling contest,
drama and etc. When they are mastering speaking, it will improve their confident. It is because
when they are forget about the text, they can do some improvisation using speaking skill they
have. When learners produce output in interaction, they selectively take choose a correct
linguistic form to express what they want to say. This process makes it possible for the learners
to internalize what they have learned and experienced (Littlewood, 1984). In addition the
contestant that only memorize the word and present it will be so different with the contestant
that know the context and say with their own word. The second one is looked more natural in
the speaking contest.
Beside for communicate, public speaking, and speaking contest, speaking skill is also
important to entertain. The overall aim of the English Language Curriculum is to equip pupils
with basic language skills to enable them to communicate effectively in a variety of context that
is appropriate to the pupils’ level of development (Ministry of Education, 2012 p. 3). Most
people, at some point in their life, will need to stand up and speak in front of a group of people
such as for entertain them. Speaking skill is very needed because it will help them to do this
more successfully, if they mastering speaking skill the nerves will disappear and they will enjoy
the whole prosess. As a result, their confidence will be increase as well as a marked sense of
achievement.
The last importance of speaking skill is for advertisement. Piaget (1959) postulates that
children interact with their environment to obtain knowledge and understand the world around
the .English speakers have more opportunities to work with others in these fields to share ideas
and innovation through advertisement. When we have a business we can access a far wider
range of costumers by using English through advertisement. With speaking skill we have, not
only in Indonesia but we can introduce our innovation or business in other countries.
REFERENCES

Al-Sibai, D. (2004). Promoting Oral Fluency of Second Language Learners: Educational

Linguistics. Saudi Arabia: King Saud University.
Chomsky, N. (1986). Knowledge of Language: Its Origin, Nature and Use. Westreport:
Greenwood.
Littlewood, W. (1984). Foreign and Second Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Ministry of Education Malaysia. (2012). Dokumen Standard Kurikulum Sekolah Rendah. Kuala
Lumpur: Ministry of Education Malaysia.
Piaget, J. (1959). The Language and Thought of The Child. London: Routledge.
Zhang, S. (2009). The role of input, interaction, and output in the development of oral fluency.
English Language Teaching, 2(4), 91-100.