Students’ Speaking Activity on Zoom Application: A Need Analysis

Abstract

The changes of the learning system from face-to-face classroom interaction to online learning system during the Covid-19 pandemic bring significant impact on the process of learning. Different activities of learning are required to be presented for the continuity of the learning process. These changes then lead to the different students' needs in learning. This paper reports the result of finding out the need for students' speaking activity on zoom through need analysis. The study has been conducted at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra. Students of the fourth semester in the academic year 2020/2021 were chosen as the participant of this study selected by using purposive sampling. The total number of participants was 74 students. The design of this study is qualitative research. The data will be obtained by distributing questionnaire to the students. The content of questionnaire is about need analysis specifically in target needs including lacks, necessities, and wants based on Hutchinson and Waters (1991). The result of this study revealed that students need to learn English speaking skill to improve their speaking ability in order to communicate actively and facilitate them to learn other skills of English. Referring to the students' lacks of learning speaking on zoom application, 52% mentioned that the variation of speaking activity on zoom is limited. Further, the interaction to create good chemistry between students to teacher or students to students does not occur flawlessly. For about 81% students prefer to make a dialogue such as conversation and practice it in small group. Beside, discussing an interesting topic and experience, question and answer, storytelling, role play and games are what students' wants in speaking activities. The significances of this study can be the reflection for the further learning process in online learning system especially in speaking activity on zoom application.