Improving Seventh-Grade Students’ English Speaking Skills through Busuu-Assisted Classroom Learning in Tarakan

Abstract

Speaking proficiency remains difficult for many Indonesian junior high school learners, particularly in vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and confidence. This study examined changes in seventh-grade students’ English speaking performance following classroom activities supported by the Busuu language-learning application at SMP Negeri 09 Tarakan. A quantitative, pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed. One seventh-grade class was selected from nine classes; 30 students completed both assessments. Students undertook a baseline oral test, four Busuu-assisted instructional meetings on everyday routines and activities, and a subsequent oral test. Speaking performances were assessed on fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension using a five-domain analytic rubric. Descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test were used to evaluate score changes. The mean total speaking score rose from 6.43 (SD = 1.52) to 11.67 (SD = 2.20), with a mean increase of 5.23 points. The paired comparison was statistically significant, t(29) = −21.13, p < .001. Classroom observations also indicated increasing participation, alongside persistent internet-access and device constraints. The findings suggest that Busuu-supported speaking tasks can accompany meaningful short-term improvement in oral performance. Because the study lacked a comparison group, the observed gain cannot be attributed exclusively to the application. The study contributes classroom-based evidence on mobile-assisted language learning in an Indonesian junior high school context.