ENGLISH FRANCA Academic Journal of English Language and Education DOI: 10.29240/ef.v7i1.6880 - http://journal.iaincurup.ac.id/index.php/english/index eISSN: 2580-3689; pISSN: 2580-3670 Article info: http://journal.iaincurup.ac.id/index.php/english Received 24 December 2022; Received in revised form 10 April 2023; Accepted 10 May 2023 Published by Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Curup on behalf of ENGLISH FRANCA: Academic Journal of English Language and Education. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Promting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning Bastian Sugandi1, Ahmad Syafiq2 ¹ Universitas Muhammadiyah Lampung 2 Universitas Muhammadiyah Lampung Corresponding email: bastiansoegandi@yahoo.co.uk Introduction This research departs from the fact that there are still many students who still get listening scores below the predetermined standard. This is a fact that occurs and can be proven by the fact that there are still many students who do not meet the TOEFL graduation qualifications in the listening section. Currently, the TOEFL test has become a Kemala, R. F., Astuti, I. F., & Maharani, S. (2019) requirement for prospective graduate students to master English language skills as an international language as evidenced by a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) certificate. The most downloaded English app, though, is the cake app. Over 1200 grammar- related exercises are included. Basic concepts like tenses, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, word order, and so on can be taught with this. Additional tools include exams, practice exercises, Material Design, and analytics. An interactive speaking tool called Cake replicates a conversation with a native speaker! For iOS (iPad and iPhone) and Android smartphones, cake app downloads are accessible. Additionally, the cake program is a tool for learning English through other languages. Playlist Corporation created Cake Learn English for fee, which belongs to the education subcategory. This app has a variety of functions, including the ability to watch short films and engage in conversational speaking practice. At first, listening was a fairly difficult teaching, because not all schools/colleges provided adequate language laboratories, so listening practice did not run optimally. Along with the times, listening practice can be done independently by using a personal cellphone Abstract. The objective of this research is to find out the effectiveness of the application cake in order to increase the students listening comprehension easy and fun. The student also easy understands. There are two stages method of research. First, the researcher conducts a literature review, problem analysis, and observation, determines the sample, surveys on vocabulary comprehension, and pre-tests to determine the abilities of the research subjects. Second is carried out by implementing the learning method which is then analyzed so that it leads to the final instrument test, then the last is the researcher conducted a post-test. Meanwhile the instrument in this research is pretest and posttest. The sample of this research is members of the English Club at the University of Muhammadiyah Lampung. The number of samples taken was 39 students. The instruments to be used are pre-test and post-test. The results of the pot test showed as many as 3 respondents got scores with a range between 40-50. A total of 7 respondents have got scored between 52-60, then dial with 7 respondents who got a score between 62-70. The highest score is dominated by the 4th series with 18 respondents who get scores with a range between 72-80. Closed with 4 people who got a score between 82-90. The use of cake application in the listening learning process has quite a significant impact on learning achievement, when compared to the previous score, the post-test score is higher than the pre-test score. Keywords: listening, innovation, probing - promting http://u.lipi.go.id/1613357132 http://u.lipi.go.id/1614254143 http://journal.iaincurup.ac.id/index.php/english Bastian Sugandi, et al., 2023 Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Prompting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning 156 | V o l . 7 , N o . 1 , 2 0 2 3 ( 1 5 5 - 1 6 2 ) through an application that can be downloaded for free, so that listening practice can be done through online learning independently or done offline with the supervision of the teacher/lecturer. The cake application was the medium the researchers decided to utilize because of its intricacy and capabilities, which made it a tool that could be used anywhere and at any time. Due to the fact that they could learn whenever and wherever they wanted and were not limited to just school, children could use it to develop their listening abilities. (Hapipah et al., 2021). According to Nawangsih (2019), Playlist Corporation, based in South Korea, is the company that created the Cake application. The Cake Application was used to hone reading, listening, and speaking abilities. In order to keep students from getting bored while studying, the information was more current and the vocabulary acquisition approach was a quick movie. There were a variety of themes accessible for the listening learning approach, and students could select the ones they were interested in. Kaffah, S. A., & Anshori, I. F. (2021) Now learning English has become easier with several mobile applications and websites that provide online courses and learning. This application provides a listening feature with native speakers. It is hoped that students will be able to sharpen their auditory intuition so that it can help them to pass the TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC scores. Because, the test is mandatory test to enter and pass university, especially university in developed countries. The test is also a requirement for those who will apply for scholarships to enter prestigious universities. In fact, there are still many students who have not taken advantage of technological sophistication in the learning process. They still use conventional strategies in learning listening skills. This is what makes them still not pass the various tests in English. Considering that Zuhdi, U. (2020) listening is a basic skill that is needed by students who can get Wakhidah, R., Maftuh, M. F., & Maaliah, E. (2019). Support other basic skills. This is in line with the objectives of the PTM Strategic Plan which supports the implementation of research that supports national development issues or programs, problem solving in society and the development of learning innovations. Listening is the capacity to accurately hear and understand messages during communication. The key to any successful communication is active listening. Messages are undoubtedly misconstrued when poor listening skills are present. As a result, the lines of communication are broken, and the core of the message may merely get agitated or irritated. Due to how crucial the process of listening is, many of the greatest businesses provide listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising given that effective listening can result in enhanced client satisfaction, increased production with fewer errors, and improved information exchange, all of which can lead to more creative and imaginative work. Previous related study done by Ariputri, G. P., & Supraptono, E. (2015) that the use of applications in the world of education has been discussed in the title "Improvement of English Listening Skill Learning Outcomes by Using the Android-Based smarty Way Application". The purpose of this study was to find out how to improve and develop an android application that can be used to support learning English listening, implementing the application in learning so as to increase student learning outcomes and interest. The research sample was taken using purposive sampling. Through the t-test it can be concluded that there has been a significant change in the use of the application. As many as 37 respondents experienced an increase in scores on the results of the post test. Meanwhile, the differentiate between previous related research and this research was focuses on improving listening skills through the CAKE application which is wrapped in modern games used in the learning process so that the learning atmosphere becomes more fun, so that the material presented will be well absorbed. Theoretical Framework Listening Skill Since listening is such a crucial function, many prestigious companies provide their staff members listening skills training. This should come as no surprise given that effective listening Bastian Sugandi, et al., 2023 Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Prompting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning 157 | V o l . 7 , N o . 1 , 2 0 2 3 ( 1 5 5 - 1 6 2 ) can result in higher productivity with fewer errors, better customer happiness, increased information sharing, and ultimately, more inventive and creative work. Figure 1. Time Spent Communicating According to Oxford Dictionaries, listening is the act of paying attention to sounds or events. One hears what the other person is saying while listening and attempts to understand what it means (Wrench, 2018). According to Halone et al. (1998), listening involves intricate emotive, cognitive, and behavioral processes. The drive to listen to others is an example of an affective process. Cognitive processes also include paying attention to, understanding, receiving, and interpreting relational material and messages. Behavioral processes also include providing verbal and nonverbal feedback to others. Cake Application The Cake program is an English learning tool that allows users to advance their language abilities. One of the most intriguing apps for practicing English is Cake Learn English. This program is made to be simple to use. All ages can participate in the numerous exercises, and there are constantly new dialogues and updated terminology for users like us who are trained on a daily basis. Additionally, the app offers AI-powered instructors that can assist us in honing our speaking abilities. This program should not be missed by anyone looking for a high-quality English speaking practice tool. One of the most widely used English apps is the cake app. It offers more than 1200 grammar-related exercises. This aids in the teaching of fundamental concepts such as tenses, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, word order, and so forth. Other features include assessments, training exercises, Material Design, and analytics. A conversation with a native speaker is replicated in the Cookies app's practice speaking feature! For iOS (iPad and iPhone) and Android devices, cake apps can be downloaded. Independent Learning Era This program aims to raise students' levels of literacy and numeracy. Because of Indonesia's poor performance in international education tests, instructors are now allowed to select the teaching strategies they believe would work best for their pupils. This opens up additional opportunities for creativity. "The essence of Independent Learning is to unlock the full potential of teachers and students to innovate and improve the quality of their learning independently. Autonomy in teaching means not only following the bureaucracy, but also innovating," Nadiem recently stated through Teleconference. The minister asserts that while technology is necessary to improve teaching, instructors still play a crucial role in ensuring that students learn in a high- quality manner. Material and Method The sample of this study is the members of the English Club at the University of Muhammadiyah Lampung. The number of samples taken was 39 students. This research is Bastian Sugandi, et al., 2023 Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Prompting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning 158 | V o l . 7 , N o . 1 , 2 0 2 3 ( 1 5 5 - 1 6 2 ) Study of Literature Observation Choose Sample Observation sample Survey listening Pre-Test Analysis Metode Method Implementation Metode Pembelajaran Instrument Test (Final) Post-Test Normality test and Hypothesis Publication 3rd Stage 1ST Stage anG 2ND Stage an experimental research through the steps: 1) pre test 2) treatment / treatment 3) post test. This study uses a quasi-experimental design so it does not require a control class. To obtain research data and the instrument to be used is a test consisting of pre-test and post-test. Pre- test will be conducted before giving treatment. This test was conducted for the first time to determine the extent of the respondent's ability to understand listening. After the pre-test was carried out, several treatments were carried out, namely the application of cake applications to the respondents. To find out the difference between before and after the treatment, the instrument used was the post test. This test is the last test before analyzing the data obtained. Data analysis in this study used descriptive statistics and inference statistics. Figure 2. Flow Chart Research Implementation Problem Analysis Bastian Sugandi, et al., 2023 Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Prompting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning 159 | V o l . 7 , N o . 1 , 2 0 2 3 ( 1 5 5 - 1 6 2 ) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results Listening ability basically, students' listening skills still need to be improved. This is because English is an international language that is very important to master. Listening skills are the basis for learning English. Unfortunately, English as a foreign language so it is quite difficult for students to master. In order to improve their listening skills, there are actually many current strategies that can be used. In this study, an android-based application has been applied by combining listening teaching along with contemporary games. Figure 3. Pretest results The chart above shows that there are 5 respondents who get a score between 40-48. In the second series, there were 13 respondents who scored between 50-58, this is the highest number compared to other series. After that there are 6 respondents who get a range of values between 60-68 There are 10 respondents who get a score between 70-78 and the last as many as 5 respondents get a score between 80-88. From the data above it show that the results of students' ability to listen to information are still relatively low, this is shown by the large number of respondents who get scores below the minimum standard that has been set. Figure 4. Post Test Bastian Sugandi, et al., 2023 Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Prompting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning 160 | V o l . 7 , N o . 1 , 2 0 2 3 ( 1 5 5 - 1 6 2 ) The chart above shows that there is an increase in listening ability after several treatments. This can be seen from the pot test values that have been listed in the diagram. A total of 3 respondents got scores with a range between 40-50. A total of 7 respondents scored between 52-60, and diul with 7 respondents who got a score between 62-70. The highest score is dominated by the 4th series with 18 respondents who get scores with a range between 72-80. Closed with 4 people who got a score between 82-90. Analysis of Pre-Test and Post- test Data in the Experimental group Table 1. Data Analysis Data Description Scores Pre test Post test Number of subjects (N) 36 36 Mean (M) 58.18 78.77 Standard of Deviation 11.52 48.52 Range 39 34 Maximum Score 75 94 Minimum Score 44 60 Discussion The discussion is forced to find out the effectiveness of using application cake to sharpen listening skill of students English Club Universitas Muhammadiyah Lampung. According to Nawangsih (2019), An English-learning program called Cake is accessible to iOS and Android users. This Playlist Corporation-produced app has a number of alluring features, including the availability of video conversations and subtitles, the Al Speech Recognition tool (which is used to check pronunciation), and it was even advertised as being available for free. This research applied this application to sharpen the students’ listening ability. The top score is dominated by the 4th series with 18 respondents who get scores with a range between 72- 80. Closed with 4 people who got a score between 82-90. Cake has the potential to become increasingly popular among many language learners globally as one well-known tool for enhancing speaking and listening abilities (Momeni, 2022). The use of cake application in the listening learning process has quite an important effect on learning achievement, when compared to the previous score; Pre-test score is lower than post-test score. It implies that using the cake application could help students obtain better results and encourage creative thinking and curiosity after they understand how to utilize it. Accordingly, Nur (2022) claimed that after using the cake application to improve student listening skills, students' listening skill was very significant and the grades obtained by students were very good so that they were able to give students more confidence in improving listening. This was especially true when using the cake application, when students were more at ease and felt interested in the material presented. Furthermore, According to Momeni (2022), the main goal of this app is to help language learners improve their educational experience by watching real films that concentrate on language that is used in particular contexts. Which means, Cake application is the one of applications that students can use to improve their English ability, especially listening skill. This study applied cake aplication as one of alternative strategies that the writer belived could sharpen the students’ listening skill. It was confirmed by the students’ listening achievement in post test which was higher that pretest. Furthermore, listening activities by using cake application allowed the students to decide and choose their own listening material. Additionally, according to Nur (2022), using the cake application has increased students' interest in learning English, particularly listening, and their enjoyment of the instructional process. Additionally, a large body of research has shown that these audio-visual aids are acceptable from a pedagogical standpoint because they support student-centered, self-paced learning across all professions, motivate students to engage in their learning, and ultimately boost their learning efficacy (McLean et al., 2016; Yeh, 2022). Bastian Sugandi, et al., 2023 Sharpen Listening Skills Through Innovative Probing-Prompting Application of Cake in Limited Face-to-Face Learning in the Era of Independent Learning 161 | V o l . 7 , N o . 1 , 2 0 2 3 ( 1 5 5 - 1 6 2 ) In addition, the writer believed that the listening skill improve of the students more sharpen in this study was because followed the procedures of cake application naturally and they learn something from what they listen also could be caused by the effectiveness of that application used as medium in this study. Therefore, the mean score has shown that cake application significantly sharpen the students listening skill compare with the mean score in pretest. It indicates that, the use of cake application in the listening learning process has quite an impact on learning achievement, when compared to the previous score; the post- test score is higher than the pre-test score. The post test results was higher than the pretest results. After doing this study, the researchers were able to conclude that using the cake application significantly improved students' listening skills. The cake application has considerably improved the listening skills of the students. Thanks to the cake application, students are more passionate about studying English and particularly like hearing courses. The majority of the students engaged in each task actively thanks to the cake application. Additionally, they make an effort to respond to each question. Despite the fact that they are not under the watchful eye of researchers, students also practice listening more at home and at school. Students appear to be really interested in the learning process because they may enhance their listening skills in this way.This relates to the research topic, according to the findings mentioned above. The researcher draws the conclusion that more students in the English Club at Universitas Muhammadiyah Lampung are using the Cake application to enhance their listening skills. Conclusion The act of listening involves hearing language. When listening, speech sounds must be recognized and converted into words and sentences. We use our ears to pick up specific sounds (letters, stresses, rhythms, and pauses) when we listen, and we use our intelligences to transform those sounds into messages that are significant to us. Any language listening requires concentration and undivided attention. Some people will need to work harder than others to master this ability. People who are problem-focused are typically not good listeners. A second language listener must pay closer attention. In this research, the results of the pot test showed as many as 3 respondents got scores with a range between 40-50. A total of 7 respondents scored between 52-60, then diul with 7 respondents who got a score between 62-70. The highest score is dominated by the 4th series with 18 respondents who get scores with a range between 72-80. Closed with 4 people who got a score between 82- 90. The use of cake application in the listening learning process has quite a significant impact on learning achievement, when compared to the previous score; the post-test score is higher than the pre-test score. Herminingsih 2021 (Shockingawful, 2017:1) also asserted that the ability of the student or listener to focus refers to the student's or listener's capacity to pay attention to the information from the audio. 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