The particular dialect or language that a person chooses to use on any occasion is called a code 894 Copyright © 2024 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 12, Number 2, December 2024 pp. 894 - 906 Improving Students’ English-Speaking Skills Through the English Day Program Nitya Aryaputri1, Nita Kaniadewi2 nitya.putri24@gmail.com 1,2Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. Hamka, Jakarta Timur Received: 2024-06-29 Accepted: 2024-07-10 DOI: 10.24256/ideas. v12i2.5180 Abstract Indonesian students often struggle with English-speaking proficiency due to limited practice opportunities and lack of confidence. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mandatory English Day program at SMA 90, where students were required to use English exclusively with consequences for non-compliance. A rigorous experimental design, incorporating both pretest and post-test measurements, was used to investigate the English Day program's impact. Seventy students were randomly divided into an experimental group participating in the program and a control group. Utilizing a structured oral test to assess pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency, significant enhancements were found in all areas for the experimental group after the program (p < 0.001), with an average improvement of 5.11 points compared to the control group. This study concludes that the mandatory English Day program is effective in enhancing English-speaking proficiency in non-native English-speaking environments. Keywords: English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners; English Day program, English-speaking proficiency Introduction The ability to communicate effectively in English has become increasingly essential in the globalized world of today. Mogea (2021) stated that English is not only a means of communication but also a key skill for academic and professional http://u.lipi.go.id/1457703302 IDEAS, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2024 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 895 success. Speaking, as one of the four essential language skills, involves transferring thoughts or ideas from the speaker to the listener (Putri et al., 2022). In many non- English speaking countries, students often struggle with English speaking skills, despite having strong theoretical knowledge of the language (Crisianita & Mandasari, 2022). This deficiency is largely due to a lack of practical exposure and practice. In Indonesia, students often lack confidence in joining foreign language classes, believing foreign languages are challenging to learn as they start with little prior knowledge (Pratiwi & Ayu, 2020). This disparity arises from several factors. In traditional classroom settings, students in Indonesia often lack confidence in learning foreign languages, particularly in speaking English, due to limited practical experience and fear of making mistakes (Maros et al., 2023). Moreover, students may feel inhibited or lack confidence when speaking in English for fear of making a mistake. The lack of a conducive environment to practice speaking English outside of the classroom exacerbates the issue. Furthermore, English as a Second Language (ESL) learners often struggle with pronunciation and fluency issues. In response to these challenges, educational institutions around the world have been seeking innovative ways to enhance students' English-speaking skills. To address these problems, educational institutions have been implementing English Day programs to create a supportive and immersive English-speaking atmosphere. English Day programs are an innovative approach aimed at creating a conducive environment for students to practice and improve their English- speaking skills (Ningsih & Hamdani, 2022). These programs typically designate a specific day or period during the school week when students are encouraged to communicate exclusively in English. However, the effectiveness of such programs in significantly improving students' speaking skills needs to be rigorously evaluated. The focus of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the English Day program in enhancing students' English-speaking proficiency in a non-English speaking educational context, specifically at 90 Senior High School in Indonesia. While several studies have explored the effectiveness of English Day programs in improving students' English-speaking skills, this research contributes novelty by examining a program that mandates exclusive English communication during designated periods, with clear consequences for non-compliance. This approach aims to create a more immersive language learning environment and potentially enhance the program's effectiveness in improving students' speaking skills. This study specifically targets 11th-grade students, a critical stage in their language development, and aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the impact of the Nitya Aryaputri1, Nita Kaniadewi2 Improving Student’ English-Speaking Skills Through the English Day Program 896 English Day program in this localized setting. To guide this research, the following quantitative question has been formulated: Are there any significant differences in the English-speaking proficiency of 11th-grade students at 90 Senior High School before and after their participation in the English Day program? This research question aims to assess the effectiveness of the English Day program in enhancing the English-speaking proficiency of 11th-grade students at 90 Senior High School. The study will investigate whether there are measurable improvements in students' English-speaking skills after participating in the program, providing valuable insights into the program's potential to enhance practical English communication abilities in a non-English speaking educational context. In traditional classroom settings, the lack of a conducive environment for practical language use further exacerbates the challenges faced by students. Andas et al. (2020) highlighted that students may feel inhibited and lack confidence when speaking English due to the fear of making mistakes in front of their peers or teachers. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of these challenges, creating a dedicated space for English communication, these programs aim to instill confidence, encourage active participation, and ultimately enhance students' spoken English skills. English must also be used from the beginning to the end of the lesson consistently without interruption by the students’ mother tongue and this must be done consistently at each meeting (Kaniadewi & Sriyanto, 2019). English Day Program constitutes a creative pedagogical approach aimed at enhancing students' oral proficiency in the English language. This program mandates that all individuals within the educational institution engage exclusively in English communication throughout the designated day (Stenly, 2022). Typically implemented in international standard schools, the English Day serves as a dedicated occasion fostering a linguistic environment conducive to the development of students' speaking skills. Wardatun (2020) study sheds light on the multifaceted benefits that participants can derive from engaging in this immersive language experience. This immersive language experience not only develops linguistic skills but also fosters self-confidence, vocabulary enrichment, and intrinsic motivation. One of the primary advantages highlighted by Wardatun (2020) is the substantial improvement in participants' speaking skills. The continuous exposure to spoken English creates an environment conducive to honing conversational skills, ultimately contributing to enhanced communication competence. This enhanced competence is not only due to practice but also to increased confidence, IDEAS, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2024 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 897 as the program encourages individuals to step out of their comfort zones and actively participate in English-centric activities. It demonstrates how people comprehend when, why, where, and how to use voice as a speaking action (Kaniadewi, 2022). Consistent participation in conversations, presentations, and discussions cultivates a feeling of achievement and proficiency. Several previous studies have explored the effectiveness of English Day programs using various research methodologies. The implementation of specialized programs, such as the English Day initiative, has gained attention as a potential catalyst for improvement. Before excavate into the specifics of this research, it is crucial to acknowledge the insights provided by previous studies, which have explored similar programs in various educational settings. 1. The study by Ningsih & Hamdani (2022) confirmed that the English day program significantly influenced the enhancement of students' speaking abilities. The Study used interviews, observation, and documentation for data collection. 2. Additionally, Stenly (2022) utilized a qualitative approach, collecting data through observations, interviews, and documentation. The findings of Beay's study revealed that while the English day program showed potential to enhance students' speaking skills. 3. Moreover, Nurcholilah (2018) also conducted a study used observation, interviews, and tests, including oral tests, to collect data. The results indicated a 63.08% improvement in students' speaking skills through the implementation of the English day program. Method This quantitative research utilized a rigorous experimental design, including a pretest and posttest with a control group, to evaluate the effects of the English Day program on the spoken English abilities of 52 randomly chosen 11th-grade students at 90 Senior High School. Half of the students were assigned to participate in the program (experimental group), while the other half did not (control group). The research design used can be seen in Table 1 below. Nitya Aryaputri1, Nita Kaniadewi2 Improving Student’ English-Speaking Skills Through the English Day Program 898 Table 1. Research Design Group Pretest (O1) Treatment Posttest (O2) Experiment (R) ✅ X ✅ Control (R) ✅ - ✅ Key: • R: Random assignment of participants to either the experimental or control group. • O1: Pretest measurement for both groups, in this study, an English-speaking proficiency test. • X: Treatment administered to the experimental group, namely the English Day program. • -: No treatment administered to the control group. • O2: Posttest measurement for both groups, using the same English-speaking proficiency test as the pretest. English-speaking proficiency was measured using a structured oral test consisting of three questions focusing on past, present, and future tenses. Each student had a maximum of five minutes to respond to each question. The test assessed four criteria: pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency, each scored on a scale of 1-100, with 100 representing the highest proficiency. The test was administered before (pretest) and after (posttest) the English Day program intervention. The English Day program comprised several key activities designed to enhance students' English-speaking proficiency. Confidence-building strategies were employed to help participants overcome anxiety and gain self-assurance when speaking English. Interactive English quizzes were conducted to assess and reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills. To create an immersive language learning environment, participants were required to communicate exclusively in English throughout the program, with clear consequences established for non-compliance. IDEAS, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2024 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 899 Data were collected through the administration of pretest and posttest structured oral tests to both experimental and control groups. The pretest was conducted before the English Day program to establish baseline proficiency, while the posttest was conducted after the program to assess changes in speaking skills. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 29.0. Instrument validity and reliability were assessed to ensure measurement accuracy and consistency. The Shapiro-Wilk test was employed for normality testing, as it is considered more suitable for smaller sample sizes (n < 50), followed by a homogeneity test to ensure equal variances between groups. To analyze changes within each group, paired t- tests compared pretest and posttest scores. An independent t-test was then employed to assess differences in posttest scores between the experimental group, who participated in the English Day program, and the control group, who did not. Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05. Results and Discussion In this section, the researcher will present the results and a comprehensive discussion based on data meticulously analyzed using SPSS 29.0. The data utilized in this analysis originate from the pre-test and post-test results obtained from the study's participants. Validity Test and Reliability Test The structured oral test employed in this research was proven to be both valid and reliable, as evidenced by the results of the validity and reliability tests illustrated in Picture 1 and 2. Nitya Aryaputri1, Nita Kaniadewi2 Improving Student’ English-Speaking Skills Through the English Day Program 900 Picture 1. Validity Test Picture 2. Reliability Test The structured oral test used in this study demonstrated excellent validity and reliability in assessing English-speaking proficiency. The analysis of relationships between the individual assessment criteria (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency) and the overall speaking proficiency score, using Pearson's correlation, showed strong positive associations (r > 0.624, p < .01). This indicates that each individual aspect significantly contributes to the overall evaluation of a student's speaking ability. Additionally, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.781 indicated good internal consistency among the five items assessing these criteria, further confirming the test's reliability as a measure of English-speaking proficiency. The mean scores for each item ranged from 67.57 to 68.36, with standard deviations between 5.158 and 6.054, suggesting that the items were consistently discriminating between different levels of proficiency. Analysis Descriptive After confirming the accuracy and consistency of the structured oral test, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the English-speaking proficiency scores of both the experimental and control groups before and after the English Day program, offering a detailed picture of their initial abilities and any changes resulting from the intervention. This analysis included the calculation of means, medians, and standard deviations for each group and time point, allowing for a comparison of the initial language proficiency levels and any changes that occurred after the implementation of the English Day program. This is a Picture 3, showing the results of the descriptive analysis test. IDEAS, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2024 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 901 Picture 3. Analysis Descriptive The table reveals a higher mean score in the PostTreatment group (74.0714) compared to the PreTreatment group (68.9643), indicating an improvement after the intervention. A similar trend is observed in the control group, although the increase is not as substantial as in the experimental group. The higher standard deviations in the PostTreatment and PostNon groups suggest greater variability in the data after the intervention. These findings suggest a positive influence of the treatment on the mean scores. Normality Test Following the descriptive analysis of participants' English-speaking proficiency, a normality test was then performed to further examine the distributional properties of the data and determine whether the pre-test and post- test scores of both the experimental and control groups adhered to a normal distribution. Picture 4 presents the results of the normality test conducted on the pre-test and post-test scores. Picture 4. Normality Test Nitya Aryaputri1, Nita Kaniadewi2 Improving Student’ English-Speaking Skills Through the English Day Program 902 The Shapiro-Wilk test was employed in this study due to its greater sensitivity and accuracy in detecting non-normality in small sample sizes (n=26 per group). The normality test results indicated that most data were normally distributed. In the treatment group, both pretest and posttest data exhibited normal distributions, with significance values of 0.756 and 0.303 (p > 0.05), respectively. In the non-treatment group, the pretest data also showed a normal distribution (sig. = 0.439, p > 0.05). However, the posttest data for this group deviated from normality according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (sig. = 0.025, p < 0.05), although the Shapiro-Wilk test suggested an approximately normal distribution (sig. = 0.161, p > 0.05). Homogenity Test After confirming the normal distribution of data, a homogeneity of variance test was conducted to determine if the variances of the pretest and posttest scores were equal across the experimental and control groups. This assumption is crucial for the validity of the samples t-test, which was subsequently employed to compare the mean scores between the two groups. The results of Levene's test for homogeneity of variance is on Picture 5 below. Picture 5. Homogenity Test The homogeneity of variance assumption, a prerequisite for conducting an independent t-test, was assessed using Levene's Test for Equality of Variances. The results, as shown in Table 5, indicate that the variances of the pretest and posttest scores for the experimental and control groups are not significantly different (p > .05 for all tests). This finding confirms the homogeneity of variance across groups, validating the use of the independent t-test to compare the mean scores between the two groups. Paired Sample Test Following the confirmation of variance homogeneity, a paired samples t-test was conducted to assess the impact of the English Day program within each group. This statistical test examined the differences in English-speaking proficiency between the pretest and posttest scores for both the experimental and control groups. The results of this analysis are presented in Picture 6. IDEAS, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2024 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 903 Picture 6. Paired Sample Test Paired samples t-tests were conducted to examine the differences in English- speaking proficiency within both the experimental and control groups before and after the English Day program. The results reveal that the experimental group experienced a significant increase in their average scores, improving by 6.00 points from pretest to posttest (t(34) = -6.773, p < .001). Conversely, the control group demonstrated a smaller average improvement of 2.18 points (t(34) = -5.384, p < .001). These findings suggest that while both groups improved in their English- speaking proficiency, the improvement in the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group, indicating a positive impact of the English Day program on language skills development. Independent Sample Test To further investigate the impact of the English Day program on English- speaking proficiency, an independent samples t-test was conducted to compare the mean posttest scores between the experimental and control groups. This analysis aimed to determine if the observed improvements in the experimental group were significantly different from any changes in the control group. Picture 7 is the result of the independent samples test. Picture 7. Independent Sample Test An independent samples t-test was conducted to compare the mean posttest scores of English-speaking proficiencies between the experimental and control groups. Levene's Test for Equality of Variances (F = 0.214, p = 0.645) indicated that the assumption of homogeneity of variance was met. The results of the t-test (t(68) = 4.457, p < 0.001) revealed a significant difference between the two groups, with Nitya Aryaputri1, Nita Kaniadewi2 Improving Student’ English-Speaking Skills Through the English Day Program 904 the experimental group demonstrating a significantly higher mean score than the control group (mean difference = 3.89, 95% CI [2.15, 5.64]). These findings suggest that the English Day program had a significant positive effect on the English- speaking proficiency of the participants. Conclusion The implementation of the English Day program significantly enhanced the English-speaking proficiency of 11th-grade students at 90 Senior High School. Statistical analysis, specifically an independent t-test, revealed a significant increase in the average posttest scores of the experimental group compared to the control group across pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency (p < 0.001), with the experimental group demonstrating a 5.11-point average improvement compared to the control group's 0.53-point increase. These findings support the hypothesis that immersive language learning environments, such as the English Day program, with its mandatory participation and focus on practical communication, effectively foster language acquisition and fluency ((Ningsih & Hamdani, 2022); Grace et al., 2021). However, it's important to acknowledge the study's limitations. The relatively small sample size (N=52) and the specific context of SMA 90 may limit the generalizability of these findings to other populations and educational settings. Additionally, the short duration of the English Day program might have restricted the potential for more substantial and sustained improvements. The positive impact of the English Day program suggests that similar immersive language programs should be considered for implementation in other Indonesian high schools. However, future research should investigate the program's long-term effects to assess whether the observed improvements are maintained over time. Additionally, studies involving larger and more diverse samples would be beneficial in determining the program's effectiveness across different educational contexts. Further research could also delve deeper into the specific components of the English Day program that contribute most significantly to the improvement in speaking skills, potentially leading to the development of more targeted and effective interventions. IDEAS, Vol. 12, No. 2, December 2024 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 905 References Andas, N. 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