Exploring Teachers' Strategies in Teaching Speaking to Students in Vocational High School

The ability to convey information clearly and confidently is prominent for students in vocational school since it directly impacts on their future job opportunities and professional success. The teacher’s role in applying various strategies in order to strengthen the students’ speaking skills is essential. This study explores English teachers’ strategies in teaching speaking skill in vocational high school, specifically in the Hospitality Department, Culinary Department, Beauty Department, Tourism Department, and Fashion Design Department. It aims to find out and describe how these strategies are implemented in the classroom, including the teaching process, the teachers’ rationale for selecting them, and their perceived effectiveness. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach by inviting six English teachers at SMK Negeri 3 Banda Aceh. Therefore, this study employed a total sampling technique, in which all members of the target population were included in the study. An observation and semi-structured interview were used to gather information about their strategies in teaching students’ speaking skills. The data were analyzed by using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s framework, which involves three essential activities: data reduction, data display, and drawing/verifying conclusions. The results revealed that six English teachers employed various strategies in teaching, such as role-play, discussion, dialogue, and describing pictures. These findings are useful for teachers to teach speaking skills to vocational high school students, particularly in the tourism sector. Future English teachers may also adopt these strategies to develop students’ language skills, as they are perceived to be effective in fostering language development.