Enhancing Students’ Speaking Fluency through Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): A Pre-Experimental Study at SMAN 4 Banda Aceh

Many high school students struggle to speak English fluently because they feel anxious and lack vocabulary. One of the method to solve this problem is Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) solves this by using real, goal-oriented activities that help students feel more comfortable and speak more naturally. This study aims to see how effectively a structured TBLT framework using visual prompts improves high school students' English speaking fluency. Using a quantitative pre-experimental method (one-group pre-test/post-test), this study was conducted with 33 eleventh-grade students in class XI-F5 at SMA Negeri 4 Banda Aceh. To measure progress, students took oral pre-tests and post-tests, which focused on Pronunciation, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Fluency. The data were then analyzed using a paired-samples t-test. The results showed a major improvement in students' speaking scores, jumping from a baseline mean of 57.12 SD=10.53 to 85.45 SD=6.54 after the treatment. Statistical tests confirmed this change was highly significant (t=17.15, df=32, p<0.000). Group activities successfully made students less scared of making mistakes and boosted their confidence. In short, using TBLT with visual prompts in a block schedule genuinely speeds up students' speaking fluency. Working together reduces their mental burden and turns speaking anxiety into active communication.