Improving Students' Speaking Skills in Expressing Agreement and Disagreement Through Powerpoint Presentations

Abstrak

The ability to speak and express agreement and disagreement is an important aspect of English communication skills, as accuracy in delivering and responding to opinions directly affects the effectiveness of daily and academic interactions. This activity aims to introduce and train the sixth-semester students of the Management Study Program at STIE Sultan Agung Pematangsiantar in expressing agreement and disagreement appropriately, in both formal and informal contexts. The phenomenon underlying this activity is the students' tendency to only use simple expressions such as "I agree" or "I do not agree" without knowing other richer variations, as well as their difficulty in expressing disagreement politely to avoid conflict in communication. This activity uses a qualitative descriptive method with a presentation and interactive discussion approach. The data source consists of documentation from the presentation activity conducted in the Morning Management B class, Semester VI, at STIE Sultan Agung Pematangsiantar. The instrument used is a PowerPoint-based presentation material prepared by the author, which includes the definition of agreement and disagreement, strong and neutral expressions of agreement, firm and polite expressions of disagreement, and practice questions. Data collection was carried out through direct observation during the presentation, while data analysis was conducted descriptively based on observation notes and audience responses. The results of the activity show that classmates were able to understand and practice various expressions of agreement and disagreement well, as demonstrated by their active participation in discussions and accuracy in answering practice questions. In conclusion, this PowerPoint-based presentation is effective in increasing students' understanding and confidence in conveying and responding to opinions effectively, clearly, and politely in English.