Abstrak
This study aims to evaluate the impact of Role Play on enhancing speaking proficiency among eighth-grade students at SMP 12 Tarakan in the academic year 2023/2024. Sampling was conducted using the purposive sampling technique, where the lowest average class scores constituted the experimental group and the highest mean scores formed the control group, each comprising 32 students. Data collection involved oral tests administered twice, namely pre-test and post-test. Data analysis utilised an Independent Sample t-test through SPSS software. The results indicate that both experimental and control groups experienced slight improvements, yet a significant difference in speaking score means between the experimental and control groups was observed at 0.033. The disparity between pre- test and post-test mean scores in both groups demonstrated a more significant enhancement in the experimental group at 0.036. These findings suggest that Role Play usage can enhance students' speaking abilities. As a recommendation, teachers at SMP 12 Tarakan and other schools may consider integrating Role Play as an engaging instructional method to improve students' speaking proficiency.