The study was aimed at describing the implementation of Communicative Approach in teaching speaking at the eleventh grade students of language program of SMAN – 1 Palangka Raya. In addition, the writer wanted to know the difficulties in implementing the Communicative Approach in teaching speaking at the eleventh grade students of language program of SMAN – 1 Palangka Raya. The problems of the study were how is the implementation of Communicative Approach in teaching speaking at the eleventh grade students of language program of SMAN – 1 Palangka Raya?, what are the difficulties faced by the teacher in implementing the Communicative Approach in teaching speaking at the eleventh grade students of language program of SMAN – 1 Palangka Raya?.
The study used qualitative approach with descriptive qualitative method. In collecting the data, it used some techniques, namely: Observation, Interview, and Documentation. In analyzing the data, the writer used some techniques, namely: Data collection, Data reduction, Data Display, and Conclusion/Data Verification. The subjects of the study were an English teacher andthe eleventh grade students of Language class at SMAN – 1 of Palangka Raya. To take the subjects, the writer used purposive sampling.
The findings show that the implementation of Communicative Approach as follows; in pre – learning activities, the teacher greeted the students, the teacher and the students prayed together, the teacher checked the students’ presence, the teacher did the brainstorming by giving questions to the students related to the topic discussed or showing the picture then giving questions based on the picture. In whilst learning activities were the teacher explained the expressions, the students pronounced the expressions, the students read the short dialogues, the students answered the questions based on the dialogues, the students did the assignment. The assignment were filling the blanks of dialogues or playing the “Simon says” game or making a dialog then practiced it in pair, and the last was evaluation the students’ assignment. In post – learning activities were the teacher concluded the material, the teacher gave homework to the students, the teacher gave advised or suggestions to the students and the last, the teacher closed the lesson. The difficulties faced by the teacher in implementation the Communicative approach were (1) the students were not so responsive. (2) The students were shy to speak English. (3) The students were afraid to make mistakes when talking. (4) The students had lack of vocabulary and grammar. (5) The students did not understand teacher’s instruction. (6) The students did not catch the topic being communicated or learned.