THE STRATEGY APPLIED BY NOVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS TO ENCOURAGE STUDENT INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN 7TH GRADE OF SMP ISLAM BAITUNNUR BLORA

This study aims to explore the strategies applied by novice English teachers
to encourage students' interpersonal communication in the 7th grade at SMP Islam
Baitunnur, Blora. The research employs a qualitative narrative approach to gain a
comprehensive understanding of how novice teachers implement their strategies,
along with their strengths, weaknesses, and potential solutions. The subjects of the
research are two novice English teachers: one implementing a role-playing strategy
and the other combining collaborative learning with communication model
strategies.
Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document
analysis. The findings reveal that the role-playing strategy effectively enhance
students’ pronunciation and communication confidence but tends to limit peer
interaction due to repeated pairings. The collaborative learning strategy improves
student motivation, social interaction, and group responsibility, yet challenges
include unequal participation. The communication model strategy provides a strong
theoretical foundation for understanding communication processes but requires
more time and teacher effort, especially for students with lower confidence.
To overcome these challenges, the teachers adapted their approaches by
rotating student partners, simplifying learning materials, and using portfolio-based
assessments. They also fostered a supportive classroom environment to encourage
student participation. This research contributes valuable insights into how novice
teachers can strategically promote interpersonal communication skills in English
language classrooms.