This study aimed to examine the application of the shadowing technique in enhancing the speaking achievement of vocational high school students, addressing common problems such as students’ lack of self-confidence and low awareness of the importance of learning. The research employed a quasi-experimental design involving 70 students from SMKN 2 Palembang, equally divided into two groups: 35 students in the experimental group and 35 in the control group. The experimental group received instruction using the shadowing technique, while the control group did not receive any specific treatment and continued with conventional instruction. The study was conducted over ten meetings, which included the administration of a pre-test, the implementation of the treatment, and a post-test. Questionnaire was also administered to gather students’ perceptions of the shadowing technique. The data were analysed using a paired sample t-test to assess changes in speaking performance within each group and an independent sample t-test to compare the outcomes between the two groups. The paired sample t-test revealed that the mean score improvement in the experimental group reached 33.26 points, while the control group showed an increase of only 13.20 points, indicating greater improvement in the group that received the shadowing treatment. Additionally, the independent sample t-test showed a mean difference of 5.321 points in the post-test scores between the experimental and control groups, suggesting that the shadowing technique significantly contributed to improved speaking achievement. The improvement was reflected in various aspects of speaking, including fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. Questionnaire results also showed that students responded positively to the use of shadowing, reporting increased motivation and engagement during the learning process. In conclusion, the shadowing technique was considered an effective and applicable method for improving students’ speaking skills, particularly in the context of English language learning in vocational education.
Keywords: Shadowing, Speaking Achievement, English Language Learning, Vocational School.