The Application of Methods in English Language Learning (Alya Amalia 1610117320003)

The Application of Methods in English Language Learning

Teaching English in Indonesia has spread since a long time since the Dutch colonial era. But new English began to be taught in Indonesian schools along with the issuance of the decision of the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia in 1967. Although it has long been included in the Indonesian education curriculum, students often have difficulty learning English. Even though the curriculum and methods of learning English continue to be developed in order to improve English language skills. Many students in Indonesia who do not like English and consider learning English is difficult even though in the face of globalization with sophisticated technology students can learn English easily and can improve English language skills of students in Indonesia. In addition, in Indonesia English lessons have also been applied starting from elementary school. Then also from elementary to high school English is included as one of the 4 subjects in the National Examination. Nevertheless the results have not been maximized in creating students who have the ability to speak good English.

Teaching English in Indonesia is more memorizing than understanding. This is less effective in preparing someone to speak English. So that teaching English in Indonesia has various problems. Lack of student motivation is believed to be one of the main problems of learning English. Insufficient time is a problem in teaching English because learning time in short classes is only once to twice a week. Therefore, the lesson plan cannot be developed properly and makes the teacher fail to achieve the stated goals. Then, the lack of resources and materials brought complexity in teaching English. The various concepts of English language teaching in Indonesia are also a concern of current observers, among others: the still rampant learning activities in Indonesian schools that focus on language components only, meaning that they do not teach English in an integrated manner.

One of the learning concepts of Ki Hajar Dewantara is the TRICON theory, which is continuous, convergent, and concentric. This theory has been applied since Ki Hajar Dewantara studied in the Netherlands. The concept of national education is education that is rooted in the culture of the archipelago. The educational conception of Ki Hajar Dewantara aims to humanize humans in order to liberate human beings in a circle of slavery and form an independent person with three indicators namely being able to stand alone, not depend on others, and be able to regulate themselves. According to Ki Hajar Dewantara the concept of educational content in general must be relevant to the lifeline to educate the people and lift the dignity of the nation in building mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations in the world (Subekti, N, 2015)

Various methods that can be used to develop English language skills. On this occasion I will discuss my experience in learning English and the English learning strategy that I use to develop my English skills. (Subekti, N. B., & Lawson, M. J. 2007)

Listening In learning English one aspect that must be mastered is listening. Not a few students take the English test such as (TOEFL and IELTS) do not pass the listening section. The main cause is the ears that still feel strange to hear the pronunciation of words or sentences in a dialogue that is native to fast speakers. I myself had difficulty when I first listened to English songs and had to rewrite the words I heard. Then find out effective ways to develop English language skills, especially listening. The following method develops listening skills. First listen to English songs to get your ears to hear English words. Second, watching foreign TV channels, or English-language videos to know every pronunciation or vocabulary that is pronounced. Third, increase vocabulary. This reduces the difficulty when hearing difficult words in the native speaker dialect. And fourth, pronuncation or pronunciation to better understand native speakers. Learning speaking is important in developing the ability to speak English well. To develop speaking skills with effective methods. First, learn pronuncation to produce good and correct vocabulary pronunciation. The second adds grammar knowledge because it is important in speaking to place words or compose sentences of good and right. Third, practicing speaking English with friends by always practicing can develop speaking skills. In learning English, start learning reading with a simple method, starting from reading a sentence, then being slightly improved, starting reading the short story then the news paper, and then starting to read novels or books that speak English. Writing is something fun. Even many people who have a hobby of writing, including myself. There are several effective ways to improve writing skills. First, start writing anything that comes to mind in English. Second, diligently read articles or anything in English, to increase vocabulary and understanding grammar indirectly. Third, pay attention to the writing patterns and procedures for writing in English. Because writing skills are always required to write according to grammar. Fourth, often read about important rules in writing. Finally, ask for help from friends to correct the writing whether it is correct or not. Almost everyone who learns English reveals that one of the problems in learning English is that the number of vocabularies is lacking or limited. Because if the vocabulary is limited we will experience various obstacles in learning English such as, difficulty understanding the contents of reading, or even understanding conversations in English. Several methods can be used to add vocabulary. First, choosing the preferred vocabulary learning activities, such as listening to English songs, giving English labels for every item at home. Second, when you find a new word and find an meaning and say it repeatedly. Third, consider the sentence where the word is located and try to understand the meaning of the sentence as a whole. Grammar is very influential in developing English language skills such as silence, speaking, reading, and writing (Arifah Nur Iffah, 2014) But often people have difficulty understanding the use of grammar. Here are some methods for developing grammar abilities. First, pay attention to grammar when reading something in English. Second, translating sentences from Indonesian into English. And the third, always wants to read and always wants to practice like writing a sentence using the correct grammar. (Subekti, N.B. 2018)

Various effective methods to improve English language skills. Which is then supported by media prepared to get material easily. With the presence of various media that can also attract students learning English. As the era of digital diera develops, making more sophisticated technology can be done using a smartphone. This resulted in a lack of interest in reading books and preferring to use a smartphone. It is better if there are many easy ways to get material, it would be good to keep reading books, because books are the real source of knowledge.

Reference

1.      Subekti, N. B., & Lawson, M. J. (2007). Vocabulary acquisition strategies of Indonesian postgraduate students through reading. International Education Journal, 8(2), 485-496.

2.      Subekti, N.B. (2018). Memanfaatkan Gadget Untuk Belajar Bahasa Inggris.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324593593_Memanfaatkan_Gadget_Untuk_Belajar_Bahasa_Inggris

3.      Subekti, N.B. (2018). Kesulitan Belajar Bahasa Inggris: Tidak Dipergunakan Sehari-hari.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324585545_Kesulitan_Belajar_Bahasa_Inggris_Tidak_Dipergunakan_Sehari-hari

4.      Subekti, N. (2015). Memaknai Kembali Konsep Pendidikan Ki Hadjar Dewantara.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324543946_Memaknai_Kembali_Konsep_Pendidikan_Ki_Hadjar_Dewantara

5.      Arifah Nur Iffah, (2014). Pengajaran Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia Terlalu Kaku.http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/indonesian/2014-05-30/pengajaran-bahasa-inggris-di-indonesia-terlalu-kaku/1318670