The Implementation of Pair Work in Teaching Speaking

As one of important skill in learning English, speaking has a tight connection to life and human activities, because it is one of the main elements in communication. In teaching speaking, the teacher can use many kind of technique in gaining the goals. One of the effective techniques is the pair work technique. In my opinion, I do agree that the teacher should apply the pair work technique as it is effective for the students in errors correction, giving opportunities for speak, and encouraging the co-operate with one another.

Speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing information (Brown, 1994: Burns and Joyce, 1997). Speaking is a productive skill which is used in oral communication. It means that people produce words, expressions, or utterances to express their ideas and feelings to respond particular situations. Pair work is a classroom activity in which the whole class is divided into pairs (It is really a type of group work, using 'groups' of two). The pair work evolves the students to collaborate with their pairs to accomplish tasks and reach the goals of learning. The point of pair work is to improve the student’s ability in speaking skills by requiring to exchange information with each other.

Even though some educators can argue that pair work brings the students to talk about the other things, but the pair work is help the students in errors correction. When a student speaks in pair work group incorrectly, the other students will correct it exactly. The teacher will also easier to check their mistakes in speaking one by one. The teacher can correct their mistakes privately without disturbing anyone. Some students can correct the other students’ mistakes in detail, because this technique requires the students to take more attention to their partner in order to correct them in speaking. By giving attention between one another, the students are being appraised from their friends when talking. Thus, the students be able to concentrate when they practice speaking with their partner.

Although the class becomes undisciplined while implementing the pair work in speaking, the pair work gives more opportunities for the students in speaking. If the class is really big and consists of forty students, it makes the teacher difficult to listen to all pairs or groups at the same time, but it does not mean that he/she is unable to do anything about it. The teacher should establish certain rules at the beginning of the school year and be very strict about them. The teacher can maintain the class as well as possible by walking around when they are practicing speaking. Thus, the teacher will know which one of the errors that the students did. Pair work is also relatively quick and easy for the teacher to set up, moreover it is efficient to save time in class. The students can speak in a longer time than usual, because every student has their turn to speak. So that, the teacher does not need to spend much time to make them speak fluency.

Furthermore, I also believe that pair work makes shy or weak students can be eliminated from the practice, but it can be handled by the support from the teacher and the partner. Many students feel shy to speak in front of the class, because they are afraid of making mistakes when they speak in front of the class. In this case, the partner in pair work can motivate the weak students to speak, and he/she also can help them to make a good conversation. They will make a good cooperation in helping one to another. The students will not feel shy to speak in front of their friend, and they can speak freely without any fear on making mistakes. They feel that they are responsible for the group and for each of its members. They have to cooperate and help each other, and there is no way of escaping or avoiding the cooperation for shy and weak students. They are all involved in the activity and it is another important feature of pair work.

On the other hand, some teachers believe that pair work has a big effect for class situation, as it is make a high noise level. In against, the pair work can make the student to have a good relation to their friend. The students can learn the mistakes from their friend, and also they can make a good arrangement of class to make an efficient speaking class. The teacher is easier to handle the students and gives them a lot of time to practice in order to improve their skill on speaking. They have no worried in making mistakes, because the teacher would correct their mistakes privately. As a result, the students get more practicing time on speaking, and they are free to speak in order to increase their creativities.

In conclusion, I do agree to use the pair work technique on speaking class as it has many advantages for the students. It should be taken for the teachers in teaching speaking as its effectiveness for the students in errors correction, giving opportunities for speak, and encouraging the co-operate with one another. So that, the teachers should choose this pair work technique in teaching speaking for it is easier to help them in making the efficiency of learning process.

Nurdina, Devy Emsa. 2014. The Implementation of Pair Work in Teaching Speaking at The Second Grade of SMPN 1 Trimurjo. Bandar Lampung.

Hill, David A. Pairwork And Groupwork  https://www.nileelt.com/sites/default/files/files/1161_S4.pdf

Skrzyński, Hubert. Advantages and Disadvantages of Pair Work and Group Work in the Class. http://edukator.org.pl/2005a/work/work.html

The Increasing of Students’ Vocabulary Mastery Using Flashcards

Vocabularies are needed in learning English for the beginner. Without vocabularies, the students are difficult to communicate with each other. As the teacher, we have to find the creative ways to help the students in comprehending the foreign language. Teaching vocabularies using flashcards is one of the appropriate ways. It is also has effects for the students learning process in understanding the new vocabularies, motivating the students, and gaining the meaning easier.   

First of all, teaching vocabularies using flashcard will make the students to be able in remembering and understanding the new vocabularies. When the teacher teaches at the first grade, the students do not know yet about English especially its words. So, they need the media in order to help them in remembering and understanding the vocabularies that usually taking place in daily life. The students are able to gain the words and they can easily to remember it. It is impossible to exist in mastering English without knowing its words. Hatch and Brown (1995:1) They say, “Vocabulary is the foundation to build languages, which plays a fundamental role in communication”. According to the quote above, people can express their ideas and understand the other basic competence well by mastering vocabularies. When the teacher teaches English for the  beginner, it is difficult to make them understand the words while the translation is not appropriate in learning English. So, they can use the flashcards to help in learning process.

Secondly, teaching vocabularies using flashcard will motivate  the students and get their attention to the lesson in learning process. Illustrating many words can be done in various ways. The more creative the teacher teaches vocabulary, the easier the vocabulary can be learned. The teacher is also expected to be able to motivate the students in learning English. Sometimes, the teachers were very confused with the crowded classroom where the students don’t want to give their attention to the lesson. In this situation, the teachers can take the easier way to get the students’ attention using flashcard. The classrooms’ situation become active and interactive, because they enjoy and they are motivated in teaching and learning process. Flashcards in teaching vocabulary are very simple visual aids, and the teacher can make the students more active during the teaching learning process. Flashcards are some kinds of media that can be used by the teacher in the classroom. It can increase their attention and concentration to study new words in English. Then, the students will be interested to the lesson, and they will give more attention. So, the students’ enthusiasm and motivation increase in joining the learning activity.

The third effect is that teaching vocabularies using flashcard will help the students to get the meaning of the words easily. Some teachers have difficulties in teaching vocabularies, then they need some media to help the teaching process easier. Flashcards helps the teacher in teaching process, and also it helps the students in gaining the meaning of the words. The students can use their background knowledge when the teachers give some examples of flashcards that related to the topics. There are some students feel difficult in understanding the meaning, then the teachers have to give the clear explanation to make them understand the meaning. By giving flashcard as a media, it helps the students in understanding the meaning of the words. It can be said that the existence of flashcards makes the students familiar with certain words. They can see, read, and touch the object by using flashcard. Thus, after the lesson is over, they can memorize and remember the words easily.

In conclusion, flashcards have many advantages when used in teaching learning process. Flashcards have a great power in understanding the new vocabularies, motivating the students, and gaining the meaning easier. Meanwhile, flashcards are easy media to help students and teacher in learning process. Therefore, when you are going to teach vocabulary lesson, you should choose the appropriate media which helps you in delivering the lesson well that can be understood by the students easily.

References :

Improving Students’ Vocabulary Mastery Using Flashcards. http://download.portalgaruda.org/article.php?article=109408&val=4086

Using Flashcards In Teaching English vocabulary For Beginner. https://www.academia.edu/8690313/Using_flashcards_in_teaching_vocabulary

Teacher’s Roles in TEFL

Teaching English as foreign language is designed to help students in learning foreign language with knowledge and skills. This is also provided to help the students in developing the four main skills. In this situation, the roles of the language teacher are also regarded as teachniques. How an approach views the nature of language will determine how a language teacher should perform his or her roles. Based on the function, the teacher’s roles can be classified in three categories, as the facilitator, as the motivator, and as the organizer.

The first role of teacher is being as facilitator. The teacher role is provide the learning process with various learning style in order to equip the students need. It is important for the teacher to cope the class with the roles as faciliator during learning process. For successful course, it is necessary if there is an inter-relation between the teacher and the students. The teacher also required to have the basic skills to improve and design the learning process. (Brown 2000 : 89-90) The goal of education is the facilitation of change and learning. Teachers, to be facilitators, must first of all be real and genuine, discarding masks of superiority and omniscience. Second, teachers need to have genuine trust, acceptance, and a prizing of the other person-the student-as a worthy, valuable individual and third, teachers need to communicate openly and empathically with their students and vice versa. For example of facilitator teacher is Mr. Bambang Setiyadi. He is very open minded teacher, and he is very helpful teacher in learning process. He usually asks the students whether any problem to share and to solve. Then he gives many advices how to be great teacher in English learning. Actually, his class is very relax, we do not afraid how to face the problem in learning process. Unfortunately, the teacher like Mr. Bambang is very limited and difficult to find.

The second role of teacher is being an organizer. The teacher have to maintain the discipline to establish the effective learning process. It can be done by involving the learners more actively in the classroom activities. The teacher can set up and manage the learning activities to the right direction. The teacher as an organizer have to organize the class in every part, it is the central role as the organizer. The teacher can gives the clear instructions in the activities that should be done by the students. In managing the class, the teacher also make sure that every angel in the class is visible and can be heard by the teacher. The teacher also have to manage that the students would participate in all of activities with well organized. The great example for this kind of role is Mr. Patuan Raja. In my opinion, he is one of the well organized teachers. He maintains the students have to be discipline in all activities including the presentance. It is one of the important problem in his class. He gives clear instructions how to do the assignments that should be done by the students. He manage the class arrangement in order to make the learning process is more effective. He also gives the students time to develop their own skills by giving individual task that will be discussed in the class. Even the role of teacher as the organizer is needed in learning process, but well organized teacher is in a small number.

The third role of teacher is being motivator. According to Chambers (1999: 37), if the teacher is to motivate pupils to learn, then relevance has to be the red thread permeating activities'. The teacher gives praise and encouragement for possitive efforts that done by the learners. It can be done by giving some positive feedbacks. The teacher also motivates the students to acquire English in learning process. The teacher can maintain the student’s interest in order to be master English. By motivating the students, the learning process will more alive, because the students have the motivation in their selves in studying English. The good example for this teacher’s role is Mrs. Ari Nurweni. She always motivates her students in learning English. She gives many advices to the students to study more and more in order to be master in English. She also gives many recomendation of book that good for the students to read in helping the learning process. When the students make some mistakes, she gives the positive feedback that make the students motivated to be better and do not do the same mistake anymore. It is very good to motivate the students, but some of the teacher just claims the students mistake without giving any good motivation. Thats why many of students fail in gaining their learning process.

In conclusion, that the teacher’s role will determine the learning process automatically. The functions of the teacher as their role can be classified into three categories, they are as faciliitator, as organizer, and as motivator in learning English. So, if you are going to be an English teacher, you should choose your own role as the teacher in order to help the students in learning process. By determining your own role, you will also determine your future class will be.

References  :

Setiyadi, Bambang. 2006. Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu Press.

Kojima, Yuko. 2005. Teacher Roles in Learner-Centered Communicative EFL Instruction. 94 : 59-72. Hirosaki University.

TEFL The Role Of The Teacher. https://www.teflcorp.com/articles/95-the-role-of-the-teacher/282-the-role-of-the-teacher/

Motivation and Motivating in the Foreign Language Classroom. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VIII, No. 11, November 2002. http://iteslj.org/

Tell Laura I love her

This was a sad story abouta couple named Laura and Tommy. Laura was a beautiful girl who lived with her parents in the city, Las Vegas. She was eighteen years old. She has a curly blonde hair, blue eyes, round face and sweet dimples in her cheeks, her high body was slim like a model. She was a student of college in one of famous university in that city. She was very busy in her study everyday. Tommy was a boywho lived in the small village quite far from the city. He livedalone without any parents and family beside him. He was eighteen years old. He has a sharp black eyes and little curly black hair.He was a strong boy, polite, kind person. He did every kind of job to fulfill his needs.

One day, he met with Laura in front of the shop. He was collided with Laura when she wanted to get some lunch with her friends at one afternoon. Tommy was worked as a waiter in that restaurant. He wanted askingsorry after Laura finished her lunch. So, Tommy came to Laura and introduced his self to her. Laura gave a positive response for his good attitude. After that event, Laura often came to the restaurant and got a little conversation with Jimmy. They were always shared their story each other and sometimes went out to take a walk together. Then they were got into a relationship. They had two years in their relationship and they were very happy in that time. Someday, they decide to get marriedthenLaura told her parents about it. Her parents were happy heard about that news. Tommy really loved Laura very much, and he wanted to give Laura some presents, flower and the important thing is the wedding ring. Wedding ring is like an important sign in marriage. So, Tommy was worked hard to buy it for their wedding rings.

Tommy knew the news about there would be a racing car. Its prize was a thousand of dollars and he wanted to follow that race even he never did it. He was registered himself in the competition. He wanted to meet Laura before he began his race, but Laura wasn’t at home. So, he just said to her mother to tell Laura that he wanted to marry with her. He said “Madam, can I meet Laura right now?” Her mother said “Laura wasn’t at home Tommy, would you leave some message to her?” Tommy said “Just tell her that I love her mom, I could not phone her because I had some important thing to do right now. I’m sorry I couldn’t wait her but just tell her I love her”. So, Tommy began his competition and he was the youngest driver there. There were a crowded people around the circuit and he was so nervous on it. In the middle of the race, someone crashed his car and make it wasn’t stable. His car had a strong roll then twisted many times and it was overturned in the flames. The crews were pulled him out from the car but it was so hard for Tommy to get away.In spite of his pain he spoke to them that he really loved Laura. He told that Laura should not to cry. He would love her forever and his love would never die.

Tommy was rushed to hospital, but he couldn’t strong enough to feel his pain again. The crew had phonedLaura about Tommy’s condition and she was very shocked to hear about that. She immediately cried and ran driving to see his condition. When Laura was on her waytp hospital; Tommy was lost his breath and passed away. He was tried to save his life, but he couldn’t do it in his dying breath. Then, Laura got to the hospital and found that Tommy was passed away. She didn’t know what she must to do. She fell down and unconscious for a little time. She should accept the condition whether she didn’t want it. Day after day, she just cried over Tommy and she always prayed for his poor Tommy. She often came to the chapel to give her prayer for him. Her love would never die even they were not together again.

That was a sad story about a couple who loved each other but they couldn’t be together. Their love will never die forever. We can take the moral value from this story that a true love will never die even in different places but it will stay in our heart. Just keepit in our heart so it would live forever. Love is not about possession but love is about appreciation.

This story was adopted from the song "Tell Laura I Love Her". This song was very inspired me a lot, even this was only our class assignment of writing subject. For the complete bibliography, just search for its song directly. See yaa .. ^-^ 

The Ways of How the Students Going to College

Going to college is one of the duties for the students. Everyone can go by their own ways for one destination, college. The college that I study in forbids the students going to the campus by individual vehicle. It can be make many risks for them, and it will take a lot of parking areas in the college. In my opinion, the students better to take walking than going by public transportation or going by individual vehicle. In fact, I found that there are three ways of how the students going to campus, some of them may go by public transportation, some of them going by their individual vehicle, and some of them can go on foot.

The first, going to the college by public transportation is a good choice for the students whom houses are quite far from the campus. They can access it in order to make them easier to reach the college. They have to sit down for minutes, and pay for the cost. In my opinion that the fee for the students is cheaper than others, it is affordable. It also helps to minimize the traffic noise. As we know, that Morning is the most important time for people when they start their activities. Not only helping us, the public transportations also teach us how to be patient, for example when we are going to take some bus, but it was very crowded so that some of them have to stand on all the way. We are as young people have to give the seat for other people like an old man or pregnant mother. In fact, many young people also do not want to give the seat for older people. One of the examples of the student who goes to college by public transportation is my friend, Vena. She always takes a BRT when going to college. Sometimes, she has to stand up, because the bus was crowded. She has no choice to take another transportation since she worries to take Angkot, and she cannot rides the motorcycle. Even the public transportation has given many advantages, but some of the students whose houses are quite far prefer going to campus by their own vehicle.

The second, going to college by private vehicles. This choice maybe very needed for them who have no public transportation to take. It helps them so much in moving from one place to another place easier. This individual vehicle is very mobile for the students who have tight schedules every day. So, they can go anywhere they want. Unfortunately, some of the students make their vehicles up to be more attractive like upgrading its sound. Actually, it is very annoying other people. They also make the traffic jam more crowded and make worse condition by its pollution. Besides those, this individual vehicle also takes a lot of parking areas in the college. As the new students come as the parking areas widen. Yola Savitri, my classmate friend, is one of the students who goes to college by her own motorcycle. She has to take a motorcycle since her house is quite far, and she has a tight schedule after lecture. She has to move from one place to another place quickly. Anyway, she does not bother other people by her motorcycle. In general, taking individual vehicle is needed, but it also makes many considerations. Many students like making their motorcycles’ sound louder where the smoke makes the pollution up and up. So, better if the college have to regulate the students who make bad environment.   

The last way is going to college on foot. This way is usually taken by the students who stay in a boarding house which is quite near from the college. They do not need any vehicles to ride on or there are no vehicles to ride. Some of boarding houses are vulnerable from the thief, because the boarding house has no security to keep in. Then, they have no worry about going anywhere, because they only need to go by themselves without any burden to keep. Going on foot also help in reducing their expenses. As the students who live in a boarding house, they have to spend their money well. Going on foot also keep the body health. When they are taking one hundred steps, they make their parts of body moving. It can be said that walking is one of sport that does not need much times. It only keep going on as the people need to move. The great example of the student who goes to college on foot is Zahara. She lives in a boarding house which is rather near from campus. She does not need any vehicle to ride on, since she cannot ride the vehicle even a motorcycle. This way is the best choice for the students to keep the body health, keep the environment fresh, and the important thing is this way does not bother other people. 

As mentioned above that the students can be classified in three categories based on the way of how they go to the college, going by public transportation, going by individual vehicle, and going on foot. Now, it is your chance to choose the way which is appropriate to your situation, but we also have to consider about keeping the environment. At least, we have to reduce the pollution and the traffic jam by taking public transportation for the students whose house are quite far and going by on foot for boarding houses’ students.

 Forgive for my bad Writing :') 

If you have any comments just write it down :D