Pay attention to this picture!

"Have you ever experienced the same thing?"

Tell me about your own experience in a paragraph. Focus on one idea which is developed through WH Questions (Who, What, When, Why, Where, How). Explain it (your real opinion whether it is good or bad) truthfully, for it won't effect your scoring evaluation. Don't forget to always enclose your provoking title. I'll look forward to your posting this evening at seven p.m. (the latest).

Enjoy your writing, everyone! \(^_^)/

Look at the picture below!

"What can you learn from this picture?"

Explain your answer in a form of a paragraph. Enclose your provoking title as well. Good luck :) 

Pay attention to this picture!

"What comes to your mind when you see this picture?"

Answer the question above in a form of a paragraph. Focus on your ideas and start to explain it in details.

Don't forget to enclose the provoking title.

Good luck ^_^v

Look at the picture below!

Find a topic related to the picture above. Start to explain your ideas in details. Don't forget to enclose provoking title.

Have a nice writing process! ^^,

"What comes to your mind when you see this picture?"

Answer the question above by arranging your sentences in a form of a paragraph. Share your own story and post it in your blog! Don't forget to enclose your interesting and provoking title of your post. 

Good luck! ^_^

CALL in Language Learning

by  Tri Setyaningsih

Recently, the implementation of ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) in teaching and learning process is widely developed. It’s been a common for teachers to apply any program of ICT and for students to learn through the ICT application in the classroom situation. As we can see that book and blackboard are not as popular as they used to be in the past. Teachers are having their choices on what to be used as the teaching aid in the classroom. More choices are available these days. They are; whiteboard, tape recorder, overhead projectors, videos and of course, computer. Those are teaching aids that you can simply find in the teaching and learning process nowadays. Evenmore, many classrooms are also built under suitable circumstances to support the implementation of ICT in teaching and learning process as well.

Basically, the use of ICT in the classroom situation can be clearly seen on many programs like, CAL and CALL. Both programs are definitely relying on the role of computer. Based on Cambridge dictionary, “Computer is an electronic machine which is used for storing, organizing and finding words, numbers and pictures, for doing calculations and for controlling other machines.” There are so many things that we can do with this thing called computer. So, what’s the difference between CAL and CALL?  Hartoyo (2008:21) stated that CAL stands for Computer Assisted Learning and on the other hand, CALL is Computer Assisted Language Learning. In this part, we will foccus only on CALL program based on two major points. First, it’s about the strength and weaknesses of CALL program. And second, it’s about advantages and disadvantages of  using CALL in teaching and learning process.

CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) is considered as a program which helps teacher to facilitate students so that they can learn language easily especially, learning English language. Perhaps, we are all agree that teaching a language is as difficult as learning the language itself. It happens because we are teaching a language which is not our native language. So, there should be ways on how to overcome this problem in order to enable us, teachers, to teach English easily and help students to learn as well as understand English language better.

Moreover, Hartoyo (2008:23) said that the implementation of CALL in teaching and learning process mainly concerns on the role of computer which is also supported by hypertext and multimedia (video or audio). This creation of CALL program will appear as a product which is specifically designed to help students in learning language like English. Therefore, CALL program is aimed to improve students basic skills in English which are reading, writing, listening and speaking. To add, CALL program is also designed to help students to develop their English competency, such as: pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.

How can CALL program be implemented in language learning? It is being explained through the tasks which are aimed to develop students basic skills and competencies in learning English as follows. In reading skill, CALL program can be arranged through a narration form which is explaining about a story whether or not it is related to fable or fairy tales. In this case, students need to read the text about the story and answer the questions given based on the narrative text. In writing skill, CALL program is focusing on arranging jumbled words into a complete and correct sentence. this task will teach them to realize the function and  position of pronouns, verbs, prepositions and adjectives in a sentence so, they are able to arrange those sentence elements well and in order.

Furthermore, listening skill can be arranged in a task which enables students to listen to a song. In this condition, students need to be focus on the song lyric so that later on, they will be able to sing a long with the singer in the song without any help from the lyric. This condition will then allow students to improve their speaking ability as well. Even so, the task can evaluate students’ speaking ability by providing them with a dialogue of which they have to practice the dialogue with their friends.

Besides developing the students’ four basic skills in English, CALL program is also designed to improve the students’ understanding of English competencies. The first one is pronunciation. In this part, the program is arranged by providing students with words along with colorful pictures which they need to learn how to pronounce the word through the help of the speaker whom already pronounce the word correctly. The second one is grammar. In this case, students can be introduced to the tenses we used commonly in our daily live context. For example: the students should be introduced to types of tenses in order to realize of what tenses they have to use to describe the present, past or future event in their lives. The last one is vocabulary. Here, the students need to be introduced to bunch of words which are already classified into its types, such as: things in the classroom, fruits, animals, family and others. This is a stage which allows students to recognize things around them and try to classify each things into its types. For example: pencil, eraser and book are things in the classroom whereas, banana, grape, orange are classified into fruits, etc. Those are the explanation of how CALL program is developed and organized in teaching and learning a language process.

After knowing the definition of CALL along with the implementation of CALL program in developing students’ four basic skills and competencies in learning English. We are going to analyzed the strength and weaknesses of CALL program. Further, we will also talk about the advantages and disadvantages of using CALL program in teaching and learning process.

Let’s recognize what are the strength of using CALL program in teaching and learning process. Actually, the strength of CALL program is based upon the important role of computer which is considered to be multi functional. According to Ahmad,et al (1985:4):

The computer is flexible in a number of significant ways. it often happens that students cannot attend a class because o illness, timetable clashes, and other problems. This presents no difficulty for the computer. Provided a computer is available, the student can come at any time, and spend as long as is needed to gain full benefit from the material. It can accommodate different speeds of learning, or alternatively, limits can be imposed on the time available for answering questions, which is valuable when it is used for testing purposes.

Moreover, Hope, et al (1984:16) said that:

Good programs can offer, in this way, individualized attention and can allow students to work at their own pace. Students can work in privacy without fear of reprisal or ridicule regardless of how slow they might be or how often they give incorrect answers. Immediate diagnosis saves time and frustration and helps students weed out their errors. Computers possess the quality of infinite patience. They treat each student in the same way without favoritism  They are also very consistent in their responses, regardless of how many hours they have been working. Even the best teachers cannot show the same level of enthusiasm, interest and energy, day in and day out.

In addition, Hartoyo (2008: 23) added that the combination of several media has created a term where computer seems to be more and more attractive for being multi functional in providing many tasks for the students.

It can be inferred that CALL program has several strengths than any other teaching aid. First, it is considered to be flexible in time for students to be able to do the tasks without worrying bad condition, like being ill or having tight schedule of studying. Second, this program concerns about individual differences of the students. It helps students to work with their own self capacity without feeling worried that their friends will notice and mock around their mistakes in doing the task. Even more, it offers a great capacity of patience that allows students to do their tasks no matter how long it took them to complete the task. This condition whether or not allow students to think carefully in order to explore their understanding about English to be better and better. Third, CALL program is really attractive. The program attracts students better than any other teaching aid since it is being combined with audio and video that make the learning process become visualized into reality.

If we are talking about the strength, then what about the weaknesses? CALL program is also being recognized to have weaknesses. It really depends on the source of electricity so, when there’s no electricity around, we cannot operate the program. Next, the program makes students to learn with themselves. The communication in the classroom happened specifically between computer and students, while the teacher who supposed to engage the students closely can be less active since the students can do the task themselves even though later on, the teacher can only find the result being shown and calculated by the program. And at last, this program can lead the students to be more individual for they can do the tasks privately without being interrupted by their friends. Further, they can spend many hours in front of the computer just to complete the task individually. That’s why, teacher’s  role is really needed at this stage as a person who should elaborate the tasks to be applied both individually and even in group works in order to help students to interact with their friends and the teacher as well.

We have discussed about the strength and weaknesses of CALL program. In this part, we are going to discuss about the advantages of CALL. Hartoyo (2008: 27) said that there are several advantages which are giving encouragement, freedom, collaboration and flexibility to the students and of course, the teacher. Since the program is really attractive, it can encourage the students to learn things which they don’t really interested in. For example, students who don’t like to read will be encouraged to learn for it is provided the students with better form like reading or listening to a narrative text completed with pictures and sound. The program offers freedom to the students. Through the hypertext system, students can choose any topic they like to do. In this case, the program consists of sequence of topics which are arranged well. When the students already understand a topic, they may skip one and find a topic which they haven’t learned and mastered yet. This will then allow students to use their time efficiently and avoid not to get bored doing the tasks they have understood well.

Further, CALL program allows students to have collaboration or to work collaboratively with their friends which is really depend on the creativity of the teacher who is going to conduct the classroom situation. Last, the program is really flexible in time so that the students can apply this even though they are not in the classroom or even they have missed the class for a week despite of bad conditions. This program helps students to catch the lesson they have left behind when they are unable to attend the class.

Talking about advantages must be completed with the disadvantages. So, there are also disadvantages of using CALL in teaching and learning process. Hartoyo (2008: 31) also assumed that computer is less handy, it brings negative impact on health and it costs a lot of money. First, in the early period of using CALL program, computer is considered to be heavy in terms of its size so that the students cannot bring it anywhere they like as if it is a book, but these days, computer or it is known as laptop/net book seems to be much handy. For example: you may have it as big as your palm size. Second, it brings bad impact to the students’ health. Doing a task takes lots of time in front of the computer for they are perhaps to have eye irritation or radiation from the computer. At last, it is considered to be expensive. Computer and its treatment cost lots of money that not every student can afford it.

To conclude, the implementation of CALL program is really developed these days in teaching and learning process. This program has its strength and weaknesses that should be recognized by the teacher. Further, the program also has its advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered by the teacher. Thus, teacher needs to be careful in choosing appropriate program of CALL and teacher should also be aware to arrange the tasks for the students so that they can improve their ability in learning a language, especially learning English.

References;

Ahmad, K., G. Corbett, M. Rogers, and R. Sussex. (1985). Computers, language learning and language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hartoyo. (2008). Individual differences: in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Semarang: Pelita Insani.

Hope, G.R. et al. (1984). Using computers in teaching foreign languages. New Jersey: prentice-Hall,Inc.

Walter, Elizabeth. (2008). Cambridge: Advanced learner’s dictionary third edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Curriculum Material Development

(CMD)

English is an international and universal language which is used all over the world. Some countries apply English as the second language while in fact, Indonesia applies English as foreign language which is being learned in order to be ready for the globalization. English language itself is being taught since elementary, junior high school, senior high school, and also university level. Here is further analysis about the implementation of curriculum in teaching English as foreign language for the junior high school level.

Teaching English in junior high school level is based on the school-based-curriculum which is being applied now in Indonesia. Further, curriculum framework helps teacher in conducting the teaching and learning process. Curriculum framework is an organized plan or set of standards or learning outcomes that defines the content to be learned in terms of clear, definable standards of what the student should know and be able to do. It involves the four basic skills that need to be learned by the students which are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Curriculum framework is the basic foundation; therefore, it guides teacher to explore the materials that need to be taught to the students, the activity that can be conducted in the class, and also the students’ competency that need to be achieved using the assessment.

Teachers at school see the curriculum framework as the guidance which sets things that need to be achieved by the students. That’s why, they arrange the lesson plans based on it. For example, the students need to learn kinds of reading text: procedure, descriptive, recount, narrative, and report. Further,The students are not only asked to understand the reading text but also need to learn the vocabulary, grammar, and the rethorical steps in the reading text. Next, the students need to learn about transactional and interpersonal conversation in speaking.

Actually, developing curriculum is a complicated thing. There are some basic principles that need to be fulfilled based on the Australian Council Curriculum. First, it encompases the view of curriculum underlying the learning environment, teaching methods, the resources, the assessment system that need to be applied by both teacher and the students. Second, it represents the explicit acknowledgement of core values on how to behave in our pluralistic society and learn the core of shared values. Third, the curriculum can be accessed by all groups of students and many kinds of educational setting. Fourth, it should be adaptable to fullfil the needs of different school and communities due to social and technological changes. Fifth, it encourages students to see and learn various form of knowledge in the community. And sixth, it develops students’ way of learning in constructing new language in accordance with the development of collaborative approach involving the responsibility of the students, teachers, parents, and the community which can be shared in order to attain the success of teaching and learning process.

Moreover, understanding as well as implementing the curriculum framework is such a burden for teachers. First, It happened because the curriculum framework uses “formal term” of language which lead teachers to have different interpretation or even misinterpreted the meaning of each sentences. This misinterpretation will affect the way teachers arranging the lesson plan. Second, the competency and the materials are too broad for the students to learn and it is difficult to be acquired within the limited time in classroom situation. Third, both teacher and students are having lack of exposure and less practice of English language. Actually, It is not always students who need to study, but it is also teachers’ responsibility to always keep up to date of how to use the English language properly and correctly so that the teachers themselves can be good role model for the students.

How to overcome those problems above? In order to answer this, we need to overview the function of English language in Indonesia. Since it is only a foreign language, it is not necessary to learn four basic skills in a limited time. First, the curriculum itself should fulfill the needs of the students and what certain skill that needs to be achieved at the end of the learning process by the students. Second, the curriculum framework should be revised using “common term” of language in order to avoid misinterpretation among teachers. Third, there should be sufficient activity which can develop and improve students competence in using English so that they will have sufficient exposure and practice of English language inside and outside the classroom.

Overviewing The Programs in Four Different CDs

It is a fact that the application of Information and Technology (IT) has widely developed these days. It is being applied in many fields, like bussiness, transportation and also education. The application of IT in education can be seen through the variety of teaching aids which is no longer depend on books and blackboard like it used to be in the past. Basically, teaching aid is considered as a teaching media that helps teacher to conduct lessons in teaching and learning process. Therefore, it is very important for teacher to recognize the variety of teaching aids, understand the application of the teaching aids and of course, realize which teaching aid is suitable to be used in his/her class. One of the most common teaching aids that is being used in recent classroom activity is Compact Disc (CD) interactive. In this case, the writer has four CDs which contain different programs used in a language classrom. Further, the writer will overview the four CDs based on each strengths and weaknesses as follows.

A. English Word CD

The strengths are;

1. It is really entertaining for the students since it consists of variety of games.
2. It encourages students to learn English better because they are being challenged to win the games.
3. It offers students lots of topic that the students need to learn so that, they can improve their English competency.
4. It will help students to be more foccus in doing every tasks provided in the program.

So, what are the weaknesses?

1. The instruction of how to play the games is quite difficult for students to understand.
2. Some of the games are using the time-based mode which make some students feel uneasy to learn since they already think that they are going to loose in the very beginning.
3. The game “Rescue” is too difficult for students since it is hard to control the mouse.

B. Vocabulary CD

These are the strengths which are;

1. It offers students with several games completed with good sounds and pictures.
2. It provides students with variety of topics to improve their English language.

And the weaknesses are;

1. The language and the topic are being given in every tasks are too difficult for the students.
2. It looks a like with the previous CD which makes students feel boring.
3. The instruction is also confusing so that, the students prefer to do the trial and error.

C. Learn English Beginners CD

There are some strengths which are;

1. The program is really colorful for having many great pictures.
2. It is definitely entertaining the students because it offers different type of visualization from the two previous CDs.
3. It entertains the students through the games which are in easy and hard level.
4. It has a plus point to let the students choose their profil pictures for both speakers.
5. It gives the students real context of English language by providing two native speakers.
6. It develops students’ ability in understanding words and how to pronounce the words that can help them to develop students’ ability in English language.
7. It teaches the students how to pronounce the words in British and American style.

What about the weaknesses?

1. The game is all about memorizing things. It is better to give various games that can develop other skills in learning English for the students.
2. It seems like the program is too easy for the students. That’s why, it is better if the program is completed with challenging tasks and games in order to encourage the students to learn English better.

D. Speak English “Intermediate” CD

Here are the strengths;

1. It helps students to develop their speaking skill through phrases practice and dialogue practice.
2. It offers students with a chance to record their ability in speaking English and practice those phrases and dialogue.
3. It is representing British as well as American English style so that the students can enrich their language ability.
4. It teaches students not only to spell the words, to find pictures, but also to give appropriate response based on the speaker’s question or sentence.

And these are the weaknesses;

1. It is a bit confusing for the students to have different way of speaking in American and british style.
2. It is also difficult for students to follow the tasks since they are all based on the speaker’s instruction, not the written instruction like they used to have in the other CDs.

From those four CDs, the most favorite one is the English Word CD. Why? Because it introduces students to English in simple way so that they can easily undestand the lessons being taught in the CD. It really entertains students for those who are affraid to learn English for they no longer feel the same way. Furthermore, having discussed the strength and weaknesses of CD interactive, it is important for teacher to consider which CD interctive is suitable for his/her students in the class. Thus, let’s improve our teaching by providing suitable and developed teaching aids for our students and let’s create better education for them.

Life oh life

Life oh life

Life is totally about making choices. It’s about how you decide what you’re going to choose among choices you’ve got even badly no choices available.

Life is totally about making steps. It’s about how you run your life from choices you have made by taking step to step to be better than you are now.

Life is totally about struggling. It’s about how you should fight for your own rights and defense from other’s prejudice.

Life is totally about learning. It’s about how far you can learn from your own mistakes and make them to be your most valuable guidance book of life.

Life is totally about proving. It’s about how you proof the world things that you can do best so that none will underestimate you no more.

Life is totally about changing. It’s about changes that comes in or unintentionally cos people obviously changed from time to time and it influenced by personality, life experience, environment and stuffs.

Life is totally about planning. It’s about how you set your own goals for your life to motivate and guide you to reach them.

Life is about believing. It’s about self believing that you can do anything to reach your goal of life and never let one little thing put you down.

Life is about evaluating. It’s about win or lose, success or fail, all final ending that you’ve got. It’s important for us to realize that we should and must do our best for better life but still GOD rules whether it is good or not for us.

That’s why life oh life…

What do you think??

Definitely Trie

I do love my life but how do I appreciate my precious life is by doing these things below,  so check these things out;

• Do respect my beloved parents especially my beloved Mom,
• Do love my siblings as well as I love my parents,
• Do respect other people around me so that they can respect me in return, but for sure I don’t care if some of them don’t ^0^
• Do believe that Karma is exist so do good in everything I do
• Do see people for who they are NOT for how they look like
• Do appreciate others
• Do learn from my mistakes and grown up as well as the learning process happened
• Do struggle in everything I want until I can get what I really want
• Do think positively and always look at the bright side for things happened in life through the upside down
• Do help others as much as u can do as if one day I will need their help unconditionally
• Do love myself by doing things with joy and laugh even if it is painful though cos smile will help others

So, what are you waiting for???

Do Respect, Love and Appreciate others around you so that you will receive great blessing to enlighten your days.

Just start to share your smile and let’s see whose is the sweetest even though I’m sure that mine is the sweetest,, ^0^

DLoyaltyTrie

Welcome to the World of Trie

Dear Everyone,

I welcome you all in another web blog of mine. Well, I’d like to tell you a bit information about me.

I’m a young girl who likes to learn something new about anything. I am sweet, funny and easy going person. ^0^ For your information, I am really a good listener to everyone and  even more, I sometimes feel like a garbage disposal which contains lots of stories of my friends, hohoho but anyhow, I do like it cos I want to help my friends as long as I can even if it is just by listening to their stories and nothing's more.

Actually, I am a perfectionist person, for I want everything I do to be perfect but to be honest, it is killing me :)  However, I enjoy my life which provides me with chances to see and to teach my students at school, share the knowledge I have,  laugh with them or even get angry with them :)

At last, I do sometimes need my ME time where I can spend a whole day just by reading novels and comics. I can also enjoy myself by watching lots of movies through DVD player in my room. Anyway, I love my life and I enjoy being ME myself…..

DLoyaltyTrie