THE MOST FREQUENTLY ENGLISH TEACHING METHOD USED BY INDONESIAN TEACHERS

THE MOST FREQUENTLY ENGLISH TEACHING METHOD USED BY INDONESIAN TEACHERS

By: Aan Subekti P,S.Pd

ABSTRACT

This is observing the most frequently teaching method used by English teacher in Indonesia. There are so many English teaching methods used by Indonesian teachers such as Audio lingual method, GTM, CTL and ELM, etc. Therefore, by conducting this small scale of qualitative research, the writer wants to know the most frequently teaching method used by English teachers in Indonesia.

INTRODUCTION

As the most important foreign language in Indonesia, English becomes one of the compulsory subjects teaches in Junior High School, Senior High School, Elementary school and some semesters at University. As the result, the government always made effort to improve the quality of English teaching. By improving the teachers’ quality and other components involved in educational process, the English teaching in Indonesia improved time to time.

In teaching a language, a teacher might realize that he could not apply only one or two methods to all levels. In opposite, he/she is required to be able to recognize the characters of his students and to select an appropriate method to them.

Nowadays, there are so many methods for teaching English in an EFL Classroom. However, because the demand for English language lessons has become so great, teachers of English as a foreign language have had to offer their services outside the classroom. While most students of English used to come to for-credit courses in elementary school, high school and college, students who wish to learn the English language today often rely on private tutors, self-learning materials and the ever-popular English as a Foreign Language (EFL) workshop. An EFL workshop allows you to work with a group of English Language Learners (ELLs) on English language development for a short period of time--perhaps just a day or a period of several weeks.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A. English Teaching Method According to Richards and Schmidt (2002: 341), method (in language teaching) a way of teaching a language which is based on systematic principles and procedures, i.e. which is an application of views on how a language is best taught and learned and a particular theory of language and of language learning. Different methods of language teaching such as the Direct Method, The Audiolingual Method, Total Physical Response result from different views of:

a) the nature of language

b) the nature of second language learning

c) goals and objective in teaching

d) the type of syllabus to use

e) the role of teachers, learners, and instructional materials

f) the activities, techniques and procedures to use

Furthermore, they also stated about the term methodology”. It is defined as (in language teaching) “the study of the practices and procedures used in teaching, and the principles and beliefs that underlie them. Methodology includes:

a) study of the nature of language skills (e.g. reading, writing, speaking, listening) and procedures for teaching them

b) study of the preparation of lesson plans, materials, and textbooks for teaching language skills

c) the evaluation and comparison of language teaching method (e.g. the audiolingual method)

d) such practices, procedures, beliefs themselves. one can for example criticize or praise the methodology of a particular language course.

B. Types of English Teaching Methods Used in Indonesia

1. Direct Method

A method of foreign or second language teaching which has the following features: only the target language should be used in class meanings should be communicated “directly” (hence the name of the method) by associating speech forms with actions, objects, mime, gestures, and situations reading and writing should be taught only after speaking grammar should only be taught inductively , i.e. grammar rules should not be taught to the learners. The direct method was developed in the late 19th century as a reaction against the GRAMMAR TRANSLATION METHOD and was the first oral-based method to become widely adopted. Some of its features were retained in later methods such as SITUATIONAL LANGUAGE TEACHING (Richards and Schmidt, 2002: 170).

2. The Audiolingual Method

A method of foreign or second language teaching which (a) emphasizes the teaching of speaking and listening before reading and writing (b) uses DIALOGUEs and DRILLs (c) discourages use of the mother tongue in the classroom (d) often makes use of CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS. The audiolingual method was prominent in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in the United States, and has been widely used in many other parts of the world. The theory behind the audiolingual method is the aural–oral approach to language teaching, which contains the following beliefs about language and language learning: (a) speaking and listening are the most basic language skills (b) each language has its own unique structure and rule system (c) a language is learned through forming habits. These ideas were based partly on the theory of STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS and partly on BEHAVIOURISM. Criticism of the audiolingual method is based on criticism of its theory and its techniques (Richards and Schmidt, 2002: 50).

3. Total Physical Response

A language teaching METHOD developed by Asher in the early 1970s in which items are presented in the foreign language as orders, commands, and instructions requiring a physical response from the learner (e.g. opening a window or standing up). TPR gives greater emphasis to comprehension than many other teaching methods. Both this and the emphasis on teaching language through physical activity are to lead to more effective learning (Richards and Schmidt, 2002: 570).

4. Grammar Translation Method

A method of foreign or second language teaching which makes use of translation and grammar study as the main teaching and learning activities. The Grammar Translation Method was the traditional way Latin and Greek were taught in Europe. In the 19th century it began to be used to teach “modern” languages such as French, German, and English, and it is still used in some countries today. A typical lesson consists of the presentation of a grammatical rule, a study of lists of vocabulary, and a translation exercise. Because the Grammar Translation Method emphasizes reading rather than the ability to communicate in a language there was a reaction to it in the 19th century and there was later a greater emphasis on the teaching of spoken language (Richards and Schmidt, 2002: 241).

5. Audio-Visual Method

A method of foreign language teaching which was developed in France in the 1950s and which

a. teaches speaking and listening before reading and writing

b. does not use the mother tongue in the classroom

c. uses recorded dialogues with film-strip picture sequences to present language items

d. Uses drills to teach basic grammar and vocabulary.

e. The audio-visual method is based on the belief that

f. language is learned through communication translation can be avoided if new language items are taught in situations

g. Choice of items for teaching should be based on a careful analysis of the language being taught.

DISCUSSION

Based on the interview there are six teachers who frequently used GTM as their teaching method in the classroom (60%). Then direct method is the second frequently used by Indonesian teacher. There’s one teacher used TPR method as his teaching method. Moreover, Audio Lingual method also used by Indonesian teacher although just one teacher who used it.