The Instruments of Teaching English

Teaching English has a lot of ways to do. That is way the teachers of English have to open their mind in order to be creative in finding the best way to teach their students. Besides, the instruments of teaching English have an important role to support the students in learning English. Actually, there are many instruments to support teachers to teach English, especially for English young learners. The instruments can be divided into Electronic media and Mass media. The Electronic media is one of the important instruments that help the teachers to teach their students. Teachers may use TV to show an English movie, or even methods how to study English well. To improve the students’ listening skill, the radio is a good choice. Students are allowed to listen to an education radio like Kangguru Radio English, or just listen to the music on it. Besides, the internet is necessary to improve the students’ background knowledge which is important in comprehending a text. Another kind of electronic media is a computer. The computer can be used for students to play English games, typing their assignments, and others. If it is necessary for teachers to show a digital material to their students in a whole class, they can use LCD. Another media, which is also important for students’ learning English, is Mass media. English newspaper is one of the mass media. There is much information on the newspapers that help students to improve their knowledge about English. Even, the students’ reading skill will increase a lot. When students need an easy-reading book, mass media has some options. English novel is useful for students to do an enjoyment reading to increase their vocabulary, too. Usually, students are bored if they just read a text without any picture. Therefore, students may read comics. English magazine is one kind of mass media that allows students to find information for their assignments, or just to read as an enjoyment. The importance of the instruments in teaching English is undoubtedly. The instruments of English can make the students easier to learn English. Even, students will be more interested in learning English because they are allowed to choose which one of the instruments they like, without any interruption from their teachers.

Learning Language through Technology

Nowadays, technology has developed in many aspects of our life. It brings a lot of advantages for us if we can use it conveniently. We use the technology in politic, business, or even in education. That is why the technology is important in many aspects, including in learning language. Language learners should use technology if they want to master a language quickly. They have to take advantage from technology. The technology is a part of modern way of learning languages. Therefore, several kinds of technology will help them learning language faster. Firstly, the technology of Internet is one of the best instruments to help language learner mastering the language. We can find anything we need through the internet. For instance, if we have difficulties in finding sources we need, we can browse to the internet. Internet will help us finding appropriate sources we need. Another example, my brother, who is in Junior High school, now is able to access English books through the internet. Even, it costs cheaper than books from the store. While we are using internet, we are also able to find many methods of learning language like learning Grammar online, video chatting for having conversation with foreigners, or even reading foreign newspapers or magazines online. Next, similar to the technology of Internet, a cellular phone is also a technology that helps language learners mastering language. Nowadays, we can do some online activities by using cellular phone. For example, if our cellular phone has feature like GPRS, we will be connected to the internet. Even, if a cellular phone is featured by JAVA application, we can do more. For instance, my cellular phone, Nokia 5200, is available for JAVA application. I can use the applications for chatting, sending an e-mail, or even listening foreign radios. Another example of application is that we may have a dictionary in our cellular phone. Again, JAVA allows us to use their application of dictionary. Finally, the computer software is technology that allows language learners learning language with different methods. Nowadays, there are many kinds of computer software which are being used in education field. For instance, LONGMAN Dictionary is dictionary software that allows the users to find the meaning of a certain words. Even, it can pronounce the words that we type or write on. Software like a kind of games is enjoyable software which also helps us to learn language. For instance, Bookworm Adventures Deluxe is a puzzle game that allows us to find much different kind of words by using the puzzled letters that have been provided for us on the box. Its function is actually to gain our vocabulary faster. To conclude with, technology is truly an aspect that has important role in learning language. Several kinds of technologies above are the example how important the technology is. The technology will help us learning language faster. Even, there will be no variation in learning English if we do not take advantage in technology as the instrument of our learning English.

Teaching English for Young Learners

There are many statements about meaning of Young Learners, three of which will be stated here. According to Purwaningsih,“Young Learners are learners in Elementary School aging 9-10 years old who are learning English as foreign language” (8). Based on that statement, we can know that Young Learners are students of primary school. Another statement which is taken from www.goliath.ecnext.com also says, “Young Learners are convinced as students of English between age of 7 and 15” (http://goliat.ecnext.com /coms2/gi/0199-5785232, review of the Internet and html on September 19th 2008). The last statement about the meaning of Young Learners, according to Etty Maryati Hoesein, “Young Learners are the students of Elementary School who are at grade four up to grade six. Their ages range from ten to twelve years of age. They have learned English for about one up to four years” (14). From those three statements , we may conclude that Young Learners are students who are studying in Elementary or Senior High School aging 7-15 and they are studying English as second language for about one up to four years. In other words, we may say that Young Learners are English foreign language learners, aging 9- 17. According to some experts, we can determine several definitions about teaching, but we will just explain three of them. In his thesis, Teaching of English at SMU Nurul Jadid Probolinggo, Kasbolah writes, “Teaching is guiding and facilitating, enabling the learners to learn and setting the condition for learning” (13). Another definition, according to Callahan and Gark, ”Teaching is a matter of helping students to know, to understand, and to comprehend ideas, attitudes values, skills, and information which will be used in changing and in redefining their thought forward their daily surrounding situation” (9). The third definition, according to Antony, “Teaching techniques are particular tricks, strategies, or continuances used to accomplish the immediate objectives” (19). We can conclude that teaching is guiding, helping, facilitating the students to know, to understand, to comprehend ideas, attitudes values, skills, and information using tricks and strategies. Furthermore, teaching is supporting and helping students’ activity of learning by using the methods of teaching to know the ideas or information, which are important. Based on the definition of Young Learners and Teaching above, we are able to find the meaning of teaching English for Young Learners. Teaching English for Young Learners is guiding and facilitating Young Learners in aging 9-15 years old, for their activities in learning, knowing, understanding, and comprehending ideas, attitudes values , skills, and information of English using tricks and strategies which will be used in changing and redefining their thought forward their daily surrounding situation as a foreign languages learners.