Keys of Learning English

Most of people now are trying to master English. Because, it is a fact that English is needed in every aspect of our life. A very common example is when we want to apply for a job; one of the requirements is the TOEFL test that has to reach the minimum grade of its point for approximately 500 points. As a result, English is a must-learned, especially for students. However, not all of students master English easily. Even, they do want to learn English, but they have no desire in learning English. Then, how come they could master English? Therefore, people need useful keys in mastering English. For that reason, I would like to explain the keys of learning English that will have impact in helping students mastering English. According to Molilie Immel-Brown, there are five keys that will lead us learning English easily. Those are divided into motivation, attitude, pacing, exposure, and practice. Motivation is the first key of learning English that has a contribution in making students’ learning English successfully. Motivation is a support from our self that allows us to do something what we want enthusiastically. When we have a motivation in our mind, we will have a spirit in doing something, including learning English. The motivation is the main point in starting anything. When we are doing our business for instance, the motivation has an important role to get the best result at the end. Therefore, if the students have had motivation in learning English, it is not a big deal for them to master English. Similar to motivation, attitude has an important role in leading the students to master English. The attitude means that students should interpret an English learning in a positive way. Usually students mean the English as a frightening subject that is not important to learn. In fact, English is a global language that is recommended to learn by all of the students who want to be a success person. When students have a positive thinking in learning English, they must gain their interest in learning English. As a result, the students’ skill of English will increase a lot. Another key of learning English that have a contribution in improving students’ skill of English is pacing. Pacing means a certain way or track that students choose to help them in learning English. The pacing can be the curriculum or time that usually students use in learning English. Therefore, if students want to master English successfully, they have to be consistent in using their pace in order to get the best result in their learning English. Besides, students will understand more when they use a steady pace. In contrast, the changing pace will lead them in wrong way of learning English; at least it is not the best way to be used for students. The following contribution in learning English successfully is exposure. Exposure here means the experience of the students in learning English. The more the students get the experience, the more they will easily master English. The exposure can be achieved by doing the activities that related to developing English skill. For example, when students join writing an essay competition, they will get not only knowledge and prize, but also get experience. Besides, by having much experience, the students will be used to learning English, because the more they will do activities about English, the more they will like English. As a result, when they already like English, it is sure that they will success in Learning English. Finally, practice has the biggest contribution on learning English. Learning English is about a practice. Therefore, if we want to success in mastering English, we have to do a lot of practices. Why do we have to practice ourselves in order to master English? By practicing, for example in speaking activity, we will know that we can speak English fluently or not. Besides, by writing such kind of essay, we will increase our skill in writing. Therefore, practice is truly important for students if they do want to master English. The five keys, stated by Molilie Immel-Brown, have important contribution in learning English as a second language. Those keys of learning English are must-used things for students in order to master English. While it is really necessary for students in supporting their learning English, the fact is in contrast. Most of students actually do not know those keys. Therefore, they cannot achieve the result of their learning English at best. That is why those keys are important to be shown up to the students. And finally, students can apply those keys to make them successful in mastering English as a second language.

Four Teaching Methods

In teaching English, most of the teachers are using different methods one another. However, although they use different methods, the goal is same. Teachers want their students to catch and comprehend the lesson. Therefore, the most appropriate method that is used will work and get the main goal, which will be reached by students. By the development of the technology, the methods of teaching and learning have been developed, too. Nowadays, there are many methods that are being used by the teachers in class. They are like Building Knowledge of the Text, Modeling, Joint Construction of Text, and Individual Construction of the Text, and others. However, actually those methods are not popular for students. Therefore, it is necessary for students to know the methods of their learning English. For that reason, I would like to tell about the process of teaching and learning methods in improving students’ speaking skill by using methods like Building Knowledge of the Text, Modeling, Joint Construction of Text, and Individual Construction of the Text. Building Knowledge of the Text is one of the methods that is usually used by teachers in improving students’ speaking skill. Building knowledge of the text is a class activity that allows students to apply the material that has been taught by the teachers by operating the material in the natural way to speak English as a communication way. In this method, at first, teachers handle the class. Teachers can introduce the materials of speaking that will be taught to the students. The students then are given some questions related to the material. The questions can be related to the daily life. Next, the students will answer the question actively and enthusiastically. To achieve it, the teachers should have a good interaction with the students. The students are also allowed to have a discussion with other students to get the accurate answer. The last activity is to give an opportunity to the students to ask about what part of the material that the students do not know. The teachers then will answer it with a clear explanation. The material’s goal is to improve the students’ speaking skill, and get the students own knowledge in speaking as a communication way. Modeling is another method of teaching that can be used by teachers of English in improving the students’ speaking skill in class. Modeling empowers students to observe, discover, classify, articulate and in the process construct the students own knowledge about oral language, and apply it to their own speaking (http://en.wikipedia.org). This method is about teaching by example. First, the teachers demonstrate the activity that will be done by the students. The activity can be a story telling, conversation, or any speaking activities. If the students understand the activity that they will do, then the teachers ask one of the students to do the activity in front of the class. The students may discuss the topic first with other students. When the students are ready, the teacher may offer the students to be a volunteer to speak in front of the class about the topic that has been given and discussed before. Then, all of the students have to do the same activity. After all of the students have done the activity, then the teachers have to explain what mistakes that the students have made and correct them. Therefore, the students can learn what part of their speaking that has been wrong. Finally, the teachers give some advices to the students how to do that kind of activity well. Similar to Modeling, Joint Construction of the text is also a method that can be used for teachers to teach in the speaking class. It is the method where the teachers and the students work together in small groups or as a whole class in discussing a topic that will be talked about. It is an effective method in teaching students about the process, the forms, the conventions, the skills and behaviors of speaking (http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au). First, teachers give an example of doing a speaking activity like speech, re-telling, or others. Besides, teachers should explain the point of the material clearly, including the way how doing the speaking activity well. Next, teachers share the material together with the students and put the ideas together till the students get the clear meaning about the activity. Then, the students can do the activity with the guide from teachers by using different ideas for each student. Independent Construction of Text is the last method that is usually used by teachers in teaching students’ speaking skill. This method is made for showing the students’ competence in speaking English. Therefore, in this method, the teachers ask the students to perform their presentation of speaking in front of the class. The presentation can be a dialog, describing things, or others. The teachers can select one of those speaking activities that will be done by the students. Then, students can perform their speaking presentation in front of the class, while the teachers can assess the students’ competence by using certain grade. Finally, after all of the students have done their turn, they can ask the teachers about the difficulties that they have in their previous presentation. Building Knowledge of the Text, Modeling, Joint Construction of Text, and Individual Construction of the Text are the four methods that are commonly used by the teachers in teaching speaking class. The process of those methods can help students to improve the students’ speaking skill. Those are good methods for students to make them speak English more fluently. Then finally, they will understand the goal of speaking English, that is as a communication way.

Private and Public Schools

It is undoubtedly that English is the most important language to learn in the world. Even, English is one of the most requirements if we want to apply for a job. That is why now English is a main subject in schools, not only in Private schools but also in Public schools. In both schools, English is a priority. Therefore, they are trying hard to improve their students’ skill of English. Also, if we talk about both kinds of schools, we will find some similarities in Teaching English between them. Firstly, their similarity is in the purpose of teaching English. The teachers of English in both schools are preparing their students to do the exam that they will face successfully. Therefore, the students can get the standard point for their graduation. Besides, the teachers’ purpose in teaching English is to introduce students in English. If the students know what English is and also its importance, they will love English. Secondly, Private and Public schools use the same material of English. Sometimes, teachers guide their students to the laboratory of listening to join the listening section. For improving the students’ writing skill, the teachers often give assignments about writing something that the student like, or just doing some exercises on their books. One of the materials that is usually hated by students is grammar lesson. However, the teachers still teach it to them. Therefore, they have to join it, no matter what. Thirdly, the curriculum in both schools is regularly the same the private and public schools use KTSP. As we know, before KTSP, all schools in Indonesia used KBK. However, now, the schools are using KTSP, which has been suggested by the government as a better curriculum for Indonesian’s education. Although they have some similarities, teaching English in private and public schools are able to be differentiated by some aspects. Firstly, the facilities that are used to assist the teaching of English in class are different in those two kinds of schools. Some private schools have more facilities rather than public schools. Why? Because the facilities in private schools are stocked by private departments, or even come from foreign countries. It is different from the public schools, where their facilities still depend on the government. Then, private schools use many sources or books in teaching English. On the other hand, public schools have less sources or books. As we know that private schools have a corporation with foreign countries in improving the quality of education. Therefore, some books that are used in private schools come from foreign departments. How about public schools? Still, they use books that are provided by our government. Finally, some native teachers are now teaching in several private schools. In contrast, public schools do not have any native speakers that are teaching there. Actually, the native speakers have important roles in improving their students’ skill of English, especially in pronunciation. Even, the natives are not only teaching the material, but also sharing about their countries’ culture, the history of English, and other useful information. I wonder why most of public schools do not hire the native speakers. In fact, the natives bring the positive impacts in developing the teaching of English in schools. To conclude with, teaching English in private and public schools do not only have some similarities, but also have some differences. Actually, they are like two brothers, different but alike.