Ed.Tech.TESOL

<li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/miftachudin.arjuna' target='_blank'><img alt='Facebook' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJWeEQ_i7aTOZed62jxwinbR4ZZpFmz8gZVpmmEyxa55DcViPIwI0I5Wj-LjQOeOfXRadPTFh4cqQdekhWTZ3K9Wgam0C4xHdA9-iQKR4og5BcRVqilU80ayW72ACtORo85rSpLLmXB4/s1600/facebook.png' title='Facebook'/></a></li>
<li><a href='https://twitter.com/miftac4' target='_blank'><img alt='Twitter' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQX863P9x3bcTn8WlJusrFJKrdJoFKHVFhyphenhyphenDzvAMIDfUfVXZYsQ1BlieFDx0cYBuLTmoPh6dBPEuKH4eKiz-GkfNrRJXPqWOOVRBFZ7oUQbFCpIJQ3YT7yhrrDidmcC_GYANnSuPWoMvo/s1600/twitter.png' title='Twitter'/></a></li>
<li><a href='https://plus.google.com/u/0/110036462585934380024/posts' target='_blank'><img alt='Google Plus' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDg-mXkY2ayztpb69f2ZgYg_bIXD-N2hyOvKX_Y8MzIe8L1e1Bbw5FjhkubByc1S8YLVoocCNd1ENSMBMBFFK8Jb815KmHZK8J-AtBQ7Cx0Yy3EQGIcyTWAQJvu8GekK2v2Gy0eDJORU/s1600/gplus.png' title='Google Plus'/></a></li>
<li><a href='http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/miftachudin-arjuna/22/667/599' target='_blank'><img alt='LinkedIn' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGA5SCiaZHm17zmhrR81wgQ97DjuvTx_fbddqFIOVnP7drQcc611efBOuCKA2kp5LDnrBUWZn4b2p9LbKKsqx1k8kDqo8gCEffsy3zy1ghR3PuLO80ZgulYoFSC0HvM00KQufhKoc0iI/s1600/linkedin.png' title='LinkedIn'/></a></li>
<li><a href='mailto:miftac4@gmail.com' target='_blank'><img alt='Email' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudPS78fQK7w0EL02qtW7MZwJ-Y3gvYcggu8V0RYE10jzT-FkUANGxrv5Mu-1pihMi0ibLTsIrqL76rARzY-oa-AxdVQDZNQqYMCC_Cnf-ZFDSXHlIZNOvXTakDgqi5KLrjqdADmVXWr8/s1600/email.png' title='Email'/></a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.youtube.com/user/MiftachudinArjuna' target='_blank'><img alt='Youtube' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxj6kbPL3lhMny88O5hKx9tMoZvZiBbVuGNpyPpFJkL3j5EpyACPCbolplcUy0mGO2bgxn1uG9ubG_F0x-Chhkdt2Rz0MJ7umZsNDPgdMWvEVqFQtcfK-Kh9xna7PvHcZv5c2b4SB4h4/s1600/youtube.png' title='Youtube'/></a></li>
<li><a href='https://delicious.com/stacks/miftac4' target='_blank'><img alt='Delicious' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzEWcT3QspAwu8LGlDaJdfvlAvOnM_-mVVRruK_0bOFj24o7bTCG-WZXzN30t9ae3EdoICTYSxTNepNELz34kmu1mJokGcXAOehll8pXbzlRFKFomnS0Ca6awuiXLkYlnjxA_LvjGjyU/s1600/delicious.png' title='Delicious'/></a></li>
</ul>

Reading is a receptive activity which is different from productive ones such as speaking and writing. In reading, the process of decoding happens in which readers try to find the meaning from the writing. In order to be good readers, we must consider the process in reading as in the following:

1. Activating background knowledge
2. Mastering knowledge about language and literacy 
3. Understanding cultural values and belief

Similarly, we need to consider those process in teaching reading to our students.

Most students can easily answer the questions related to familiar reading texts. They assert that Indonesian folk stories which are translated into English and used in the reading class are much more easier to catch the gist and answer the questions. Even, they do not have to read the whole paragraph 'I can answer the question with my closed eyes'.

How can they easily do the reading? Yup, the answer is that they have the background knowledge previously. On the contrary, how we can activate students' background knowledge on unfamiliar reading materials such as reading on international table manner. Do you have any ideas about 'International Table Manner'?

To resolve this questions, there is methods in reading skills namely SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read,  Recite and Review) to activate students' background knowledge. In the stages of survey and question, students will read at glance and ask questions to grasp the gist of the reading.

The above explanation is related to the discussion on activating background knowledge. The next discussion is how to master knowledge about language and literacy.

Language skills including listening, speaking, reading and writing are interconnected. When students learn reading, they sometimes learn grammar simultaneously. It similarly happens in other language skills. Thus, mastering knowledge about language and literacy is not an instant process. Teachers need to integrate this knowledge to class activities.

In terms of understanding cultural values and belief, teachers require to expose students with variety of reading materials inside and outside of the classes. During the class session, teachers can give additional explanation related the cultural values, belief, custom or culture in the reading materials. Out of the class, teacher can suggest students to have reading for pleasure as homework or pastime activities. Student just need to take their favorite books and read them regularly.

Questions and Answers:

1. What can teacher do to improve student comprehension in reading?
2. How do teacher motivate students to read?
3. ...

Speaking is a productive skill by encoding our thoughts into verbal words. In order to produce fluent verbal words, we require rigorous training regularly. In short, we need to practice in daily basis.

As a teacher, we must devise methods to maintain the students’ practice. It is the case of how to prepare them before they perform inside of the class.

Discussion, role play, simulations etc are the forms of speaking activities. Those forms only describe the next class will look like. In order to prepare them to speak out loud in the class, teachers need to make a certain procedure to scaffold their skills.

Based on several class discussions, some students have gotten speaking 1, 2 and 3. The rest even have gotten speaking 4. They get different nurture and activities in different level of speaking. However, we conclude that students must:

1. Prepare the script, transcript or reading article as background information
2. Practice by heart, in pairs or in a group to expose their skills
3. Perform and share orally in the class
4. Get feed backs

Those procedures refer to communicative language teaching (CLT) and grammar translation method. University students are perceived as the ones who have competency in language knowledge sucha as grammar, structure, collocation, expression etc. Thus, the speaking focuses on the use and meaning rather than accuracy at first. I presume that accuracy is not a big deal for them anymore.

In case, the students have a problem in grammar then they will get some review in the feedback session. In this session, grammar translation method plays its role.

In fact, those three procedures work well for university students. They are in the age of 18-22 years old. How if we use them to teach speaking for younger learners? Should we oblige younger learners to prepare a script or find an article at home? If the answer is no, then what we should do as their teacher.

PPP (present, practice, produce) is a combination method between CLT and grammar translation method. In the presentation session, a teacher can give various activities focusing on grammar, structure or expressions as background information. Then, the students practice in controlled tasks in the class in pairs or in a group. Lastly, they start to produce the language using the given grammar, structure or expressions independently.

This method can be implemented toward younger learners. We present the materials in the class because we assume that they have not had adequate capacity in language knowledge. At the same time, we give students background information to practice. Then teachers enforce them through practice to reform knowledge into skills. Eventually, students are independent to create language orally by using the previous knowledge and skills.

Questions and Answers:

1. How do teachers activate students to communicate in language class?
2. How do teachers improve students confidence to speak up?
3.