Ed.Tech.TESOL: March 2015

Requirements in Preparing and Using Foreign Language Test

By miftachudin arjuna - March 27, 2015

I. Preface

It is commonly felt that the word “testing” frighten both students and teachers. For the former, the students fear to be put to test because there is a possibility of failure. For the latter, the teachers have fear of statistics. They think that they will be involved in the statistical trap. Teachers also fear that they might be unable to make a fair judgment and appropriate tests in the available time.

One crucial way is for teachers to set the goals of teaching and describe them just in the beginning of teaching learning activity to the students.

II. Analysis

There are four requirements to be considered when developing and judging formal foreign language tests.

1. Validity

Test validity is the most crucial factor in the foreign language testing. A test is valid when it measures effectively what is intended to measure, whether it is be achievement, proficiency, or aptitude in the language. A test may be designed to measure the integrative abilities or discrete items within the subsystems of a language. But, for example, if a test is designed to measure reading comprehension, it must do exactly this and not attempt to measure another skill such as aural – oral comprehension. If a test is intended to measure one’s speaking skill, it is valid only if it tests his / her speaking ability.

In order to achieve validity, the test components and items must have a close relationship with what is tested. Two questions must be considered when determining test validity of a foreign language; what aspects of the language is the test design to measure, and how well does it measure?

The validity of a language test is determined by comparing the result it gives with some outside or independent criterion. Here are five validity concepts

a. Content validity

Content validity is examined by checking all items in the test to make certain that they correspond to the instructional objectives of the course, whether they are be discrete or integrative language skill.

b. Concurrent validity

A procedure for examining concurrent validity could follow the following pattern: a new language test is administered to students in the course and scores are recorded for each student.

c. Predictive validity

Predictive validity is used extensively in the validation of language aptitude tests. It is determined by (a) administering the test to a group of prospective students, (b) following their progress in their language courses, (c) obtaining data about each of them, then (d) computing the correlation coefficient between the aptitude test scores and the criterion grades or data.

d. Construct validity

Construct validity is less important in the achievement tests, but this validation should be extensively used in aptitude and proficiency test.

2. Reliability

The reliability or consistency of a test is the degree to which the test can be trusted to produce the same results when the test is administrated at different time by an individual. It is different from validity in that it concerns about the dependability of a test, rather than whether it measures what is intended to measure. Thus, to be reliable a test must be consistent in giving a result over a period of time. If a test gives almost identical results or scores each time it is administered to the same group, we can say that the test is highly reliable. When it gives significantly different result, the test is unreliable.

There are several external factors affecting the reliability of a test; variations in testing conditions (lighting, temperature, noise, and other distractions); test compromise (i.e., the students knew the questions / answers before hand); inaccuracy in scoring; inadequate sampling of test items; lack of motivation; fatigue or illness. Those factors decrease the reliability of the test.

On the other hand, these factors can improve the reliability of a test; making the test conditions constant; using the same procedure in administering the test; increasing the number of test items; giving adequate sampling of test items; and reducing the subjective scoring.

A test which is reliable is not necessarily valid. A test intended to test the native English speakers for reading comprehension of the Indonesian language may give the same result when given to the native Indonesians, but will show low validity when used to measure the writing ability of English speakers. A language test may have both high reliability and low validity.

Increasing the length of a test will increase its reliability. For a multiple-choice test, the number of choices will influence its reliability. For a better examination of reliability, two methods should be used, one being a check against the other.

3. Comprehensiveness

A test is comprehensive when it contains items from all aspects of the materials to be tested. An achievement test, for example, should contain all the objectives which should have been achieved by the time of testing. It is recommended that the number of items be in proportion to the importance of language being tested, or to the proportion of the problem areas of the students. For a phase test or end-of-semester test, approximately sixty questions can be considered the minimum number required to provide valid reliable scores. For a proficiency test used for screening purpose of for obtaining a comprehensive measure of the examinee’s mastery of language, the number of questions should be about twice as great, approximately 100 to 120 items.

It has been shown by experiments that when a test is too long, there are problems of administration, economy, and fatigue which destroy the test utility. On the other hand, a test which is too short gives problems of compromise, doubtful reliability, and lack of comprehensiveness.

In preparing a test, the examiner should make sure that the test items are representative, comprehensive, and related to the objectives of the course or to the purpose for which the test is intended.

4. Practicality

Practicality is also as important factor in the design of a test, in addition in validity, reliability, and comprehensiveness. It is important when the test is used in large quantities for placement, selection, certification, or classroom use. The criteria for practicality are based on such factors as economy, scorability, and administrability.

III. Conclusion

Those fear of students and teachers will removed when they open to a wider context of testing. The reason for making goals clear to the students is the fact that all teaching and learning activities are directed to and focused in the goals.

To make a fair judgment and appropriate tests, teachers should consider major qualities when developing a test; they are validity, reliability, comprehensiveness, and practicality.

Validity measures effectively what is intended to measure, whether it is be achievement, proficiency, or aptitude in the language. A test may be designed to measure the integrative abilities or discrete items within the subsystems of a language. When reliability of the test components and items must have a close relationship with what is tested. Thus, to be reliable a test must be consistent in giving a result over a period of time.

In preparing a test, the examiner should make sure that the test items are representative, comprehensive, and related to the objectives of the course or to the purpose for which the test is intended

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ESL ; The Theories to Improve English Learning Achievement

By miftachudin arjuna - March 20, 2015

Abstract:

English language is a foreign language that is studied by elementary up to College students. It is taught intensively and spent proportional time allotment in every meeting. Practically, the expected result has not yet shown significant improvement. Many factors causes the underestimated effort in studying English, especially the point of view that English is only a foreign language not a second language. This view assumes that English is not so important to be studied seriously because its benefit is less for their future.

Key Words: English Learning, Second language (L2), Achievement.

I. Introduction
Language is important for communication in this world. We need language to communicate each other. We learn language since we were child until we become man. Language is a system to communicate from one aspect to another aspects. Human has language and also the animals. Language is intimately tied to man’s felling and activity, it’s bound up with nationality, religion and the felling of self. It used for work, worship, etc.In linguistic Language is an arbitrary system of speech sounds or sequences of speech sounds which is can be used in interpersonal communication by an aggregation of human beings and rather exhaustively catalogs things, process and event in human environment. (Carrol 1953).

Learning is basic to human existence and fundamental to education. It is the base of operation for the study of psychology and to understand the human mind, indeed no other topic in psychology has been as thoroughly researched as that of learning.

Language acquisition of human being begins from their existence. In learning of first language / mother tongue, most or even all people learn and figure out the language acquisition without any learning process. The acquisition / learning hypothesis said that: Acquisition refers to an unconscious process that involves the naturalistic development of language proficiency through understanding language and through using language for meaningful communication. Learning, by contrast, refers to a process in which conscious rules about a language developed.

Formal teaching is necessary for “learning” to occur, and correction of errors helps with the development of learned rules. In accordance with research and experience, language learning as a second language is rather difficult. Term of learning such as Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is used to teach as second language. The process of learning tend to emerge the elements; teacher, language learning, methodology and material to improve the achievement.

The most important role in the language learning as a second language is learners; there must be learners not teachers. Therefore it implies the philosophy of teaching and education that as named “student oriented or student centered.”

II. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
The acquisition-Learning Hypothesis claims that there are two independent ways of learning a second language: acquisition and learning. As discussed earlier that acquisition is the subconscious process generally used by children to develop their first language. It is a result of participation in natural communication in which the focus is on meaning or content. In storage, the acquired system is located in the left hemisphere part of the brain in the language areas. It is available for automatic processing. In performance, the acquired system serves as the major source for initiating both the comprehension and production of utterances. According to Krashen (1981:99) “fluency in second language performance is due to what we have acquired, not what we have learned”. Adult second language learners, therefore, should do as much acquisition as possible in order to achieve communicative fluency.

Learning is a conscious process, which results in a separate system of simple grammar rules, or knowledge about the second language. It occurs as a result of conscious study of the grammatical system of the language. Learned knowledge is also stored in the left hemisphere, but not necessarily in language areas. This knowledge (explicit knowledge) is used to control the processing of utterances. It edits or monitors the performance.

III. Language Learning
A. GBPP of English Curriculum 1984

Linguistic is defined as “using language to communicate”, that is conveying the message or definition from one to another. GBPP 1984 emphasizes the alternation from stressing the structure of language into usage of language. The intention is to achieve communicative skill through learning process based on discourse and communicative function of language.

Syllabus as curriculum 1984 is multi centered, thus the dialogue and reading material are not used anymore to convey grammar and structure. And the components of syllabus; structure, reading, vocabulary, dialogue, writing, pronunciation, spelling, are used as experience of learning of English, enhance the knowledge and improve the skill of learner and English.

B. Curriculum Base Competence (CBC)
The intention of CBC is achievement of competence itself. Therefore the approach, method and teaching strategy belong to the stakeholder of learning process along with the capacity and resources they have.

This Learning tends to retain competence achievement that showed in students’ skill (Competence standard, Cognitive point of view, Psychomotor, Affective / attitude) and participation in the learning process.

IV. The Improvement Of English Achievement
A. Teaching Strategy

Those of us who teach English as a second language today are faced with essentially the same problem. We are aware of variety in language usage, and we want to teach the most effective or most useful variants to our students. The most important function of the teacher in a second language classroom: to supply a model and to provide guidance for the students.

B. Learning Strategy

The affective filter hypothesis that is built on research is second language acquisition, which has identified three kinds of affective or attitudinal variables related to second language acquisition:
1. Motivation, learners with high motivation generally do better,
2. Self – confidence, learners with self-confidence and a good self-image tend to be more successful,
3. Anxiety, low personal anxiety and low classroom anxiety are more conductive to second language acquisition.

V. Closure
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is a study of the process in which learners learn a second language. We, language practitioners, can take significant benefit from studying SLA. For one thing, we can gain insight of the way learning process of the learners takes place. With such insight we can modify and create different techniques of teaching learning process that can help learners acquire the target language. Understanding SLA is also beneficial for language learners. Their specific awareness to the way second language is acquired can facilitate their efforts in learning the target language. Their insight of SLA could strengthen and lead them to the correct path in mastering the language they are learning.

SLA aims at identifying how learners acquire a second language, what they really do when they try to accomplish the task. SLA also aims at identifying the external as well as internal factor, which influence the learners in acquiring the target language. External factors may include social environment as well as the language input itself. The internal factors may comprise the learner’s cognitive mechanism, the learner’s mother, and the learner’s learning strategies.

VI. References
Allen Harold B. and Russell N. Campbell. 1965. Teaching English As A Second Language A Book Of Readings. New Delhi: Tata Mc.Graw – Hill Publishing Company Ltd.

Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. 2003. Kuriklum 2004 Standar Kompetensi Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris SMA dan MA. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan Nasional.

Lado, Robert. Language Teaching A Scientific Approach. Mew York: Mc, Graw Hill Inc.

Nababan-Sri Utari Subyakto. 1993. Metodolgi Pengajaran Bahasa. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Purwo Bambang Kaswanti. Pragmatik dan Pengajaran Bahasa Menyibak Kurikulum 1984. Universitas Kaltolik Atmajaya: Kanisius

Ramelan. 1984. Introduction to Linguistic. Semarang: IKIP Semarang,

Richards Jack S. and Theodore S. Rodgers. 1986. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

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Perbedaan Mengenai Metode Penelitian

By miftachudin arjuna - March 12, 2015

Bias dalam penelitian metode penelitian telah mempengaruhi tingkat perkembangan dalam pembelajaran mengenai kepemimpinan yang efektif. Kepercayaan mengenai metode penelitian yang paling bermanfaat dan jenis informasi yang diperlukan untuk memahami proses kepemimpinan terkait dengan bias dalam pembuatan konsep tentang kepemimpinan, masalah utama meliputi:

1. Peralatan / perlengkapan kuantitif, metode tes – hipotesis vs diskriptive, metode kualitatif.

2. Perlengkapan survey vs studi experimental.

3. Level analisa yang sesuai untuk data quantitative.

Metode Qualitative vs Quantitative

Kebanyankan penelitian quantitative tentang perilaku kepemimpinan menggunakan quesioner daripada bertanya kepada bawahan atau pengikut untuk mengukur seberapa sering atau seberapa banyak seorang pemimpin memunculkan perilaku-perilakunya selama periode beberapa bulan atau beberapa tahun. Bukti bias pengukur dan koresponden yang rendah diantara orang-orang yang mengukur pemimpin yang sama memunculkan keraguan yang serius mengenai apa yang quesioner ukur sebenarnya. Kritik atas tipe penelitian ini berpendapat bahwa hal tersebut mempunyai bias yang tidak berhubungan terhadap sesuatu yang berlebihan mengenai pentingnya pemimpin. Bias ini konsisten dengan tekanan atas kepemimpinan kepahlawanan. Survey questioner sangat tidak cocok untuk study kepemimpinan sebagai sebuah proses yang dinamis dan berbagi yang ada dalam system social yang kompleks.

Beberapa metode qualitative muncul lebih sesuai untuk studi kepemimpinan dari sebuah system perspektif. Tetapi metode penelitian ini juga mempunyai beberapa keterbatasan (house, 1988a: Martinko & Gardner, 1985). Standar untuk aplikasi dan evaluasi metode kualitatif tidak tersirat seperti halnya metode qualitative tradisional, dan interpretasi berdasarkan metode qualitative kadang sangat subyektif.

Saat deskripsi tentang proses kepemimpinan diperoleh dari interview, perhitungannya mungkin bias karena ingatan yang selektif atas aspek perilaku yang tetap terhadap anggapan responden dan teori implisif mengenai kepemimpinan yang efektif. Observasi langsung juga dapat dicurigai untuk perhatian yang selektif dan bias interpretasi atas suatu peristiwa oleh para pengamat karena prasangka dan teori implisif.

Survey vs studi experimental

Masalah lain dalam mendesain penelitian kepemimpinan adalah manfaat relatif atas survey study dan pengalaman. Survey studi biasanya lebih mudah untuk dilaksanakan, tapi seperti ditulis diawal mereka mempunyai banyak keterbatasan saat digunakan untuk penelitian dalam proses kepemimpinan. Eksperimen di laboratorium dan seting lapangan adalah sesuai untuk banyak tipe penelitian kepemiminan. (Brown & Lord, 1999: Dipboye, 1990: Eefford, 1999). Sayangnya, metode penelitian ini jarang digunakan untuk mempelajari kepemimpinan eksperimen labaratorium & lapangan mendasari proporti kecil (kurang dari 5%) atas ribuan studi yang telah dilakukan tentang kepemimpinan selama 5 abad yang lalu.

Manfaat terpenting eksperimen adalah kesempatan untuk menentukan kausalitas. Peneliti dapat memanipulasi perilaku pemimpin atau variable situasional dan menilai kemandirian mereka dan efek gabungan. Lebih lagi, dengan eksperimen labaratorium, lebih mudah untuk mengukur proses mediasi, mengontrol variable tambahan, dan memeriksa efek kondisi yang jarang ditemukan dalam organisasi yang sesungguhnya. Eksperimen laboratorium tentang kepemimpinan sepertinya menjadi lebih bermanfaat jika berdasarkan model yang dispesifikasi dengan baik, dilakukan dalam interval waktu yang masuk akal, sample yang sesuai. Terdapat simulasi realistis tentang kondisi pekerjaan, dan manipulasi experimental diujikan untuk menyakinkan bahwa mereka efektif.

Eksperimen lapangan lebih sulit untuk dilaksanakan daripada eksperimen laboratorium, tetapi mereka memberikan manfaat lebih. Kebanyakan eksperimen lapangan meliputi kondisi nyata dan sample berpengalaman, dan mereka membiarkan penilaian yang lebih baik atas intervensi untuk mewujudkan kepemimpinan (contoh: training). Eksperimen lapangan tentang kepemimpinan sepertinya menjadi lebih bermanfaat jika didasarkan pada model yang dispesifikasi dengan baik, dilakukan dalam periode waktu yang sesuai, dan meliputi bermacam pengukuran atas variable yang relevan.

Level analisis

Tipe analisis yang sesuai tergantung pada dasar teori proses kepemimpinan dan level pengukuran dan level konsep teori. (Klein. et. al. 1994). Jika level analisis yang tidak sesuai digunakan, hasil dari study mungkin akan disalahtafsirkan.

Kebanyakan penelitian survey tentang perilaku kepemimpinan telah menggunakan sebuah individu, dyadic atau kelompok individual biasanya meliputi hubungan antara pengukuran yang ada oleh individu yang sama. Analisis dyadic biasanya meliputi data yang diperoleh dari kedua anggota pemimpin dan bawahan, contoh hubungan penilaian bawahan atas perilaku pimpinan dengan penilaian pimpinan atas penampilan bawahan. Analisis level kelompok biasanya meliputi data individu yang terakumulasi terhadap level group. Variable level group jarang diukur hanya pada level grup, jika tidak tujuan pengukuran yang tersedia (e.q. ukuran group, penampilan, tingkat sebaliknya).

Terdapat manfaat dan kekurangan untuk setiap level analisis. Akumulasi penilaian pemimpin dari beberapa bawahan dapat menurunkan efek persepsi random yang bias dan membuat penilaian gabungan lebih akurat. Bagaimanapun, jika perilaku pemimpin kepada bawahan tidaklah sama. Kemudian penilaian gabungan mungkin mengaburkan variasi-variasi dan memberi gambar distorsi atas pola perilaku pimpinan. Hanya jika penilaian gabungan dianalisis, lebih sulit untuk mendeteksi hubungan dyadic antara pimpinan kepada bawahan dan kepuasan atau motivasi bawahan itu. Jika efek delegasi dikonsep pada level dyadic (yang kelihatannya sesuai pada contoh ini), mempelajari bahwa hanya menggunakan analisis level group tidak akan memberi test teori yang cukup.

Saat semua data dalam suatu study dikumpulkan dari individu-individu, bermacam level analisis dapat digunakan untuk membandingkan penjelasan alternatif mengenai kepemimpinan. Dansereau, Alutto, dan Yammarino (1984) mengajukan sebuah metode (WABA) untuk menganalisa hasil pada level yang berbeda secara terkait. Metode tersebut telah digunakan dalam beberapa studi, dan hasilnya mengindikasikan bahwa susunan data mungkin mendukung kesimpulan yang bebeda mengenai kepemimpinan tergantung pada level analisis (contoh Dansereau, Yammarino, dan Markhan, 1995; Yammarino, 1990, Yammarino dan Bass, 1990). Metode WABA memberikan beberapa pemahaman yang unik, tetapi tidak mungkin saat beberapa data dikumpulkan hanya pada tingkat grup atau organisasi. Dan lagi, penapsiran hasil WABA rumit dengan kekurangan dalam kebanyakan quesioner kepemimpinan. Saat hasil dari tingkat analisis yang berbeda tidak tetap, kekurangan tersebut membuatnya lebih sulit untuk menentukan alasan. Usaha yang lebih diperlukan untuk meningkatkan akurasi quesioner kepemimpinan atau untuk menemukan yang lain, tipe pengukuran yang lebih akurat.

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Reading

Reading for Pleasure

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

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Comparison and Contrast Paragraphs_Taking Transjakarta or Public Buses

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

Comparison and contrast paragraphs are sometimes used to explain a topic. More often, they are used to support the evaluation of two persons, places, things, or ideas. For example, X is better, more beautiful, easier, more helpful, etc. than Y, and so X is preferable to Y.

Comparison identifies and analysis similarities between two person, places, things or ideas. In the other hand, Contrast identifies and analysis differences between two person, places, things or ideas.

Writers whose purpose is to compare (or contrast) in order to evaluate and select one of the persons, ideas, places, or events develop criteria (factors by which they can judge their topic) to make thee comparison (or cotrast). These criteria are the points that are supported by the facts, examples, physical description, and/or personal experience generated by the writer.

Organization of Comparison and Contrast Paragraphs

There are two ways to organize a comparison/contrast paragraph

Application of one criterion to both of the sub-topics within the topic at the same time (Basic Outline)

TOPIC SENTENCE

X and Y (criterion 1) = supporting detail, supporting detail
X and Y (criterion 2) = supporting detail, supporting detail
X and Y (criterion 3) = supporting detail, supporting detail

CONCLUDING SENTENCE

Discussion of each subtopic separately, using all criteria with each sub-topic (Alternative Outline)

TOPIC SENTENCE

Criterion 1 = supporting detail, supporting detail
Criterion 2 = supporting detail, supporting detail

Criterion 1 = supporting detail, supporting detail
Criterion 2 = supporting detail, supporting detail

CONCLUDING SENTENCE

Here is the sample text using the alternative outline :

There are some reasons why people take Transjakarta or public buses in Jakarta. Tranjakarta comes later than public buses and both have different characteristics. Transjakarta is one effort to cope the traffic jam in Jakarta. There are also many facilities provided to pamper this program such as special 5 different lanes. The different lane represents different buses' color. The passengers get on and off through special shelters provided along the lane, and they have to pay fixed fare; Rp. 3.500,- to any destination. Though they take the 5 lanes, the fare is single price as long as they do not get out from the shelter. The additional facilities are uniformed officer such as ticketing officer, security, office boy, and cleaning service officer. During the journey, passengers are not allowed to smoke, drink, and eat in order to keep the surrounding neat and clean. In Jakarta people are still eager to take another public transportation such as public buses. The main excuse is that they may get off every where they want to even right on their home front door. The fare itself is quite cheap because the payment is based on the distance. The conductor will collect money along the journey so passengers do not have to rush at the beginning. This bus has 54 seats that not only guarantees the passengers to get seat but also provides a perfect spot to sleep along the way. People may vary about this issue and they have freedom to opt either Transjakarta or public buses. The two support each other to commute people everyday in Jakarta.

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Cause and Effect Paragraphs_The Effects of Smoking Habit

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

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Process Paragraphs_Making a Flash Card

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

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Argumentative Paragraphs_Home Schooling

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

In argumentative paragraph, the writer wants the readers to accept or reject an idea, realize that action should be taken to solve a problem, or try a new way of doing something. The writer should state her / his opinion about something which s/he believes to be true. For examples :

Should smoking be judged as forbidden stuff?
Government should be centralize the power
Married with the same sex must be legalized

Before writing the paragraph, the writer should make a list of more than one reason in support of her/his opinion (pro) and the main reason against another opinion (contra). The writer should be careful to avoid mistakes of evidence and logic.

There are 3 most common errors:

False conclusion : the conclusion is not based on evidence
Misplaced causes and effects : just because A takes place before B does not mean A causes B; just because B follows A does not mean B is an effect of A
Bad evidence: evidence used comes from an outdated, incompetent, or biased source

Here is the example of argumentative paragraph :

Home schooling is still a controversial education issue in Indonesian. Actually, this concept is not a newcomer idea because it has been implementing in many countries such as US and England. Most people claim that this education is exclusive because there is only a group of people who can afford to have it. In fact, homeschooling helps government to provide education until the lowest level of society which formal school cannot provide it such as slum, marginal society, ethnic minority, geographically isolated society, and people groups with certain beliefs. Based on the article no. 20 in 2003 about National Education System, home schooling is accommodated as a non-formal and or alternative education. It is a substitution, addition, completion of formal education. There is no reason to obstruct homeschooling as an alternative education in Indonesia. Depdiknas (National Education Affairs Department) asserts that there will be a standardized certificate through national examination or substitution examination including package A–elementary school, package B-secondary school, and package C-senior high school.

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Which is the most important in effective communication? Verbal or Nonverbal

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

At glance, let's take a look at the process of interpersonal communication. This diagram may help you to have preliminary comprehension before you read the following summary

sender --> message --> medium (verbal language or nonverbal medium) --> interference --> receiver

Opinion and idea of human being change the media of communication. In the case of face to face communication, it uses both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal message is a word. It is represented by verbal language medium. On the other hand, there is a nonverbal message represented by nonverbal medium such as gesture, cued word, image, or color.

Verbal communication is all kind of oral communication using word or more than one word. Almost all conscious communicative stimuli are included. Verbal category is conscious effort to relate with people in oral way. Moreover, unconscious verbal message is something that we talk about without intention within.

Nonverbal communication is not able to describe as simple as verbal one because its attributes are in a wide range. It is included all aspects of behavior such as face expression, body language, tone, intonation, hands movement, fashion style, etc. Those communication covers all unspoken message.

Human uses nonverbal message to strengthen verbal one. For example, when we say I LOVE YOU and followed by bending our knees, looking into her/his eyes deeply and using a gentle tone, I believe that he/she will catch the meaning noticeably. We may compare the impact when we say that 3 words without nonverbal message. Controlling nonverbal message is like hit nail on the head. In custom, aspects of behavior are baffle. The better we know someone, the better we can identify his nonverbal expression.

The different composition of using verbal and nonverbal message is clear cut. In average, human sense comes from 85% sight, 7% hearing, and the rest is the skill of communicator. Apparently, verbal message only affects 8% over all. The other references assert that effective communication comes from 60% performance , 34% intonation, and 6% voice. Explicitly, words only represent 7% of the message. The fact explain that nonverbal message is more major than verbal one.

References:
http://www.tanadisantoso.com/v50/index.php
Majalah Success. June 2007
Steward L. Tubbs - Sylvia Moss. 1996. Human Communication. Bandung : PT. Remaja Rosdakarya

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Communication strength to activate human emotion and behavior

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

In paradigmatic description of communication, it is well-known that communication has certain intention; informative and persuasive. Informative is a process of transferring information from one to another, meanwhile persuasive is a process of modifying people attitude, opinion, and behavior.

Persuasive communication is more difficult than informative one. We need certain technique and experience to communicate with any people. We have to adjust the technique for each person individually. In this way, people will talk to us emotionally because the subject of communication touch their necessity.

Persuasion term comes from Latin word Persuasio. The verb is Persuadere that means coaxing, tempting, or stimuli. Persuasion is psychological activity. Its intention is to change behavior, opinion, and attitude. It considers the value of humanity such s gentle and well-mannered. It is different from coercion that enervates motivation. It uses punishment and threatening to command certain behavior.

Persuasive approach in communication often takes time to conduct. In custom, communicator cannot expect the changing behavior at the time. In urgent condition or limited time, coercion is the most useful approach because it result direct action and changing behavior right after.

Both persuasion and coercion change human behavior but they result contra effects. Persuasion makes comprehension, charity, and happiness, in the contrary coercion emerges hate, dislike, aversion, and even resentment. The result of persuasion and coercion can be identified by the table below:

1. Persuasion

If children get much consideration --> they accustom to be patient
If children get much motivation --> they accustom to be confident
If children get much acclamation --> they accustom to respect others
If children get much acceptance --> they accustom to love and care others
If children do not get much complain --> they accustom to be happy
If children get much neighborhood admittance --> they accustom to set a vision
If children get much honesty --> they accustom to see the truth
If children get much justice --> they accustom to see fairness
If children get much safety --> they accustom to have self control
If children get much hospitaity --> they accustom to have priciple

2. Coercion

If children get much disgrace --> they accustom to have self rejection
If children get much aversion --> the accustom to oppose
If children are customized to be frightened --> they accustom to be discourage
If children get much pity --> they accustom to regret their destiny
If children get much ridicule --> they accustom to be embarrassed
If children get much jealousy --> the accustom to feel guilty

References:

Effendy, Onong Uchjana. 1986. Dinamika Komunikasi Teori dan Praktek. Bandung : CV. Remadja Karya

Tabloid I-Tutor Net Indonesia. 2007

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Do we need to learn English accents; British, American, or Australian?

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

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Definition and Clarification Paragraph_Home Schooling

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

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Comparison Contrast Essay_Writing Spoken Language in Higher Education of Indonesian Students

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

(General Statement) Writing spoken language is a common phenomenon among higher education students in Indonesia. Since English is a foreign language, students find it difficult to express their ideas into a good academic writing which fulfills its standard. Their reasons may vary from the grammar and structure, diction, and the notion to rules of formal writing. This phenomenon reduces when students start their classes in higher semester. It means that their writing skills evolve respectively along with the knowledge improvement. Even though some students get improvement in their writing skills, most of them still have spoken language writing.(Thesis Statement) This essay will explain about the nature of writing, the nature of spoken language, and phenomenon of spoken English writing among higher education students.

(Topic Sentence) In language learning, writing belongs to productive skills or language performance. It includes writing journal, free writing, and Academic writing. Writing journal and free writing do not follow the formal standard of writing. They may use spoken language in the composition. On the other hand, academic writing is quite different from both of them. There are writing standards which must be fulfill to have a good writing. They include grammar, diction, punctuation, paraphrasing, sentence and paragraph structure, parallelism etc. Writing skill is a matter of habit which means that it will improve by practicing continuously. Some people said that writing is an art to express ideas into stirring words. By writing, the idea remains either in a hard copy such as draft or in a soft copy such as data. This is the advantage of writing which other people may observe the writer’s point of view from those records.

(Topic Sentence) In contrast, spoken language means the language which is used in speaking. When language serves as a message medium in verbal communication, its main goal is interpersonal communication understanding. Therefore, speaking does not much concern about any specific standards as long as it can make other people understand about what they speak. Further, the grammatical error will not visible because it is a verbal language. For examples, Chinese may say “don’t forget to play play to my house” instead of “don’t forget to play to my house” or you will find the word “civilized urinating” instead of “rest room”. Although speaking is also one part of productive skills, those samples show us that its structure sometimes different from the written one and they are not interchangeable.

(Topic Sentence) The interchangeable phenomenon which spoken language is composed in academic writing happens among higher education students in Indonesia. Writing is relatively new experience for most students since they have practiced it in speaking activity or hear it from their favorite film and song. They may write “ I wanna go to the club tonight”, but it is not acceptable in academic writing because the word “wanna”, which means “want to”, does not exist in formal language. In addition, English does not recognize such abbreviation except in speaking activities. The sentence “could you help me?” shows politeness in spoken language. Rather, the word “could” must be changed into “can” to make it in standard academic writing. Precisely, it must meet grammatical aspect which is syntactical case or subject verb agreement in internal structure of a sentence. Although the rules are clear cut, the students still have those common errors in their writing because of lack of practice and knowledge.

(Conclusion) Writing spoken language is still readable and understandable. It is not accepted in academic or formal writing because it does not meet the standard rules. Understanding the nature of writing will ease the writers to make standard composition. Therefore, they are able to express their ideas clearly, orderly, and logically. A good writing skill does not come at once, thus it is recommended to have lots of practices.

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Chronological Order Essay_LSRW stages in language acquisition

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

Babies start their first journey to the world by crying as the sign that they are breathing and alive. Although they make sounds, it does not mean that their language development begins with speaking stages. They will soon learn that language is a matter of habit. Therefore, they do not need a specific classroom and a set of goals in learning language. For their first language, they will master it through language acquisition, which is an unconscious process in acquiring language. The process to acquire language itself involves some natural stages which start from listening, speaking, reading, to writing.

Listening is the first stage in language acquisition that babies use hearing to acknowledge the surroundings before they have clear sight. The hearing sense precedes the development of the other senses. In addition, hearing helps babies to catch the sounds and memorize them in the long-term brain memory. The repetition words will help them to recognize certain words to certain things such as the word “mama” for mother or “dada” for good bye. In the early age, they still respond anything with certain behavior such as smile, laugh, or body movement. Along with the physical development, the babies are able to connect one word to another into certain patterns. Therefore, they can understand sentence meanings that they hear after several months.

Speaking follows the development of the listening stage that the babies can speak in different times based on language information they have. For instance, a baby may start her/his first word when s/he is 10 months old; however, another is 12 months old. It means that speaking ability represents the storage information in the brain. In this stage, the babies will imitate what they see and hear from their environment. The sight sense eases them to visualize forms and behaviors, then connect them to appropriate words such as nodding head to represent the word “yes” and shaking head from side to side meaning “no”. Further, they will attempt to speak in a sentence. Normally, they speak mainly the main word in early speaking stage. Let us take a look the sentence “Mom, I want to pee”. The baby will say “pee” with repetition to explicate the meaning of the sentence above. Another example, the sentence “Can I eat this Mom?” is replaced by the words “eat this?”. Through language experiment their speaking ability evolves into a complete sentence logically and grammatically.

Reading skills begin when the toddlers are 19 months old and they are able to indicate the existence of pictures, scratches, or forms in papers. Automatically, they are always curious about the formula in written expressions. To accelerate this skill, they need external intervention such as parents who promote learning method and approach such as flash card or introducing the letter spelling. From this starting point, soon or later, toddlers are capable of spelling words and sentences. Through reference improvement and practice, their reading speed will increase.

Writing sometimes is one package with reading stage because psycho-motoric activities in writing help children visualize and memorize the words. For example, drawing book gives the letter “A” in fade away form and the children should bold the letter with pencil and spell it at the same time. In advance, the children may play a game such as hang man which they have to fill out the missing letter from the word given. By this way, they have to recall their memory, rewrite, and spell the words respectively.

Listening and reading are receptive skills that children merely receive and capture from their hearing and sight senses. On the contrary, speaking and writing are productive skills which are harder than receptive ones because they have to collaborate all skills to produce speaking and written expressions. Although language is a matter of habit and children can master it unconsciously, it still needs external intervention to encourage the process faster. The process that is explicated above forms – what the experts said – the term “LSRW” which is coined as an acronym for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

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Cause and Effect Essay_The Effect of TPR (Total Physical Response) Methodology toward Language Performance

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

Methodology of English language teaching has evolved over centuries since it becomes the second of the biggest language users which has 500 million speakers around the world after Mandarin for 1.5 billion ones. Surprisingly, among 6912 languages English is accepted widely as international language and set as a standard of language proficiency to enter universities, job markets, graduation requirements, or life styles. In Indonesian school, English subject has been implemented as main or supplementary subject from kindergarten to university level. In practice, the methodology is always adjusted toward consideration of age (young learners, teenagers, or adults), goals, time limit, or curriculum. On the other hand, the TPR methodology result better language performance and other advantages based on recent observation.

TPR (Total Physical Response) methodology was popular in 1970 after being developed by Dr. James J. Asher as a way to teach students of other languages. Active physical movements dominate the classroom interaction as responses of spoken words, phrase, or sentences either form tutors or tutees in the form of games, imperative, role play, peer teaching etc. This methodology sheds grammar and structure instead of active interactions. This method tries to answer the dead methodology which is one way teaching into two ways of teaching and learning. The most advanced language performances achieved by this methodology are listening and speaking rather than reading and writing because chiefly both senses, hearing and mouth, are used through all classes.

Based on my recent observation, which was conducted through afternoon intensive English classes toward adult learners who are teachers of 2 Junior and 1 Senior High School in Semarang Regency, almost 100% learners claimed that TPR is an effective methodology and favorable. In addition, they found themselves more energetic and passionate because the classroom activities insisted them to move and active in listening and speaking. Such class activities killed their boredom after daily routine teaching. Through monthly questionnaire and supervision, the data showed that there are two main advance achievements; speaking performance and self confidence. Self confidence rocketed because the learners ignored the grammar, structure, or any written expressions spinning in their mind while they are thinking. They were free to express what they wanted to and any responses would be appreciated as worthwhile efforts.

To summarize, TPR has a great amount of results in speaking and self confidence as mentioned previously. Unfortunately, the objects of observation were adult learners in some formal schools in certain place which means that there might be possibilities of different results when the observation is performed in different area and with different learners such young learners or teenagers.

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Comparison and Contrast Essay_Manual and Digital Learning

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

Students with back packs and piles of books are common sight in the last 2 decades. Nonetheless, during 21st century, considering the needs of effectiveness, human run to leverage time into more valuable than 24 hours in a day. Computers and various wireless tools invade human life without any exclusion. Education field becomes more and more innovative by new hybrid net and note books within implanted learning system. Science e-book clung together with Macintosh smart phone is a new life style and learning culture nowadays. This condition results in challenges and disadvantages concurrently. Students may choose the most effective way in learning by comparing and contrasting manual and digital learning from some diverse points of view.

In student-centered learning theory, the most important part in teaching learning process is the students themselves. They must have internal motivation to use all the resources in order to achieve their determinations. Tools are external motivation to stimulate students’ passion for better learning. In addition, both manual and digital learning must provide certain structures; school, building, classroom, table, chair etc. and infrastructures such as books, computers, teachers, curricula and so on. Structures and infrastructures are means to ease students getting the knowledge. Further, they are set in a mutual relationship which one depends on the other. In this case, it does not mean that using solely digital learning tools will have more significant achievement if it is not united with other aspects especially students’ motivation.

Teachers play the important roles in facilitating students to rocket their potentials. People may say that they learn dependently through internet or educational software, but in certain time they must need tutors, peer teachers, facilitators, or what ever another term of teacher. Apparently, students cannot study alone even they have complete facilities or even they have their own schools. The main point in learning is the word “transfer” which means that there must be resources and receivers. In this way, teachers transfer their knowledge to the students as receivers and direct them into certain behaviors.

From these points of view, manual and digital leaning looks alike, but from the others, they are quite different in the term of economical value and effectiveness.

In long term, digital learning has more economical value than manual one. However, students must make investment to buy some peripherals such as computers, gadgets, head phones, android smart phones and so on. This fact is on the contrary with manual learning which does not need such an investment. For recent Indonesia condition, manual learning is still the favorite one; meanwhile, the digital learning is sneaking behind.

Digital learning is still in the first place for the value of effectiveness. For an example, the use of technology CALL (computer assisted language learning) promotes students to learn individually on their own pace. It means that they may choose the material level on the computer they want to. Even the class contains a big number of students, the teachers will be able to manage it because they play as facilitator who assist the teaching learning process. Different from the manual learning, the material is based on the excerpts in the modules or books. The teachers conduct the teaching learning thoroughly and must pay attention to the students one by one. Moreover, students cannot jump to the next material before the teachers finish the current one.

The most important thing in learning is students themselves because they are the actors who can release the power in them. External factors such as teachers, structures, and infrastructures including manual and digital learning also have important roles to promote students learning. In former cases, manual and digital learning are alike, but in later ones, they are quite distinctive. In practice, manual and digital learning walk together, but sometimes they are tilt in different areas based on the availability of information access.

Academic Journal

English Grammar Online

Online Collaboration Writing

Reading 4 Pleasure

Writing and Reading free essay, summary, and article

CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning)

TED

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Argumentative Essay_The Controversy of Teacher Certification in Indonesia

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

In some points, teacher certification in Indonesia is beneficial for stake holders such teachers, education institutions, and the government, but it is a kind of dilemma because the disadvantages are higher that its benefits in practice. Since article no 19 year 2007 from ministry of Indonesian education has been implementing a new standard of certification for teachers, they assert that this assessment result a significant achievement of their teaching performance. On the other hand, some observations conducted to check the real significances in the field show the controversy.

It is doubtful that government succeeds in making competition through this kind of intelligent game “certification”. Instead of improving the teachers’ personality, the teachers are blissful to submit a pile of portfolio from regional, national, or international seminars or institutions for the shake of points. In fact, the certificates have diverse value, thus the teachers need to run until reaching 850 point to get the title of certified teachers. Surprisingly, some friends of mine even asked me whether I had some certificates which are anonymous so they can use that. In addition, the others are willing to pay Rp 50.000,- for such a piece of paper. In result, the condition above shapes goal oriented culture within teachers do not respect the process of getting something but solely how to achieve the goal using any methods, no matter what they are – good or bad.

Money used as a reward is still a controversial phenomenon in any fields. This is what is happening now in Indonesian education. Clearly, on the article is stated that teachers will get profession allowance if they are certified. Nevertheless, in some cases the certified teachers do not have parallel relation to their teaching qualities like what had happened in East Java that the number of failed students slightly increased. In addition, the certified teachers are found still lazy, monotonous, not professional and indiscipline. The reality shows that some teachers are not studying continuously because what they find in the class is a daily routine and they have memorized everything consecutively for years. They may say that there is nothing new. When the government launched the certification program, teachers have external motivation to show their achievement through pile of portfolio. Apparently, external motivation temporarily affects their achievement.

The assessment to portfolio is merely based on examining of material and physical. It is injustice condition because 20 year experienced teachers can not be certified due to incomplete data. They are professional in practice but they do not have good management in keeping the certificates, published papers, teaching experience letters and so on. In addition, teachers who live in disaster area such as in Aceh complain that they can submit nothing because all they have been swept away by tsunami in 2004. In contrary, the fresh graduate teachers who diligently attend meeting, seminar, and other events have ample requirements to be certified. Astonishingly, they are marked as professional teachers due to material and physic examination.

To summarize, this kind of certification must be changed into new method. The method must be based not only on material and physical evaluation but also conscience. It means that the government must give consideration for certain real conditions that happens toward teacher personally. Eventually, the government must supervise the program periodically, thus the teachers will keep their teaching performance as the profession allowance is ongoing.

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The Aims of Academic Study and How They Can be Achieved

By miftachudin arjuna - March 09, 2015

Academic study becomes an important issue when people want to pursue a distinctive achievement in their academic life. They also have to consider the aims of academic study in order to ensure having a career or future job, to develop personal growth, and to contribute to the social and economic development of society. In addition, an important query about how those aims can be achieved will be answered by some ways such as thinking about how to develop abilities further, knowing strengths and weaknesses, and approaching subject in depth. The opinion about those aims of academic study may be different between one person to another. Therefore, this essay will focus on some aims mentioned above and the ways that they can be achieved based on writer's point of view.

Initially, most people pursue a higher level of academic study in order to ensure having a career or future job. It is a general belief that people will be easier to get a job when they have a high level of education. Although there is no guarantee about this statement, nowadays more people tend to pursue for this reason. When we are talking about a career, it means a good career or professional position which people can earn their life through. It can be achieved from the implementation of knowledge, field experience, and how to develop people's ability further not from a series of A* or outstanding grades on a piece of prestigious certificate.

Next, developing personal growth is also one of important aims of academic study. Education is one way to improve human as a whole from the sides of cognitive, affective, psycho-motor, and holistic. By knowing individual strengths and weaknesses, a person may acknowledge what to do and don't. For example, some people are likely to have a strength of a great achievement in their academic study but they lack affective performance. Thus they must notice more in the improvement of affective one.

Lastly, educated people are the agents of change which mean to contribute to the social and economic development of society. Every country puts more budget in education because this is the way to change the civilization in the future. When the countries give a good education to their people, there will be a great impact on the countries' development for the entire life. Therefore, there is a need of people participation based on not only their own knowledge but also the depth of study subject.

To conclude, academic study has an important and significant role in people's life. Having a career and future job, developing personal growth, and contributing to the social and economical development of society are aims of academic study. People may vary in opinion concerning the correct aims of academic study and how they can be achieved.

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Intrepreting_Mind Your Language

By miftachudin arjuna - March 04, 2015

Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series which premiered on ITV in late-1977. Produced by London Weekend Television and directed by Stuart Allen, the show is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr Jeremy Brown, portrayed by Barry Evans, who had to deal with a motley crew of foreign students. Three series were made by LWT between 1977–79, and the show was briefly revived in 1986 with six of the original cast.

The programme was cancelled in 1979 by Michael Grade, then-LWT’s Deputy Controller of Entertainment, who considered the stereotyping offensive. Despite this, the series was sold to other countries, including Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Singapore. It was also one of the first British TV programmes shown in South Africa after the end of the boycott by the British Actors’ Equity Association. It was resurrected briefly for the export market by an independent producer in the mid-1980s, though some ITV companies did not show any of the episodes made in 1986 and only Granada transmitted the final 13 episodes consecutively as a complete series.

Various international television shows based on the premise of Mind Your Language have followed the original series. Among them are What a Country! (US), Zabaan Sambhalke (India), Second Chance! (Nigeria), Raja Kaduwa! (Sri Lanka) and Classmates (Kenya)
(source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Your_Language)

SEASON 1

Season 1 Episode 1: The First Lesson
Season 1 Episode 2: An Inspector Calls
Season 1 Episode 3: A Fate Worse than Death
Season 1 Episode 4: All Through the Night
Season 1 Episode 5: The Best Things in Life
Season 1 Episode 6: Come Back All is Forgiven
Season 1 Episode 7: The Cheating Game
Season 1 Episode 8: Better to Have Love and Lost
Season 1 Episode 9: Kill or Cure
Season 1 Episode 10: Hello Sailor
Season 1 Episode 11: A Point of Honour
Season 1 Episode 12: How’s your Father
Season 1 Episode 13: The Examination

SEASON 2

Season 2 Episode 1: All Present if not Correct (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 2: Queen for a Day (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 3: Brief Re-Encounter (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 4: Many Happy Returns (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 5: Don’t Forget the Driver (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 6: A Hard Day’s Night (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 7: Take your Parners (Coming soon)
Season 2 Episode 8: After Three (Coming soon)

SEASON 3

Season 3 Episode 1: I Belong to Glasgow (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 2: Who Loves ya Baby? (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 3: No Flowers by Request (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 4: Just the Job (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 5: Guilty or not Guilty (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 6: Repent at Leisure (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 7: The School Fete (Coming soon)
Season 3 Episode 8: What a Tagled Web (Coming soon)

SEASON 4

Season 4 Episode 1: Never Say Die (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 2: Too Many Cooks (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 3: Easy Come Easy Go (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 4: Fifty Years On (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 5: Time and Tide (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 6: Ghoulies and Ghosties (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 7: Mama Mia (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 8: A Rush Decision (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 9: Wedding Fever (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 10: Everybody’s Out (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 11: Untitled (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 12: Untitled (Coming soon)
Season 4 Episode 13: Untitled (Coming soon)

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Expository Paragraph_Functions of Food

By miftachudin arjuna - March 02, 2015

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Ed.Tech.TESOL

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Reading for Pleasure

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Cause and Effect Paragraphs_The Effects of Smoking Habit

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Which is the most important in effective communication? Verbal or Nonverbal

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Do we need to learn English accents; British, American, or Australian?

Definition and Clarification Paragraph_Home Schooling

Comparison Contrast Essay_Writing Spoken Language in Higher Education of Indonesian Students

Chronological Order Essay_LSRW stages in language acquisition

Cause and Effect Essay_The Effect of TPR (Total Physical Response) Methodology toward Language Performance

Comparison and Contrast Essay_Manual and Digital Learning

Argumentative Essay_The Controversy of Teacher Certification in Indonesia

The Aims of Academic Study and How They Can be Achieved

Intrepreting_Mind Your Language

Expository Paragraph_Functions of Food

10 langkah skripsi auto selesai dari judul hingga bab 5

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