Language Teaching of English as a Second Language

By miftachudin arjuna - April 03, 2015

I. INTRODUCTION 
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. (Jack: 131)  
Formal teaching is necessary for “learning” to occur, and correction of errors helps with the development of learned rules. In accordance of 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. ANALYSIS 
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. (Jack 1986: 133) 
C. Language Learning 
1. 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. 
2. 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.  
D. Methodology 
1. Communicative Language Teaching 
Its language teaching focuses on communicative proficiency rather than on mere mastery of structures, the ability to use the linguistic system effectively and appropriately. The individual often through trial and error creates language. Students are expected to interact with other people, either in the flesh, through pair and group work, or in their writing. The teacher cannot know exactly what language the students will use. 
2. Silent Way 
The silent way shares a great deal with other learning theories and educational philosophies. Very broadly put, the learning hypothesis underlying Gattegno’s work could be stated as follows: 
  • Learning is facilitated if the learner discovers or creates rather than remembers and repeats what is to be learned, 
  • Learning is facilitated by accompanying (mediating) physical object, 
  • Learning is facilitated by problem solving involving the material to be learned 
Successful learning involves commitment of the self to language acquisition through the use of silent awareness and active trial. Learners are expected to develop independence, autonomy, and responsibility. Independent learners are those who are that they must depend on their own resources and realize that they can take their knowledge of the first few words in the new language and figure out additional words by using that knowledge.  
3. Community Language Learning (CLL) 
CLL technique belongs to a larger set of foreign language teaching practices sometime described as humanistic techniques (Moskowitz: 1978). In sum, humanistic techniques engage the whole person, including the emotions and feeling (the affective realm) as well as linguistic knowledge and behavioral skill. La Forge (1983) begins by suggesting that language, as social process is different from language as communication. Language as communication: Sender à message à receiver Language as social process: Sender à message à receiver  
CLL advocates a holistic approach to language learning, since “true” human learning is both cognitive and affective. This is termed whole-person learning. Such learning takes place in a communicative situation where teachers and learners are involved in an interaction…in which both experience a sense of their own wholeness (Curran 1972: 90)  
These central aspects of Curran’s learning philosophy address not the psycholinguistic and cognitive processes involved in second language acquisition, but rather the personal commitment that learners need to make before language acquisition processes and operates.  
III. CONCLUSION 
Learning 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 of research and experience, language learning as a second language is rather difficult. 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, therefore it implies the philosophy of teaching and education that as named student oriented or student centered. The teachers supply a model and to provide guidance for the learners. Moreover, learners in order to achieve self-competence tend to consider; motivation, self – confidence and anxiety. 
The relation of Student oriented with GBPP of English Curriculum 1984, Curriculum Base Competence (CBC), Communicative Language Teaching, Silent Way, and Community Language Learning (CLL) is clear-cut. The main purpose of those curriculums and methods is to encourage the learners to be more active and independent. 
Independent learners are those who are that they must depend on their own resources and realize that they can take their knowledge of the first few words in the new language and figure out additional words by using that knowledge.   
IV. REFERENCE  
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.  
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  
Richards Jack S. and Theodore S. Rodgers. 1986. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

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