Paragraph
Writing : Final Project
Anjaa’a
Birrqiy
120221414959
Teaching
English
As
we know people say English is an international language. English is not very difficult to be learned
if teachers know how to teach it.
English teachers need to know some important keys before teaching English, three of which
are who is the learners, what section is the focus, and how to manage the
environment. The first thing we need to
know before teaching English is about the learners. Teachers are supposed to have basic knowledge
of psychology about learners. It is
about how to teach them by considering the learners’ age and their mental
phase. The next key that teachers should
know when they teach English is what section is the focus of what they teach. We know there are some sections in English
which are listening, reading, writing, speaking and grammar. Each Section has its own speciality that is
why teachers need to know about it. The
other point which is important for teacher to know is how to manage the
environment. Managing environment is
needed to motivate the learners and keep a suitable situation for learning
English. Those are three main points
which teachers should know about teaching English. Therefore, teachers are supposed to know how
to make the most from those.
We
cannot deny that to be a teacher, we need to learn at least about learners’
psychology in cognitive aspects. One
theory about learners’ psychology in cognitive aspects that must be useful is Jean
Piaget’s theory. Generally, there are 4
stages in Piaget’s theory. Stage one is
called “sensorimotor”, which about 0-3 years old. Infants learn the world physically and through
sensory experiences so that they like to respond to a clear stimulus such as
light and sounds. If we play a music
instrument or song, they will pay attention because of the sound. Stage two which lasts approximately 3-8 years
old is named “preoperational”. Children can
learn things if it is presented in words and pictures. As an example, we can give pictures of fruit
to teach them about fruit then ask them to classify based on one characteristic
like colour. The next stage is “concrete
operational” which happen at age 8-12 years old. Children start to think logically but it has
to be concrete objects. Let say that they
can tell which glass is bigger between two different glasses as long as we
bring the glasses in front of them. The
last stage of Piaget’s theory lasts from 12 to 19 years old and is called
“formal operational”. It starts
when children are becoming teenagers
until then they are growing up to be adults.
A logical and abstract thinking is one characteristic of this stage such
as constructing a descriptive story.
They are able to make conclusions, to develop ideas and interpretations
like to comprehend a text about Big Ben then, rephrase the text in their own
interpretations. In brief, we know that
learning psychology in cognitive way is a benefit for teachers. It is strongly recommended to teachers to
learn it.
When
we learn a language, we are used to dividing it into some sections. So does English, we can divide it into
listening, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar. We can find a different key on each of
sections. If we teach a listening
section in English, we must realize that learners do not have to catch every
word. The key is they can understand
what they listen by the keywords of the material. In a reading section, what important is not
only understand the meaning of the material but also how to comprehend the
text. One key in reading is teachers
should open up to learners’ viewpoint because reading materials can be analysed
in more than one viewpoint. Different from
two sections before, two most crucial keys in writing section are vocabulary
and organization. Vocabulary helps to
enrich and vary the sentences that written, while organization is about how to
make a good text and can be understood by readers. Speaking is probably a section which gives
more freedom in it as we should not worry about the grammar too much. Creating ideas is might be the most critical
key in speaking. English as a language
must have grammar as the basic to learn it.
What we have to concern in grammar is the context of the sentences as it
is the key to decide what rule is used.
In a nut shell, there is a difference on each section in English as its
speciality. To know what section that we
learn can help teacher and learners concentrate on its speciality.
Environment
cannot be omitted as an influence on learning English. To manage environment, there are three points
that can encourage people to learn English which are motivation, conditioning,
and materials. The first cause is
external motivation which is something
that becomes the reason why we want to upgrade our English ability such as parents’
desire, job necessity or any others. As
teachers, we need to motivate the learners by giving appreciation like
“excellent”, “very good”, or “you did it better than before” of what they have
achieved. The second cause is about how
to manage the environment so the learners are conditioned to speak English
freely. Teachers have a role to
encourage and remind them to speak English so that it becomes a habit. Eventhough Materials is the last important
cause, it still gives effects to learners.
The more English materials will help them to improve their English. Supportive materials about English help
learners to exercise. In other words, we
can conclude that environment has a significant role in teaching English. Both teachers and learners should not neglect
its influence.
Theory
is nothing without the application. To
know some of those essential keys about teaching English could open up our mind
about how to apply them. Firstly,
learning about psychology of learners make teachers know what to give to their
learners about the level and type of the materials. In addition, teachers can think of ways to
deliver the lesson to the learners. The
next thing is about our focus on which
section that we learn should help both teachers and learners to decide the
materials. Then, teachers help the
learners to learn well and deeper on each section. The last thing is environment where teachers
should have a control over it. Controlling
the environment so that it can support the learners is the point why teachers
should know how to manage it.
Eventually, English is not really difficult to be learned if we know the
theory to make it easy. That is why we
just need to believe that we can make it then sure it will be.
References:
Budiningsih,
Asri. 2004. Belajar dan Pembelajaran. Yogyakarta: Rineka Cipta
