6 Evaluating
The evaluation stage is done for identifying the achievement and the effectiveness the immersion program in order to develop the quality of the
immersion program. The evaluation is done by the official team of immersion program at least once a year. The evaluation result is addressed to the schools
so that there will be some efforts to improve the immersion program in the schools. The evaluation covers some aspects, like graduation competence,
teaching learning process, the teachers and staffs, the means and properties, the program management, the school tuition, and the assessment.
7 Reporting
Reporting has the purpose of knowing the development of the immersion classes in schools. Reporting is done by the official team of immersion
program at least once during a semester. The report is sent to the local educational government which then is sent to the province educational
government.
3. Immersion Teacher
This part discuses the definition of immersion teacher and the language competence of immersion teacher.
a. The Definition of Immersion Teacher
Immersion teachers are the subject matter teachers who are assigned or selected to conduct teaching learning in the immersion classes Novasari, 2008.
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They have two important roles in an immersion class. They have to deliver the content knowledge of subject matters and they have to be language models for the
students at the immersion class. As stated by Met 1993, an immersion program requires teachers who
have near native proficiency in the oral and written forms of the language. As mentioned above, the teachers’ problems which are going to be explored in the
research are limited to the teachers’ problems which are related to the language competence. Therefore, immersion teachers have to fulfill the following language
competence unless they will face some problems in using the language as the medium of instruction at the immersion classes.
b. The Immersion Teacher’s Language Competence
Teachers in the immersion class teach the language through contents, in which the both aspects between contents and the language are important.
However, the problems which the immersion teachers cope with may come from two aspects, the linguistics related to the language and non-linguistics not
related to the language aspects Clark Clark, 1977. Concerning linguistic aspect, the immersion teachers’ problems are limited on the language they use. It
can be anything related to their language ability for instance their performance in transferring the knowledge of the subject matters they teach. Besides, the
immersion teachers also cope with problems that altogether do not have any relationship with the linguistic aspect. It can be related to the teaching learning
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components like students, material, classroom management, time, facility, and space. Those limitations will restrict the success of the teaching learning process.
Teachers’ language in the immersion class is vitally important as they always use the language for delivering the knowledge of the contents. The more
comprehensible the language that the teachers use, the easier, the language can be received by the students as it is emphasized by Krashen in Johnson 2001 that
comprehensible input is important for the students’ acquisition. This argument is relevant to the extent of this immersion class that the teachers’ language must be
comprehensible as the input in learning the language and contents. Therefore, the teachers’ difficulties on the linguistic aspect in the immersion class could be a
problem. The problems that emerge as the result of those difficulties can lead to the failure of the program whether in terms of students’ performance in language
or in terms of students’ performance in contents. Even more, teachers are language models. If the language used by the teachers is bad, the students’
language performance might be influenced. The immersion teachers’ linguistic problem is the result of teachers’
difficulties in terms of language they have. In other words, teachers lack of the linguistic competence that they should have as the immersion teachers. In terms of
linguistic aspect, teachers concern two things. The first has to do with linguistic competence and the second relates to the linguistic performance. Chomsky in
Clark and Clark 1977 relates linguistic competence to one’s capacity to use a language. They also state that linguistic performance is the actual application of
linguistic competence in terms of listening and speaking. Sheppard, as cited by
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Burkart 1998, claims that linguistic competence deals with knowing how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language. In this case, the immersion
teachers deal with what words they must use and how they put the words into phrases and sentences. Furthermore, teaching at immersion classes, they have to
posses the native-like proficiency, as it is said above, they must have the knowledge and skills that enable them to speak the language – English Burkart,
1998. The knowledge of language elements which influence immersion teachers’ speaking skill are related to the aspect of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary,
and language expressions. Those aspects are summarized as follows:
1 Pronunciation
In the terms of pronunciation, the immersion teachers need to know how they really pronounce the words, phrases, and sentences correctly in a real spoken
discourse. In other words, the teachers have to possess the following criteria: a
Teachers know how to pronounce the words in phrases and sentences and the word itself correctly.
b Teachers need to know how words, phrases, and sentences are really used in a
real spoken discourse. c
Teachers need to have the correct intonations in producing the words, phrases, or sentences.
d Teachers need to produce the correct pronunciations on vowels, consonants,
and diphthongs.
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e In terms of pitches production, teachers need to have the correct in
pronouncing words, phrases, and sentences.
2 Grammar
Grammar is related with the structure of the language like tense and many other rules. Therefore, the immersion teachers have to know the structure of
the language in order that the utterances they produce are meaningful to the listener. Furthermore, the immersion teachers need to have the following criteria:
a Teachers know the words they use and how the words are put into phrases
and sentences correctly based on the words agreement or concord and the appropriate tenses.
b Teachers know the structure of the language like tenses and words agreement
so that the sentences or utterances they produced will be grammatical and meaningful to the readers or the listeners, in this case the students.
c Teachers produce grammatical sentences or utterances so that their utterances
are meaningful. d
Teachers know how the rules are applied in a real language use and they can monitor their speech.
3 Vocabulary
Related to vocabulary, teachers need to master words, expressions of English and also they have to use the words systematically and accurately.
Specifically, teachers should have the criteria like:
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a Teachers know the terms existing in the content in the target language or vice
versa. b
Teachers master the special terms existing in the contents in the target language or vice versa.
c Teachers know the synonym or antonym of the words in English.
d Teachers know the use of a word in the right context.
e Teachers know the meaning of a word in a context.
4 Language Function
Language here has to do with politeness, appropriateness, and the rules of speaking. Since the language is used for communication, the immersion teachers
should know how English is used in real life, in this case in the immersion class and how it is used for carrying out language functions in classroom’s
conversations and lecturers. In this aspect, teachers should possess the following criteria:
a Teachers know how English is used in real communication
b Teachers know how the language expressions are used in teaching, like
greeting, asking clarifications, confirming check, asking repetitions, requesting something imperative, asking questions, giving instruction,
opening the lesson, closing the lesson, warning, persuading, commanding, etc.
c Teachers know how to use the language politely.
d Teachers know how to use the language appropriately.
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4. The Use of English as Medium of Instruction
