impact on student personality, behavior, career progress, satisfaction, and achievement.
In summary, students’ participation is very crucial in the learning process. There will not be any learning if students are not involved. Students learn and
grow from their experiences encountered during teaching and learning process.
3. Adolescents
Thornburg 1982 presents the age ranges of human development represent a span of time in which there is a shift an individual develops. The age range of
adolescence is between 11 and 19 which is the time between childhood and
adulthood.
a. Characteristics of Adolescents
According to Brown 2007:106, adolescents are an age of transition, confusion, self-consciousness, growth, and changing bodies and minds. It is
because they are in between childhood and adulthood who reach the age of puberty.
The characteristic of adolescents discussed in this thesis is limited to the emotional development which affects the adolescents’ learning. Ausubel 1954
states that adolescent students are frequently moody. They can be happy and bright one day and depressed the next day. Also, many adolescents find
themselves bored, indecisive and unmotivated. Moreover, they have problem with
discipline matter, in that they tend to be disruptive. It is because in their ages, they search for their individual identity.
According to Thornburg 1982, adolescents experience the fear of failure, fear of doing the wrong things, and anxiety. Adolescence is the period when
emotional state of anxiety arises. The anxiety sources such as irritability, uneasiness, depression, and sudden shifts of mood appear in the adolescence
period.
b. Principles of Teaching Adolescents
Brown 2007 explains some considerations applied to teaching adolescents. First, the abstract operational thought is developing so adolescents can solve
complex problems with logical thinking. Second, the attention spans are lengthening, but they can easily be shortened because of the diversions on a
adolescent’s life. Third, varieties of sensory input are still important. Fourth, factors surrounding ego, self- image, and self- esteem are at their peak. Adolescents
are very sensitive. What the teacher has to do is to keep self-esteem high by avoiding embarrassment of students, affirming students’ talents and strengths,
allowing mistakes to be accepted, and encouraging group work. In the principle of effective teaching for adolescents, Ausubel 1954
describes the learning environment which is suitable for teaching adolescents. First, the teacher provides physical conditions that are comfortable, such as
seating, ventilation, lighting, decoration, and so forth. Also the teacher should provide environment which is conductive to interaction. Second, the teacher
accepts the learners as persons of worth and respects their feelings and ideas. Third, the teacher seeks to build relationships of mutual helpfulness among the
learners by encouraging cooperative activities. Similarly, Mackeracher as cited by Ausubel 1954 describes some of the conditions that are required for learning,
which have enough time and freedom from threat. Learning activities need to include opportunities for developing mutually trusting relationships, encouraging
learners, and reducing fear of failure. Implementing various teaching methods which are encouraging and
enjoyable would be useful for adolescents. Engaging them in an activity in groups, such as discussion and games, may help them built good relationship
among peers and also motivate them to learn English better.
4. Songs
