24 d Simulations
This technique is the elaboration of role-plays. In a simulation, there will be properties to provide a real environment and create the nuances.
e Contact assignments This technique involves the students to have an activity out of the classroom
in order to talk to people in the target language. Nunan, 2003, pp. 56-58
3. The Use of Cue Cards as Teaching Media
This part presents some theories related to cue cards. The theories discussed in this part are the nature of cue cards, the advantages of using cue cards
as the teaching media and speaking activities using cue cards. Further discussion about every part will be shown below.
a. The Nature of Cue Cards
Harmer 2007 defines cue as another word for “prompt” p. 180. In one
sense it means an action or behavior that starts a chain of events. It also means the significant elements in a situation. While Briggs 1977, p. xv defines a cue is an
indirect prompt given to help a learner complete a recitation or solve a problem. It can
also be defined as an indirect form of “guidance” stopping short of supplying the missing word or solution. In short, cue is the prompt that is used to guide the
speaker to speak fluently and give the solution when the speaker misses the words and does not have any idea.
Harmer 2007, p. 181 defines cue card is one of the forms of flashcards. Cue card is defined as small card which can be used in pair or group work. Apart
25 from flash cards with pictures on them, cards of all shapes and sizes are good
choices. Harmer 2007, p. 179 also adds that cards should be appropriate not only for the purpose in hand by but for the classes they are being used for. It should be
visible so it can be used more than once or reusable. Teacher can make wall pictures, flashcards and cue cards in a number of
ways. Teacher can take pictures from magazines and stick them on card. It is possible to find pictures of almost anything on the Internet and print them off.
Physically, Mora 1994, p. 36 states that cue cards are thin cardboards contained legible printed texts or pictures. The size of the cards is like poker card around 7
cm x 12 cm. Every card usually consists of texts and pictures. The pictures on the cue cards could be very simple and designed to elicit a word or a phrase.
b. The Advantages of Using Cue Cards as The Teaching Media
Zarefsky 1996, p. 290 states note cards, which go under the name of cue cards in this study, are printed texts or pictures on thin card boards. It contains
speaking outlines which are usually used by the speaker to deliver the speech. Note cards are very effective for speaking
. “They are practical ways to use in a speech because they are compact, studier, and less distracting” Zarefsky, 1996, p.
290. Like in a speech, cue cards were very practical to use in some speaking activities. It has simple forms that will not disturb the speakers in doing the
speaking activities. According to Sayer 2005, using cue cards in some speaking techniques like role-plays and diagram is a good combination of techniques to
help the students practice speaking. Cue cards can help the students to produce utterances in their conversation without writing the whole dialogue. In line with
26 Zarefsky and Sayer, Littlewood 1981, p. 50 agrees that cue cards can be used in
teaching speaking. Cue cards can help the students to create meaningful interaction by giving questions and responses in the spontaneous way. Littlewood
1981 states that: This gives the interaction some of the uncertainty and spontaneity involved
in “real” communication because each learner must listen to his partner before formulating a definite response. On the other hand, the cues enable
them to predict a large proportion of what the others will say, and of course, to prepare the general gist of their
own response” p. 51. Spontaneity requires a speaker to listen to what another speaker says
before giving responses directly. Spontaneity in speaking is related to the fluency. The relation is when the speaker can give direct responses; they can speak
quickly, confidently and without any hesitation or unnecessary pauses. Littlewood 1981, p. 51 states that cue cards can be used to study fluency in
speaking because it supplies the idea for the speaker to speak spontaneously. In addition, Boyd 2007 states cue cards are tools
“used to help the patient restructure thought patterns
” p. 421. Cue cards allow the speaker to predict what other speakers say so that he or she can prepare his or her own responses. The
pictures on the cue cards help the speaker to imagine what their situations are. Harmer 2007, p. 179 notes a picture can also be used for creative language use.
It can invent the conversation taking place between two people in a picture.
c. Speaking Activities Using Cue Cards
Cue cards are effective and efficient media that can be used to improve the students’ speaking ability. Sayer 2005 notices that using cue cards in some
speaking techniques like role-plays and diagram is a good combination of
27 techniques to help the students practice speaking. Cue cards can be applied in
some classroom activities. Littlewood 1981 notices “cue cards are eligible to be
used in matching and ordering games and card games ” p. 55. The games, which
use cue cards, can involve a pair of two students or groups. In line with Littlewood 1981, Harmer 2007, pp. 178-179 states that cue cards can be used
in a multiplicity of ways, for examples, for drilling, communication games, prediction, understanding, ornamentation and discussion.
Pictures on the cue cards give important role in every speaking activity. Harmer 2007, p. 179 notices pictures help the students to be more creative in
using the language because it helps the students to imagine what kind of situation they are. The conversation taking place between two people or in one particular
role-play activity can be invented by putting pictures on the cue cards. Beside role play, cue cards also can be used in communication drills.
Communication drills are activities which provide the students to practice in repetition and variation of language segments.
Rivers 1983 notices “….drill may be given the appearance of a game, or of elementary communication, by
provoking the students into asking the teacher a series of questions in response to cues …” p. 44. From that statement, it can be concluded that communication
drills can be given in the form of games. Communication drills can be applied using cue cards. Rivers 1983, p. 45 states that drilling done in the innovative
way can make the students more interested in using the language. Paulston 1970 as cited in Rivers 1983, p. 45 divides communication
drills into three types. They are mechanical drills, meaningful drills, and
28 communicative drills. In mechanical drills, the students do not need to understand
the meaning of the words or the sentences because there is a pattern to control the responses. The purpose of mechanical drills is the students can give responses
completely in good sentence construction, proper pronunciation and intonation. An example of a mechanical drill would be presented as follows.
Pattern : I’m holding a book.
Cue : Magazine
Response : I’m holding a magazine.
Cue : Banana
Response : I’m holding a banana. Rivers, 1983, p. 45
In meaningful drills, the students must have understanding completely in
grammar and meaning although there is still a pattern to control the responses. The students must understand the meaning of the cue to make a meaningful
conversation. The following conversation is an example of a meaningful drill: Question
: When did you arrive this morning? Answer
: I arrived at nine o’clock. Question
: When will you leave this evening? Answer
: I’ll leave at six o’clock. Rivers, 1983, p. 45 In communicative drills, the students must have understood completely in
grammar and semantic but there is not any pattern to control the response. The students have free choices to answer. However, Paulston 1970 underlines
“..whatever control there is lies in the stimulus…. It still remains a drill rather than free communication because we are still within the realm of the cue-response
pattern ” as cited in Rivers, 1983, p. 46. An example of mechanical drills is
presented as follows. Question
: What did you have for breakfast?
