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order to make the study result could be successful as expected on the School Based Curriculum KTSP. Those are helping the students to recognize
themselves, their culture and other nations’ culture. Besides, it is also expected that English learning at elementary school could help the students to be able to
deliver their idea and feeling, to participate in the society and even to find out and use their imaginative skill within themselves.
Based on the School Based Curriculum KTSP English is taught in Elementary School from the first grade to the sixth grade and in this research the
writer teaches the fourth graders in SD N Kebonagung 2. Here, the writer use cartoon movie “TOM AND JERRY” as a media for teaching name of objects in
English for the fourth graders as the introduction of English vocabulary especially name of objects in English.
2.6 The Characteristics of Elementary School students
Dealing with the development curriculum in Indonesia, teaching English to young learners has become important in recent years. However, it is not always an easy
task to teach young learners. There are many considerations that should be taken on how to teach and what to teach. It is fact that children are different from adults
physically and mentally. The age has become a major factor to formulate decisions on teaching
students. The students who are considered as young learners enjoy studying language through loads of cheerful activities in a bright and colorful room. While
adults, are expected to use abstract notions since they cab think rationally. As
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Harmer Jeremy 2001: 40 affirms that adults often encompass clear understanding of why they are learning and what they wish to comprehend out of
it. Teaching Elementary School students is not the same as teaching adults
because they have different characteristics and as stated by Helaly: “Unlike, adults are not self motivated and do not have an immediate need
to learn English. They are not concerned with job or university degrees that required knowledge of English. Their world is their daily games,
events of interest to them, now knowledge that may come across and question that their inquisition minds may ask” Helaly, 1987: 49.
In general, the Elementary school students are the children at the age between six up to twelve years old are enthusiastic to know and learn everything.
The following are some general characteristics of the children of that group according to Wendy Scott:
a. They are competent users of mother tongue.
b. They can tell the difference between fact and fiction.
c. They love to play and learn best when they enjoy themselves seriously and
like to think that what they are doing in the real work. d.
They are enthusiastic and positive about learning. e.
They relay on the spoken as well as the physical word to convey and understand meaning.
f. They are able to work with others and learn from others.
g. Their own understanding comes through eyes, hands and ears. The physical
word id dominant at all times. h.
They have very short attention and concentration span 1990: 2-4.
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In Indonesia, the characteristics of Elementary School students are similar generally. However, the writer wants to add several characteristics based on the
book of “Psikologi Perkembangan”, written by “Tim Pengembangan MKDK IKIP Semarang”. They are:
1 The Elementary School students are the children at the age of 7 to 12 old.
2 They are in the smart age. It means that they often show they know from
school and they are really proud of it. 3
There is a strong correlation between physical condition and school achievement.
4 They intended to praise themselves.
5 At the end of this phase, they begin to have in special subjects IKIP
Semarang press, 1989:102. From the explanation above, the write can say that Elementary School
students still need a specific guidance from their teacher and people around them especially their parents in order to follow the lesson well. Since they get bored
easily during the class activity, the teacher plays the task of creating and maintaining cheerful situation in the classroom. Thereby, as beginners,
Elementary School students will be happy learning English.
2.7 Student Problems in Learning English
