I spent most of my time in my home after school; I just stay at home and watching American movies because I can understand American
English better. I try to watch the movie without the subtitle because it can help me to understand the sentence only by listening not
reading the subtitle.
Meanwhile, as a pleasure activity, they said that listening to songs could release the feelings. Listening to songs also could reduce the stress and give a
pleasure. Self-directed language activities that were done by teenagers in this study
correlates also with Prensky‟s 2001 Digital Natives theory. According to Prensky, teenagers as digital natives learn differently, they have hypertext minds.
They do not learn in a linear way. Images are the driving force of learning and text supports. This is the way how they
“train” their brain as they spend hours upon hours using computers, watching the video, text messaging. It can be said that the
way they train their brain in learning affects the way they choose the activity they spend outside the classroom especially when dealing with English by using their
gadget.
2. Self-instruction activities
Self-instruction constitutes the next rank of out-of-class language activities. In self-instruction, learners make the conscious effort to learn the
language by studying alone without intervention from teachers. From Table 4.2 on page 44, reading student books as the most common self-instruction activity. The
fact that the students in this study made an effort in learning English alone even PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
though its rank is below self-directed rank correlates with the autonomous character of teenagers learners as stated by Benson 2011 and Anderson 2008.
Learner autonomy is described as a condition of a learner having the ability to control their own learning, often outside the direction of conventional language
learning in the classroom Benson, 2011. Similarly, Anderson 2008 points out that to give teenagers more autonomy also means to give them more opportunity
to become independent learners. Teachers should direct students to resources for learning outside the classroom and provide them with these opportunities.
Teenagers can learn much more efficiently by themselves through input outside the classroom.
In the interview, all participants said that English was very important in their life so they intended to engage themselves in English activities purposefully.
In other words, they seek the opportunities to use English outside the classroom. One of them considered that he seek the opportunities for the sake of his future.
He said: In my opinion, English as an international language is needed
everywhere nowadays. In addition, some jobs need those who mastering English well. So, I have to prepare myself from now
on by engaging myself in activities outside the classroom, who knows, one day I need it in my jobs.
Furthermore, the other participants added: I think I need English in understanding everything in English. As we
know, nowadays everything is in English, for example on the gadget. I tend to set the language in my gadget in English setting to help me
to be familiar with English. Moreover, when you browse something on the internet, for example, somethi
ng you need to do the schools’ PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
assignment you find also English there. So, I need English to understand it.
They considered also that English is needed to help them if they study abroad. They commented on the way they prepare themselves to study abroad.
One of them admitted: For me, I need English for study abroad. I really want to study
abroad. It seems that study abroad
is the
interesting and
challenging thing. Though in Indonesia there are many good schools or universities, but for me, study abroad can enrich my experience. I
think I can reach my dreams by looking for the scholarship first.
From their comments, in general, all participants looked for the opportunities to use English.
3. Naturalistic activities
