1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the background of the study, problem identification, problem limitation, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefit of the
study, and the definition of terms.
1.1 Background of the Problem
Learning English for young learners has gotten a special attention from the government since the establishment of the new English curriculum in 1994
Usman, 1997: 148. This curriculum regulates that English should be taught from the fourth grade of elementary school as local load content or optional subject.
The purpose of this policy is to get the elementary school students accustomed to the language so that it will be easier for them to follow the English lesson in the
higher level. Another purpose is that the government, with the educational institutions’ capabilities and facilities, tries to prepare the youth to be ready to use
the language in the working world from the very beginning. This government’s decision is supported by a theoretical foundation.
Based on the critical age hypothesis in second language learning, elementary school students are included in the critical age period that is considered as the best
age to learn second language for example English Rivers, 1970: 353. Therefore, learning English in elementary schools should be regarded as a good way to
introduce English in our society. However, the success of second language
learning is not only determined by age factor. Some other factors also affect the achievement in second language learning.
Motivation is one of those factors that also have major contribution in the success of second language learning. The word “motivation” does not have a
single definition. Each expert usually has his or her own definition based on his or her own perception. Woolfolk, for example, defines motivation as something that
energizes and directs behavior Woolfolk, 1990: 302. Brown, in Woolfolk, also has his own definition. He defines motivation as drive, impulse, emotion, or
desires that move one to a particular action. As one of the cognitive factors, motivation mostly discussed among the researcher as the important determiner in
the success of second language learning. Even it becomes a predicator of success in second language learning because the learner’s attention and involvement of the
activities in classroom verified from it Stipek, 1993: xi Realizing the importance of motivation in teaching learning activities,
some researchers try to explore more about some types of motivation. There are two types of motivation that become a topic in the last decade; namely intrinsic
motivation and extrinsic motivation. Many researchers try to find out the correlation or the effect of those two types of motivation. There is a major
difference between these types of motivation. Students who are intrinsically motivated never do exercise or assignment because of reward, praise, grade, fear
or punishment because they feel the activity itself is rewarding Woolfolk, 1995: 332. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation makes the students do the activity
based on some extrinsic motivators; such as reward, punishment or praise.
Based on the research, intrinsic motivation is the ideal motivation in teaching learning activity. The major advantages of keeping intrinsic motivation
are the students will really explore the ability and their memory about their understanding on the lesson could stay longer. This explanation makes the teacher
arouse students’ intrinsic motivation in the classroom in order to protect the students’ knowledge in the future. Nevertheless, sometimes the actual condition in
teaching learning activities forces the teacher to ignore their responsibility in
protecting the students’ intrinsic motivation.
1.2 Problem Identification
