the learners’ operating on an individual or group basis. Meanwhile, environment refers to where the learning actually takes place. It might
be a conventional classroom in a school or language centre, a community class, a workplace setting, a self-access centre, or a multi-
media language centre.
4. Writing in Junior High School
a. Learner Characteristics
The age of SMP or junior high school students is around 12 to 15 years old, so they are categorized as teens. According to Brown 2001: 91, teens
are the age of transition, confusion, self-consciousness, growing, and changing bodies and minds. Teens are in between childhood and adulthood,
therefore teaching them requires special consideration. In line with Brown, Harmer 2007: 83 states that adolescence is an age stage of the search for an
identity and a need for self-esteem; they need to have positive feeling about themselves and feel valued. Furthermore, Brown 2001: 92 states the learner
characters of teenagers. 1 Around the age of twelve, the intellectual capacity adds abstract
operational thought. 2 Their attention spans are lengthening, but teenagers are still easily
distracted with many diversions in their life, then the attention can be shortened.
3 Their essential nature of appealing to all five senses lessens.
4 In this level age, the factors surrounding ego, self-image and self-esteem are in the top. They are very sensitive with emotional along mental
capabilities and others.
b. Teaching English in Junior High School
In SMP, the curriculum used is Kurikulum 2013 or Curriculum 2013. Curriculum 2013 is a continuity of the past curriculum used they are
Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi or Competency Based Curriculum which is developed in 2004 and KTSP Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan or
School-Based Curriculum which is developed in 2006. Curriculum 2013 is a curriculum which is formulated from determining SKL Standar Kompetensi
Lulusan based on student abilities and student needs. As stated in the decree of Ministry for Education and Culture No. 54 year 2013, achievement
competencies are used as orientation to develop Kompetensi Dasar Basic Competence and Kompetensi Inti Core Competence.
Table 1 : Junior High School Grade VIII Core Competence and Basic
Competence
Kompetensi Inti Kompetensi Dasar
1. Menghargai dan menghayati
ajaran agama yang dianutnya
Mensyukuri kesempatan dapat mempelajari bahasa Inggris sebagai
bahasa pengantar komunikasi Internasional yang diwujudkan dalam
semangat belajar.
continued
continued
2. Menghargai dan menghayati
perilaku jujur, disiplin, tanggungjawab, peduli
toleransi, gotong royong, santun, percaya diri, dalam
berinteraksi secara efektif dengan lingkungan sosial dan
alam dalam jangkauan pergaulan dan keberadaannya.
2.1. Menunjukan perilaku santun dan
peduli dalam melaksanakan komuknikasi antar pribadi
dengan guru dan teman.
2.2
. Menunjukkan jujur, disiplin, percaya diri, dan bertanggung
jawab dalam melaksanakan komunikasi transaksional dengan
guru dan teman.
2.3
. Menunjukkan perilaku tanggung jawab, peduli, kerjasama, dan
cinta damai, dalam melaksanakan komunikasi fungsional.
3. Memahami dan menerapkan
pengetahuan faktual, konseptual, dan prosedural
berdasarkan rasa ingin tahunya tentang ilmu pengetahuan,
teknologi, seni, budaya terkait fenomena dan kejadian tampak
mata. 3.9
Menerapkan struktur teks dan unsur kebahasaan untuk
melaksanakan fungsi sosial menyatakan dan menanyakan
perbadingan jumlah dan sifat orang, binatang, benda, sesuai
dengan konteks penggunaannya.
3.10 Menerapkan struktur teks dan
unsur kebahasaan untuk melaksanakan fungsi sosial teks
deskriptif dengan menyatakan dan menanyakan tentang
deskripsi orang, binatang, dan benda, pendek dan sederhana,
sesuai dengan konteks penggunaannya.
3.11
Menerapkan struktur teks dan unsur kebahasaan untuk
melaksanakan fungsi sosial menyatakan dan menanyakan
tindakankejadian yang dilakukanterjadi di waktu
lampau, sesuai dengan konteks penggunaannya.
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