Findings of Cycle I
English and actively took part in teaching and learning activities. Besides, the researcher also observed the problems that might occur when the students did the
activities in order that the researcher directly helped them to solve the problem if it could be solved right away. By implementing this method, the researcher
believed that the students would be engaged so that they would be more comfortable and confident in doing the activities.
Giving rewards was still used because it could stimulate students’ motivation and engagement to take part in the teaching and learning process.
However, the rewards were in the form of compliment rather than snacks or the other stuffs. This decision came up from the observation in cycle I that giving
compliment made the students happy of doing great work and directly stimulated them to do the same.
a. Using Classroom English
Using classroom English was still implemented since the data from observation showed that the students responded it well. They seemed enthusiastic
listening to the teacher speaking English. By giving the meaning in Indonesian language, the researcher believed that it made them familiar with the sound of
English and they could imitate when they were about to speak. However, in cycle II, the researcher did not translate the words literally. The researcher emphasized
only on the point of the sentence that was uttered. The researcher also used various classroom English expressions rather
than use the same expressions as in the first cycle. It was aimed at familiarizing the students with the various expressions they could use when they spoke in
English. As a result, the researcher believed that it could improve students’ comprehension since speaking could not be separated from listening.
b. Drilling Vocabularies
The topic of cycle II was about menu. In this case, the researcher focused on vocabularies related to food and drink and emphasized on how to arrange the
words into a good sentence. This plan came up from the questionnaires and the interviews in cycle II that some students found it difficult to arrange the word-
order. Vocabulary drilling was done during the teaching and learning activities to
reinforce the students mastering vocabulary and enable them to use it. At the beginning of the class, the researcher applied vocabulary quiz as the warming up
before delivering the main topic. The vocabulary quiz was relevant to the topic in which it was about their favorite foods and drinks and also about what they got for
breakfast. c.
Drilling Pronunciation In cycle I, the researcher had conducted pronunciation drilling in teaching
and learning activities right after introducing the vocabularies that the students were about to use. The procedures in cycle II more or less were the same; the
researcher gave examples how to pronounce such words, then, the students were asked to repeat after the teacher. It was repeated by whole class, then, per group,
then, if it was necessarily done, the researcher asked several students to pronounce the words individually. The researcher made a condition to make sure that the
other students listened and gave responses if there were incorrect sound.
The different actions that were conducted in cycle II were giving the students minimal pairs and tongue twisters. Giving minimal pairs was aimed at
helping the students to analyze the different sound of certain words, while, the purpose of using tongue twisters was to help them articulate sound.
d. Optimizing the Use of Media to Support Interactive Group Work Activities
To support interactive group work activities, the researcher planned to use certain media such as flash cards, menus, the LCD, speakers, and videos. The
flash cards that would be used were a set of food pictures because the topic in cycle II was about menu. The LCD was planned to show the videos about people
going to a restaurant and to give the students examples of expression how to order menus. There were another media such as a tray, chairs, and a table for a role play
section. e.
Implementing More Challenging Interactive Group Work Activities. In cycle I, the researcher applied interview and giving instruction as the
interactive group work activities. The interview was still used in cycle II as the first interactive group work activities in which the students were asked to ask
about their friends’ favorite food. While the other group work activities were a survey game and a role play.