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organized activities and procedures which allow for effective teaching and learning taking place. It is characterized by well-planned and varied lessons, minimal disruptions and disciplinary problems, calm and
efficient problem-solving, differentiated instructions for learners with different needs, established routines for specific behaviours, an atmosphere of respect, and consistency.
The most generally accepted point of view on the functions of a manager is that the manager decides what must be done and how it should be done, gives instructions that it should be done and determines whether it
has been done. In managerial language this relates to the terms planning, organising, leadership, and control Pretorius Lemmer in Coetzee, et al., 2008: 24.
In teaching students in the primary classroom, teachers should set the priorities to help them to learn by: -
basing the teaching approaches on the natural capacities and instincts children bring to the classroom; -
developing a positive response to languages and to language learning attitude goals as well as to what they learn content goals;
- making sure that teachers set up various forms of real language use as part of the process of learning, and not
just as the intended product. Halliwell, 1992:73
Research Methodology
English classroom management in IIS is studied in the frame of case study research. Looking at the demand of research questions and research objectives, this case study research is focused on qualitative research.
Goldenberg 2004, 6 says that case study has been a tradition in studying management and education. Robert K. Yin defines 2003: 13 case study research as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon
within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used. Yin 2003: 2 adds that case study research allows the researcher to
retain the holistic and meaningful characteristics of real-life events in organizational and managerial processes. Using case study research, English classroom management was studied in the detailed description and analysis
and in very contextual condition that are in IIS.
The type of case study used for this research is descriptive case study. This type of case study describes the natural phenomena which occur within the data that the goal of this research is to describe the data as they
occur Yin and McDonough in Zainal, 2007: 3. Holistic single-case study is the appropriate design for this research to examine the global nature Yin, 2003: 43 of English classroom management applied in IIS.
In this research, the sources of the data are documentation, archival records, interviews and direct- observations. In the field, techniques the researcher used for establishing trustworthiness were prolonged
engagement, persistent observation, triangulation, referential adequacy, member check reflexive journal, thick description, and audit trail.
Technique of analyzing the data in this research are developing a case description and pattern-matching. Developing a case description, the strategy chosen in this analysis, is to develop a descriptive framework for
organising the case study Yin, 2003: 114. This research developed a case description of ISS, i.e. English classroom management. In pattern matching, having rival explanation as ‘patterns’ is the first steps before
carrying out the ‘matching’. Matching here is analysing the data based on the pattern to explain the data from the field. If the data and the preceded theory do not match, the researcher searches other theories to explain the data
to generate the theory about certain application of English classroom management.
Discussion of Research Findings
Four classes were observed during this research. Something unique from this school was the policy to separate girls and boys started from the fourth level. The English teacher of the fourth level said, “Ini adalah
salah satu cara untuk menanamkan adab-adab Islam kepada siswa. Sehingga saat mereka baligh, mereka sudah terbiasa dengan aturan yang memang dalam pergaulan laki-laki perempuan itu ada batas-batas syari’ah yang
harus dipatuhi ”. This teacher explained that it was a part of their effort to inculcate Islamic manners to their
students. So that when they have been mature, they have been usual with Islamic rules dealing with women and men interaction.
Classroom management here limits its discussion in the classroom activities when English teaching ISS was in progress. Not only capturing how the process of English teaching was, this research was also capturing
how the physical management of the classroom presented in the first part.
1. Physical Classroom Management
Interior of every classroom in ISS was made in colourful painting. It was good for learning because colour transmitted through the eye is argued to affect mood, mental clarity and energy levels Higgins et al.,
2005: 21. Camgöz et al. Higgins et al., 2005: 21 suggest that bright colours on any colour background attract an individual’s attention.
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Applying thematic teaching, the decoration in every classroom in ISS tended to be the same in theme. Like when the English bulletin board of Khadijah binti Khuwailid talked about family, Social Science and
Arabic applied the same theme. It helped to strengthen the students’ framework thinking about the lesson they studied.
A class with some large windows was good for efficiency energy because the classes only needed the natural light. Moreover, the classes in ISS were day classes, not night classes. They only needed to turn on their
fluorescent if the weather was very cloudy making the classes became darker. Barnitt Higgins et al., 2005: 20 suggests that good lighting can only be achieved by a combination of direct and indirect lighting. For the
researcher, curtain is enough to prevent glare. It is also cheaper than the solution before.
Every week, ISS changed the classroom layout, especially the seating arrangement. It was to avoid boring in the classroom. This seat changing is also positive in Erwin 2004:15 because the teacher can gain and
keep the students’ attention and get them into an optimal learning state.
2. Teaching and Learning Process
During the observation, it did not show any problem of communication between teacher and students. Teacher could give clear messages to their students during teachingSince there was no barrier of effective
communication mentioned Van Schalkwyk Coetzee, et al., 2008: 88 found out during observation, i.e. filtering, selective perception, information overload, defensiveness, language abilities and poor listening skills, teacher-
students communication in IIS can be concluded as effective communication.
Not only positive teacher and student relationship as a teacher and the student, this ISS was able to develop positive teacher and student relationship as a peer. It is like some of the techniques suggested by Hilsen
in Van Deventer Kruger Coetzee, et al., 2008: 90 to create the social conditions for effective learning in the classroom in the discussion of Creating Positive Peer Relationships in Coetzee, et al. 2008: 90.
From the classes observed, it showed that the students of ISS have a high learning motivation. It could be seen the students enthusiasm to study in their classroom. They were very active in responding all the
questions and challenges from the teachers. The teachers created a learning atmosphere in which students and teachers felt respected by and connected to each other. It was what Wlodkowski and Ginsberg Jones and Jones
in Coetzee, et al., 2008: 102 named ‘establishing inclusion’. These experts named ‘developing attitude’ to what the teachers carried out in creating a learning atmosphere in which students would not be afraid to fail in their
attempts at new learning experiences. They created challenging, thoughtful learning experiences that included student perspectives and values. The term for this effort is ‘enhancing meaning’.
The concept of knowledge is not transferred from the teacher to the students and knowledge is constructed
in the mind of the student or what is called by constructive learning Coetzee, et al., 2008: 106 has been understood by the teachers in ISS. Like what was found out in the fourth, third, and first grade, the teachers
encouraged students to be active in teaching and learning process. For example in teaching three syllables word in the fourth grade, the teacher didn’t mention which one the one syllable, two syllables or three syllables words,
but he lead the students to differentiate them through the pronunciation practiced by the students.
Seeing lesson planning of English teaching, it was found out that the teachers use vary methods in teaching. For example in teaching the fourth grade, the teacher started teaching using ‘total physical response’ to
give the instruction and to the part of the body when practicing the new movement in Brain Gym that. The use of Brain Gym was also the way to promote ‘communicative language teaching’. Then, the vocabulary in this
activity then was used to teach word syllables.
Model of parents involvement in ISS based on classification is ‘parent-teacher partnership’. Like Swap explanation, in this school, parents and teachers worked together to accomplish success for all the students. The
assumption is that a common mission requires collaboration between parents and teachers. This is a true partnership based on authority shared among colleagues, so it is called ‘collegiality’ Swap in Bauer Shea in
Coetzee, et al., 2008: 134.
Because the quality of classroom management in this discussion is seen from how the teachers controlled their students effectively in order to facilitate a positive teaching-learning environment, the existence
of positive teaching-learning environment above indicates the high quality of classroom management in ISS.
English teachersin had practical knowledge of any teaching method and strategies found in their teaching planning documents and the execution in the classroom. They also had pedagogical knowledge dealing
with how to treat children for teaching and learning activity. They had personal knowledge based on their experience making them confidents to apply their way in teaching their class. They had contextual knowledge
from the situational analysis had been carried out before. And of course, the English teacher here had knowledge about the material they taught This knowledge will be explained more in the next section. It was found out
from their teaching observed by the researcher and their English educational background. Last but not least, the English teachers in ISS evaluated not only their students learning but also their teaching. Not only through their
own personal evaluation document they carried out evaluation and reflection, but also through the discussion in
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English teachers routine meeting. It was because they had reflexive knowledge for their teaching. Having these qualifications, it can be said that the English teachers teaching in ISS were qualified teachers.
The English teachers had knowledge about the material they taught. It was found out from their teaching observed by the researcher and their English educational background. The question here, how was the
understanding about the knowledge they had? In giving the lesson, English teachers in ISS didn’t always use textbook. Based on the guidance of their
lesson mapping, the teachers searched authentic material like in the song taught in the third level or created the material by themselves like word syllables in the fourth level and number in the first level. During this study, the
researcher didn’t find the use of their textbook.
The choosing of suitable teaching materials in ISS was not only based on the level of students’
language mastery but also based on the appropriateness to the Islamic culture of this school. They were not allowed to use the material contradicted the Islamic values. The last, materials they used must promote language
learning activities especially for communicative teaching purposes.
Conclusion and Recommendations
From the discussion above, it can be concluded that there were three important components of quality teaching in SDII Al-Abidin, i.e. positive teaching-learning environment, qualified teachers, and suitable teaching
materials. Facilitating a positive teaching-learning environment was created through physical classroom management. Colourful interior, decoration, lighting, varying seating arrangement, and chairs size, system were
managed well to enhance teacher ability to teach and their students’ ability to learn. Nonphysical factors were nonphysical environment that the teachers create for the students to facilitate a positive teaching-learning
environment, i.e. how the teachers treated their students in the classroom and how they kept the partnership with parents.
For the future researchers, it is recommended to study not only English classroom management, but also the other aspects of ELT Management to capture the whole process supporting ELT.
References
Brown, H. Douglas.. 2000. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching 4
th
ed. . New York: Addison
Wesley Longman, Inc. Coetzee, S.A., Van Niekerk, E.J. Wydeman, J.L. 2008. An Educator’s Guide to Effective Classroom
Management. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
Goldenberg, Claude. 2004. Successful School Change: Creating Settings to Improve Teaching and Learning. New York: Teachers College Press.
Halliwell, Susan. 1992. Teaching English in the Primary Classroom. Essex: Longman. Higgins, S., Hall, E., Wall, K., Woolner, P. McCaughey, C. 2005. The Impact of School Environments: A
Literature Review . Newcastle: The Centre for Learning and Teaching School of Education,
Communication and Language Science University of Newcastle Krashen, Stephen D. 1981. Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon
Press Inc. Yin, Robert K. 2003. Case Study: Design and Methods 3
rd
ed. . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Zainal, Zaidah. 2007. A Case Study as a Research Method. Jurnal Kemanusiaan, 16, 1-6. Retrieved October 28, 2008 from http:www.fppsm.utm.mydownloaddoc_download48-case-study-as-a-research-
method.html
Biodata Elys Rahayu Rohandia Misrohmawati
is an English lecturer of STKIP PGRI Ponorogo. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degree in English Language Teaching from Sebelas Maret University UNS
Surakarta. She has spoken and published articles at national and international ELT conferences. She is interested in the research of autonomous learning behaviour and ELT Management, especially curriculum and classroom
management. Public service she actively involves is empowering women and children. She can be contacted at elys1111gmail.com
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THE TRANSACTIONAL EXPRESSIONS OF THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS IN TARGET LANGUAGE CLASS
Fatimah Hidayahni Amin
State University of Makassar Makassar, Indonesia
fatimahhidayahni01yahoo.co.id
Abstract
: The study focuses on investigating the teachers and the students’ transactional expressions in terms of language functions, language forms, code switching, and non-verbal forms in implementing the teaching stages
and the ways the teachers and the students reveal such expressions. The samples were three lecturers who are selected purposively and three classes of students which the three lecturers teach. The data were taken by
employing direct observation with video tape recording and interview. To analyze the data, identification, classification, description, and interpretation were employed.
Keywords : transactional expressions, teaching stages
Introduction
Conducive learning environment in teaching English as a foreign language requires the English teachers to use clear, intelligible, and meaningful talks to organize the teaching-learning process. In EFL classroom at the
university level, the lecturers present their teaching materials and manage the classroom condition by conveying various expressions in their talk to stimulate and direct the students to communicate about the subject matter and
the classroom condition Cullen, 1998. Specifically, the teachers deliver various meanings to run the teaching and learning process through teaching stages. The teaching stages are implemented by presenting and explaining
new material, providing practice, and testing Ur, 1996.
In executing the teaching stages, the various meanings are embedded in the messages and are presented based on the speech purpose of the teacher and the students. The kind of communication that constitutes
meaningful messages is using transactional expressions Brown Yule, 1987. The way the teacher and the students carry transactional speech has to be mutual understanding. The transactional speech varies in the
language use. To conduct the teaching and learning process through teaching stages, various language functions and forms are presented Yanfen Yuqin: 2010, code switching is used Gumperz: 1982, and non-verbal
forms Pinter, 2006 are employed when communicating the meaningful messages.
Thus in this paper, the study will illustrate the use of language functions, language forms, code switching, and non-verbal forms which are used by the teachers and students in their transactional expressions to
implement the teaching stages and b the ways the teachers and the students express such expressions.
Review of Related Literature
In principle, humans use a language to describe their intention or meaning. Halliday 1990 highlights the two most fundamental types of speech role ‘giving and demanding’ in communicating meaningful messages
as in the following figure:
Role in exchange Commodity
exchanged Initiation
Expected response Discretionary
alternative
Give Goods and services
Offer Acceptance
Rejection Demand
Command Undertaking Refusal
Give Information
Statement Acknowledgement
Contradiction Demand
Question Answer Disclaimer Source: Halliday, 1990:69
The two roles are applied in the teaching stages. Ur 1996:10 noted that there are three stages of teaching, namely: presentation, practice, and test PPT. However, in the case of this study, the stage of test is
not used by all the teachers in the implementation of teaching and learning process. Therefore, this study only executes the first two stages.
Implementing the teaching stages, the teacher talk is functioned. It is functioned as a discourse guide for the students Mercer, 1995. To respond the teacher talk, the student talk is stimulated. The term ‘student talk’
refers to the students’ various expressions in learning process. It ranges from the talk among the teacher and other peers in conducting learning activity and various interactions Johnson, 1995. The talks between the
teacher and the students have to be clear, specific, and meaningful. This kind of talks is, thus, transactional or of
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which the language is message-oriented where teacher and students share clear and accurate information in their conversation Brown Yule, 1987.
Specifically, the transactional speech carries various linguistic forms. They range from language functions which are tasks or purposes for which language is used to communicate Pozzi, 2004, language forms
which are the tools for creating the organizational patterns of language used to communicate Harmer, 2007, code-switching which is the shifting that occurs between two or more languages interchangeably within one
conversation Gumperz,1982; Auer 1998, to non-verbal communication which requires sending messages through body signals, such as: proxemics, bodily movement and stance, facial expressions, and gestures without
oral activity Ehninger, 1978.
Research Methodology
This study is a descriptive qualitative research. It uses survey with content analysis to identify and describe the teachers and students’ transactional expressions in executing the teaching stages and the ways the
teacher and students reveal the transactional expressions. The data were collected using direct observation with video tape and recording and interview. Data of the transactional expressions were taken from three lecturers
teaching in three different institutions in Makassar, namely: Makassar State University, YPUP, and Indonesian Moslem University and three classes which those three lecturers teach. In the analysis, data on the teachers and
students’ transactional expressions were identified, classified, described, and interpreted and data on the ways the teachers and students reveal the transactional expressions were described and interpreted.
Findings and Discussions
Executing the teaching stages, the teachers and the students reveal some forms of transactional expressions and various ways of revealing the expressions. Jeffrey 2002 noted that the teachers and the
students set the context in terms of executing the teaching stages to reveal particular expressions. In the study, it was found that the teachers reveal 18 language functions to present the material and 5 language functions to
provide practices. The use of language functions and ways of revealing them are as follows:
1 when directing, the teachers showed the students the steps to do the activity.
2 when informing, they told their students what they are going to do.
3 when giving examples, they mentioned the answers.
4 when reminding, they emphasized the students what they have done with the activity.
5 when explaining, introducing, and mentioning, they gave examples.
6 when emphasizing, they highlighted their explanation.
7 when asking questions, they expressed brief information.
8 when giving time, they announced the time.
9 when requesting and instructing, they directed the students.
10 when correcting, they mentioned the correct answer. 11 when commanding, they requested and informed the students.
12 when complimenting, they acknowledged the students’ effort and thanked them. 13 when brainstorming, they described the attributes.
14 when encouraging, they stimulated the students. 15 when continuing, they moved to another point of lesson.
16 when repeating, they gave corrections. 17 By checking, they asked questions.
To construct the language function, the teachers formed simple, compound, and complex sentences. The use of language forms in terms of the three types of sentences which construct the teachers’ meanings in the
language functions is the tool to stimulate the students to speak as well as to communicate meaningful utterances. For the code switching forms, the teachers used inter-sentential switching when emphasizing,
advising, encouraging, requesting, and confirming. They used intra-sentential switching when commanding and directing. They used tag-switching codes when asking questions. The code switching supports the deliberation of
the fullest meanings of the messages in the conversation Malik, 1994. Most of the time, the EFL teachers as well as the students function the code switching to make the communication process smoother. Smoother
communication process means every meaning that is transmitted is all clear and meaningful. For their emphatic meanings, the teachers mostly employ their gestures using their hand movements.
As for the students, they reveal 5 various language functions when responding to their teachers’ presentation and practice facility, such as: rehearsing by repeating the teacher’s expression, mentioning by
rehearsing, answering by using short response, giving an example by mentioning, and repeating by mentioning. The students used words and simple sentences to construct their expressions. In most of the time, they did not
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use any type of code switching to strengthen their meanings. However, they harnessed head movement to emphasize their meanings in their message delivery.
The use of variety of linguistic units becomes a meaningful content that fills the conversation between the teacher and the students Sinclair and Brazil, 1985. Meaningful messages that are promoted in the use of
transactional expressions are delivered properly with the two main roles of speaking: giving and demanding. In this study, the roles of giving and demanding are executed as expected. The teachers and the students who give
and demand information, both state and ask the properly expected or discretionary responses based on their speaking purpose.
Conclusion
To sum up, the study has shown the transactional expressions used by the teachers and the students are varied into the use of various language functions, sentence structures, types of code switching, and physical
movements to reveal the fullest meaning in the conversation. Thus, it is suggested that the EFL teachers promote and sharpen the use of various linguistic forms in their transactional speech with the students through the
implementation of teaching stages.
References
Auer, Peter.1998. Bilingual Conversation. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Brown, G. Yule, G. 1987. Teaching the Spoken Language an Approach Based on the Analysis of
Conversational English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cullen, R. 1998. Supportive Teacher Talk: The Importance of the F-Move. ELT Journal. 56, 2. Ehninger, Douglas. 1978. Principles and Types of Speech Communication. Illinois: Scott, Foresman Company.
Gumperz, J.J. 1982. Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Halliday, M.A.K. 1990. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Hodder Stoughton Limited.
Harmer, Jeremy. 2007. How to Teach English. England: Pearson Education Limited. Jeffery, Chris. 2002. Register Analysis as a Mean for Eliciting the Meaning of Literary Texts. Literator. 23. 87-
104. Johnson, K.E. 1995. Understanding communication in second language classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. Malik, L. 1994. Sociolinguistics: A Study of Code-switching. New Delhi: Anmol.
Pinter, A. 2006. Teaching Young Language Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pozzi, D.C. 2004. Forms and functions in language: Morphology, Syntax Online.
http:www.viking.coe.uh.edugrn11.intrintr.0.1.2.htm, accessed in March 10, 2005 Sinclair, J. McH Brazil, D. 1985. Teacher Talk. London: Oxford University Press.
Ur, Penny. 1996. A Course in Language: Practice Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Yanfen, Liu Yuqin, Zhao. 2010. A Study of Teacher Talk in Interactions in English Classes. Chinese Journal
of Applied Linguistics Bimonthly Online . Vol. 33. No.2. Available at www.celea.org.cn
teic9010060806.pdf.
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A STUDY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY OF ESNED STUDENTS AT INFORMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Fatimah, Agus Gozali Abstract
: Since English functions as a foreign language, exposures to English in communication are limited. Indonesian learners often feel hesitate to participate in classroom activities in English subject. Lecturers teaching
English for ESNED students often say that their students tend to be quiet and only few students who are motivated actively participate in classroom activities. Krashen 1988 suggests if a learner has very low
motivation and self-confidence, and a high level of anxiety, the affective filter comes into place and inhibits the learner from acquiring the new language. This study investigates the learners’ anxiety in an ESP context. FLCAS
proposed by Horwitz et al. 1986, classroom observation, and interview were the instruments to obtain the needed information. There were 105 students participated in this study. The study reveals that the students’
anxiety level reaches 99.34 which means that their anxiety level belongs to high level. This finding indicates that the students are still anxious in attending their English class. Communication Apprehension and Fear or
Negative Evaluation influence strongly on the students’ anxiety level. The result can be beneficial for developing module and teaching strategies and it can be applied in other study programs that use English as the medium of
instruction.
Keywords : Anxiety, FLCAS, ESNED students
Introduction
English as one of international languages is very useful for the future as the anticipation of trend of globalization. Indonesian graduates should have good skills to remain competitive including the ability to
communicate in English. Despite students’ familiarity with English, this subject is still considered to be difficult for they do not use it in our daily life. Therefore, many Indonesian students of Indonesia of English do not feel
confident and feel anxious to communicate in English.
Basically, the success of language learners depends on several factors. Lightbown and Spada 1999 propose some factors which might affect the success of second language learning, namely intelligence, anxiety,
aptitude, personality, motivation and attitudes, learner preferences, learner belief, and age of acquisition. From the factors mentioned above, this present research attempts to investigate anxiety since the researchers believe
this factor affects the willingness of non-English Department students to actively participate in classroom activities.
Many students feel more anxious and nervous in foreign language FL class than in any other classes, and their anxiety seems to come predominantly from the speaking situation Koch Terrell, 1991; MacIntyre
Gardner, 1994; Price, 1991, cited in Arnaiz and Guillen, 2012, p.6. In fact, foreign language anxiety FLA has been identified as one of the major obstacles to acquisition and fluent production of foreign languages. Horwitz
et al. 1986 assert that language anxiety is an identifiable variable in learning a foreign language. In addition, Krashen 1982 acknowledges the effects of the affective filter in SLA in relation to input. The higher the
affective filter the less input someone is able to process. This affective filter includes emotive reactions such as language anxiety.
Concerning foreign language anxiety FLA, Horwitz et al. 1986 describe three components of foreign language anxiety: communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation. McCroskey 1978,
cited in Chan and Wu, 2004, p.292 defines communication apprehension as an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with other persons. The second is test anxiety
which is defined by Sarason 1984, cited in Zgutowicz, 2009, p.10 as “the tendency to view with alarm the consequences of inadequate performance in an evaluative situation.” Test anxiety is a type of performance
anxiety deriving from a fear of failure. The third one is fear of negative evaluation. Fear of negative evaluation is broader in scope than test anxiety because it is not limited to test-taking situations Chan and Wu, 2004.
MacIntyre and Gardner 1991 propose that fear of negative evaluation is closely related to communication apprehension. When students are unsure of what they are saying, fear of negative evaluation occurs and they
may doubt about their abilities to make a proper impression.
Anxiety also impacts foreign language learning. Anxiety can affect the ability of an individual to process information at each of the three stages. Aida 1994 reveals that students with high anxiety might sit
passively in the classroom and withdraw from classroom activities. It can be concluded that the researchers agree that language anxiety can play a significant causal role in learning a foreign language. It is empirically proven
that language anxiety affects language learning.
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FLA also happens to Indonesian university students, especially those who study in non-English departments. This study was conducted in Universitas Brawijaya Malang. According to the interview with some
lecturers, the students of non-English departments experience more FLA. They stated that the students put more anxiety in speaking with no reasons. The researchers take the research in Program of Information Technology
and Computer Sciences because students have to master English well since the references they use are mostly written in English. Thus, the exposure of English is quite intensive.
Aims of the research
This research intends to investigate the foreign language anxiety level of non-English department students at Study Program of Informatics Computer Science of Program of Information Technology and
Computer Sciences
Research Method
This research investigates 105 students at Information Science who were taking English subject in 2013.
Data collection: The data were collected through questionnaire, observation, and interview. The questionnaire used was Foreign
Language Classroom Anxiety Scale FLCAS proposed by Horwitz et al 1986. This instrument consists of 33 questions on a 5-point-Likert-type scale from strongly agree 5 point to strongly disagree 1 point. This
questionnaire covers communication apprehension, test anxiety, and fear of negative evaluation. The range of this scale is from 33 to 165. The higher the total points are, the more anxious the student is. This questionnaire is
chosen because it is a reliable instrument which has been employed in many researches concerning anxiety. The researchers provided Bahasa Indonesia translation under each question in FLCAS to enable the students
comprehend the questionnaire thoroughly and to lower the students’ anxiety since they filled the questionnaire in their own mother tongue.
Data Analysis: Having obtained the data, the researchers analyzed them. First, the researchers calculated the result of FLCAS
questionnaire for each student to know their level of anxiety. The second stage was using ANOVA to know the mean and average score for each item in the questionnaire. This information is necessary to know the anxiety of
the students and classify them into high, moderate, and low anxiety students. Then, the researchers analyzed the data taken from the classroom observation and interview to strengthen the analysis of the students’ anxiety
levels. Finally, the researchers drew conclusion.
Findings
From the result of questionnaire responses, the minimum score is 49 and the maximum score is 130. In addition, the mean score is 99.34. The result indicates that the students’ foreign language anxiety at the Study
Program of InformaticsComputer Science of Program of Information Technology and Computer Sciences belongs to high level. The tendency of the students having the range of anxiety can be seen in Table 1 below:
Table 1 Students’ Range of Foreign Language Anxiety Levels Score
Level of Anxiety Number of Students
Percentage
33-89 Low anxiety
31 29
90-98 Moderate anxiety
29 28
99-165 High anxiety
45 43
Total 105
100
It can be inferred from Table 1 that dominantly the students have high level of anxiety 45 students. From this fact, it can be concluded that even though students have learned English for many years, they are still
anxious about this lesson. Based on the observation carried out in the classroom, students who have low anxiety are active
participating in the classroom activities. They tend to dominate the discussion in the classroom. From the informal interview that the researchers did, the students with low anxiety level mostly like English and many of
them also take English course because they like English and they realize the importance of English. On the other hand, the students who have high or moderately high anxiety level tend to be quiet and passive in the classroom
discussion.
This condition is relevant with Krashen’s 1982 hypothesis about affective filter. He mentions that when the affective filter is up which means that the students are anxious, it will impede learning. On the other
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hand, when the affective filter is down, it will facilitate learning. Comparing to the condition in the class, the students who are anxious, tend be quiet and do not want to participate in classroom. It means that their learning
process does not run smoothly. On the contrary, the students with low anxiety level, they are active and thus they have effective learning process.
The following is the explanation for the result of each of FLCAS component. a. Communication Apprehension
The mean score for this component is 3.08. Basically, the students do not have many problems in doing tasks related to communication in classroom. The students have control over their language and therefore they
did not feel quiet nervous when they had to speak. However, they needed to prepare what they wanted to say. They became anxious when they were not given time to prepare. They were anxious in answering impromptu
questions from their teacher. Speaking is problematic for foreign language learners as it is stated by MacIntyre and Gardner 1991 that many researchers have pointed out that the skill producing most anxiety is speaking.
From the informal interview, the students with low anxiety level mostly like English and many of them also take English course because they like English and they realize the importance of English. Take for example;
they have strong will to pay attention to the English lesson. They are eager and active to ask questions when they do not understand the lesson without hesitation. Thus, they tend to dominate the discussion. On the other hand,
the students who have high level of anxiety tend to be quiet and passive in the classroom discussion. The anxious students may know things but they could not show their knowledge well because they have certain negative
attitude toward English and their English competence. It can explain why students could not answer teachers’ questions particularly impromptu questions. Perhaps, the students actually have known the answers, but they are
so nervous that they could not utter the answers. Another possibility is that they do not know the answer since they even do not understand the meaning of question. The participants of this research thought they had speech
skill deficiencies due to limited vocabulary as well as incomplete mastery of grammar.
b. Test Anxiety
The mean score for this component is 2.89. From the analysis, it can be seen that the students were worried about tests that they had since they thought about the consequence of failing the tests. They were afraid
that if the failed the tests, they would fail the course. Consequently, they had to retake the course in the following year. Most of the students feel very nervous about their tests. However, when it deals with non-paper based task,
the students did not feel anxious. The students were willing to be corrected by the teacher. These responses indicate that the students have willingness to improve their language. However, when they dealt with test, they
started to worry about the results.
c. Fear or Negative Evaluation
The mean score for this component is 3.08. The students mostly agree that they believed that their friends are better in their English compared to themselves. Participants mostly agree with the statements in
FLCAS concerning fear of negative evaluation. It may lead to the result that most participants think their English is worse than other students in class. It also means that they agree that they are afraid if the teacher asks the
questions and they have not prepared the answer. This result indicated that students had their own fear about their English.
Based on the observation and interview in the classroom, when the teacher asks the students who could answer the teacher’s questions or whether the students have problems in understanding the lesson, the students
tend to be quiet. They tend to let their friends to answer the questions since they have the belief that their friends are better in English rather than themselves. Some students think their English is worse than other students in
class. They are afraid if other students are laughing at them if they make mistakes. On the other hand, some of them are also afraid of getting bad comments from the teachers.
The result of this finding indicates that the students basically have low self-esteem concerning their language ability since they think that their friends are better than them. This finding is in line with. This is in line
with statement from Horwitz et al. 1986 mentioning that individuals who have high levels of self-esteem are less likely to be anxious than are those with low self-esteem.
Conclusion
This research has revealed that the anxiety level of non-English department students at Study Program of Informatics Computer Science of Program of Information Technology and Computer Sciences belongs to
high level. This condition indicates that many of the students were nervous or anxious while they were learning in their English class. There are three components in FLCAS. The mean scores for each of the component are
3.08 for Communication Apprehension, 2.89 for Test Anxiety, and 3.08 for Fear or Negative Evaluation. Communication Apprehension as well as Fear or Negative Evaluation are dominant components in triggering the
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