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kinds of meaning that are outlined in the following parts of this writing such as empirical meaning and transcendence meaning.
As Husserl’s cited by Lindseth that in describing the essence of experiences cannot be heard without narration. To come to the meaning of a phenomenon we
have to tell stories, which express our experiences of such positioning. These stories reveal the meaning of experiences in our lives. We have to produce texts to
be able to thoroughly examine the meaning structure of a phenomenon as a part of our life world – and thereby reveal the essential meaning of that phenomenon.
Thus, the essential meaning must be studied and revealed in the interpretation of text.
In one of her articles, Eilifsen 2011 states that in phenomenological writing, the phenomenon the research tries to reveal is in the center. The purpose of
phenomenological research is to bring the phenomenon to light. Anecdotes can help throw the light upon other experiences. She moreover clarifies that in
everyday life we tell stories and we do not dwell on what these stories are actually telling us; their meanings may slip by us. They are actually much more; they tell
more than words can express. In relation to this study, the experience of learning English is thus so much more than words to describe exactly what learning
English means to them.
a. Empirical Meaning
Phenomenology is the science of phenomena Manen, 1997. He cites Husserl for this discipline endeavors to describe how the world is constituted and
experienced through conscious acts. He also states that phenomenology always
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asks the question of what is the nature or meaning of something. The first meaning that I try to find out from this study is an empirical one that means
deriving knowledge from experience alone, based on observation, investigation and experimentation as opposed to theoretical knowledge Oxford American
Dictionary and Thesaurus. Then the empirical meaning refers to a meaning grasped from one’s experience as heshe lived through it. Particularly, what
learning English means to the participants based on what they have done, felt, and thought through it. They may be getting better grades, better English, better work,
et cetera that those are what is called hominization. In his lecture, Bismoko states that empirical meaning is also anything related with the improvement of empirical
material life quality. Therefore, the phenomenological knowledge here means empirical based on experience but it also goes beyond an interest in “mean”
particularly Manen, 1990.
b. Transcendental Meaning
The ultimate meaning that I try to discover is transcendent meaning. Manen 1990 specifies that phenomenological human science sponsors a certain concept
of progress that is the progress of humanizing human life and humanizing human institutions to help human beings to become increasingly thoughtful and thus
better prepared to act tactfully in situations. Moreover, it also has reference to Maslow’s expended hierarchy of needs. Originally, it is a five stage of hierarchy
of needs namely physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongingness needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization Maslow, 1962. However, later on Maslow
criticizes his previous theory and develops into eight stage of hierarchy of needs
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including cognitive needs, aesthetic needs, self-actualization and transcendence needs. At this point, I try to dig up the self-actualization where the participants
realize their personal potential, self-fulfillment, personal growth and peak experiences Maslow, 1968 and see how the participants come up to transcendent
needs where after they reach the self-actualization level, they help others to become more self-actualized. In short, I ensure to understand the participants’
transcendent meaning humanization captured from their own lived experience in learning English. The meaning of learning English gained by me from the
participants’ experiences must be different and unique to one another and it goes deeper than the experience itself.
In another article, Manen 1989 posits that anecdotal narrative allows the person to reflect in a concrete way on experience and thus appropriate experience.
He also mentions that to anecdote is to reflect or to think. In a reflective grasping, anecdotes recreate experience but in a transcended focused, condensed,
intensified, oriented and narrative form. Thus, the act of anecdoting as concrete reflecting prepares the space for hermeneutic phenomenological reflection and
understanding. Hermeneutic phenomenology as stated by Kafle focuses on subjective
experience of individuals and group in an attempt to uncover the world as experienced by the subject through their life world stories. In her article, Van der
Mescht takes a term under Uberwelt dimension, spiritual beliefs to refer to a person’s connection to the abstract and absolute aspect of living. She believes that
it will color the way one experiences the temporary nature of this life.
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B. FRAMEWORK OF PRE-UNDERSTANDING
Learning English develops the ability to communicate in second language and nonlinguistic outcomes including changes of attitude. Related to my research,
there are pleasant and unpleasant situation during the learning process experienced by the participants. Although the teachers have provided with good
lesson plans, materials and approaches, the students have their own unique lived experiences in learning English. The students’ lived experiences in learning
English will probably vary in terms of feeling, actions, understanding towards the learning process covering motivation, classroom interaction and anxiety.
To know the students’ lived experiences in learning English, I need to know their own anecdotes in learning English. This is in line with the current
postmodern view regarding that the truth does not belong to the dominance instead people seek and perceive the phenomenon from various different angles
including individual’s point of view. Therefore, I need stories from individual student through in-depth interview as well as the written documents. The
participating students need to express their lived experiences in learning English and I tried to describe and interpret their stories on the issue.
In brief, this study described lived experiences of the International Undergraduate Program students of UMY in learning English. The International
Undergraduate Program students in this study mean students who join the International Undergraduate class at UMY – taking English as compulsory subject
– which English is their daily language in the teaching-learning process in campus which forces them to present and discuss as well as write their assignments in
English.
