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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter discusses the theories underlying the research. To be clear, the discussion is divided into two sub-discussions, namely theoretical review and
theoretical framework. In the theoretical review there are discussions on credit- based modular approach, communicative language teaching, communicative
competence, instructional design models, and English course. Second part would be theoretical framework in which it synthesizes the preceeding discussion on the
section of theoretical review.
A. Theoretical Review
This section discuses some theories related to way an English course is conducted, in particular how the English course can help the students deal with
their needs of English for daily communication. Those theories will be the basic thoughts upon which the communicative English course will be constructed with
the approach of credit-based modular approach.
1. Credit-based Modular Approach
As it was stated in the previous section, credit-based modular approach is based on credit-based modular curriculum. Credit-based modular system is a
curriculum design in higher education which makes use of module as the way to standardize the learning process with credits as the substitutions of the time spent
13 for study Betts Smith, 1998 pp. 1-7. There are two important terms in credit-
based m odular curriculum, namely “module” and “credit”. Betts and Smith 1998
discuss module in relation with credit accumulation by stating that modularism in higher education aims to provide a single standard framework which is embedded
right across the institution in order to avoid deviation p. 34. Most modular systems distinguish the time frame of a module into “tutor contact” and “student
commintted time” or “learning time”. In order to be a single standard framework and to avoid deviations, it should be agreed by parties across an institution to set
the size of the module, namely what the standard student committed time ought to be.
While “tutor contact” might take only 10 ten per cent of the body of a module Betts Smith, 1998, p. 35
, “student committed time” might take the rest of the time, implying more attention in managing activities and materials
allocated to this learning time. While module can be depicted as the whole body of a course which the
students have to put their efforts into, credits can be considered as the bricks which all together construct the body. Credits can be consider as values or worth
made explicit in a modularized courses. The credit is merely a means of exchange Betts Smith, 1998, 35. A credit, then,
is an exchange of students’ hours of study which they need to accumulate in order to achieve the standard of the course
accomplishment. Furthermore, in this study the researcher takes the spirit of credit-based
modular system, namely how a course is controlled and how students are able to check their own efforts based on the accumulation of credits. Since this study is
14 going to be applied in an extra-curricular activity of English course, the credits
would be embodied in a very simple form of how much time the students would spent for the whole course and the topic being prepared to be accomplished by the
students.
2. Communicative Language Teaching
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