The learners’ roles The Use of English

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g. The learners’ roles

In teaching-learning activities, the students are communicators. They are actively engaged in trying to make themselves understood and in understanding others, even when their knowledge of the target language is not sufficient. The students reached understanding by themselves by actively paid attention to the teacher’s explanation, asked questions, and presented material after discussing. When the researcher was observing the teaching-learning activity, the researcher noticed that the teachers gave the students some guidance and directions. The students tried to understand what the teacher meant. Teacher CS, Mathematics teacher, stated that the students should be actively engaged in teaching-learning process. They should acquiring information not only from one direction but from many directions. “Siswa diharapkan bisa berpartisipasi secara aktif untuk belajar, terlebih ini SBI jadi ilmu itu datang tidak hanya dari satu arah, tapi datangnya dari berbagai arah. Siswa juga berperan untuk mencari ilmu secara aktif dari berbagai sumber.” Interview with teacher CS, on Thursday, March 5 th 2009 In Mathematics lesson, for example, teacher asked the students to make a group of eight and each group is given a material to be discussed. They discussed the material based on many books as the references. After discussing, the students then came forward to present the material by using English and by using the media power point. Here the teacher just gave guideline to the xcii students what should be in their presentation and the students themselves enhance understanding by discussing it with the others. During the presentation, the students tried to make other students understand what they meant. After presenting the material, the teacher didn’t criticize on their language, but rather on their concept of the material. The other students also criticized on the presentation and asked whether they didn’t understand the concept of the material yet. “Well good done for you all. Presentasi yang bagus namun ada beberapa konsep yang perlu saya luruskan disini. But before that, please ask questions to the group” The teacher gave feedback to students’ presentation and asked other students to give comment and ask questions. Then there was a student gave comment. Teacher gave chance for her to give comment Student EM : I think your presentation is less interesting because the animation is less. Your explanation is not enough. Please gave me more explanation about what is meant by sector ” Observation in classroom activities on Thursday, March 5 th 2009, with teacher CS What the students did was to enhance understanding of the materials by themselves. They tried to acquiring information from many sources. They weren’t afraid or worry to ask questions if they still haven’t understood yet. It is in line with the theory of students’ role that is emphasizing understanding during xciii teaching-learning activities. What the students did are aim to support their understanding in learning. It can be concluded that students are communicators. They are actively engaged in trying to make themselves understood. The students reached understanding by themselves by paying attention actively to the teacher’s explanation, ask questions, and present materials after the discussion. What the students did was to enhance understanding of the material by themselves.

2. The Strengths and the Weaknesses of the Use of English in Teaching-Learning