47
Controls feelings Not good at interpreting body
language Rarely uses metaphors
Favours logical problem solving objects
Prefers open-ended questions More free with feelings
Good at interpreting body language Frequently uses metaphors
Favours intuitive problem solving
This special characteristics implies that the teacher should take into account the students’ personality factors. It is used to decide what activities that will best
facilitate the students.
3. Situational Factors Needed to Consider in the Course Planning a. The Consideration in Developing a Course
Nation and Macalister 2010:4 list some factors that have to be taken into account related to the design of the course grid. They are a the amount of time
available for the course; b the size of the class; c the students’ proficiency level; d the immediate survival needs of the learners; e the appropriate reading
materials; f the teacher ’s experience and training; g the use of the first language
in the classroom; h the need for learners to be more autonomous. The factors mentioned should be taken into account in developing the course.
By taking them into account, the learning will be meaningful and more useful to the students because it meets their need and expectation.
b. Learners’ Age
One thing that should be taken into account when teaching English is the age factor of the learners. It might give the teachers clues in finding the right way in
teaching the students so that the teachers can help them to optimally improve their
48 learning. Brown 2007 categorizes high school-age children whose ages range
between twelve and eighteen into teenagers. They are in the age of transition, confusion, self-consciousness, growing, and changing bodies and minds. They are
in the age between childhood and adulthood. Further, he advises several points to be noticed when teaching these groups of learners.
a Intellectual capacity adds abstract operational thought around the age
of twelve. Therefore, some sophisticated intellectual processing is possible where complex problem. In the other word, they are able to
use their logical thinking to solve problems.
b Attention span are lengthening because of intellectual maturation,
however it is for some case it can be shortened. c
Varieties of sensory input are still important. They are very sensitive to how others perceive their changing physical and emotional selves
along with their mental capabilities because of their priority in ego, self-image,
and self-esteem.
The teacher
should: avoid
embarrassment of students, affirm each persons talents and strengths, allow mistakes and other errors to be accepted, de-
emphasize competition between classmates, and encourage small group-works where risks can be taken more easily by a teen.
d Secondary students ability in dwelling on grammar point or
vocabulary item is increasing. If the teacher considers this factor, the students will feel understood.
They will be closer to the teacher and more open to the learning.
c. Integrating Media in Learning
One challenge in teaching English as a foreign language is to present student with a living, vibrant people who use the target language for daily
communication. Shrum and Glisan 1994:248-249 mention , ―Technological
device is a tool that helps the learner interact with the body of content knowledge and processes‖. Combining visual and auditory presentation can captivate
49 students’ interest. Added to this, media can enliven the target culture and language
for students in the classroom. Brinton 2001 mentions seven reasons for using media in the classroom.
They are: 1 media as an important motivator in the ELT process because they can bring the world outside into the classroom; 2 Audio-visual materials are very
meaningful to the students with content, meaning, and guidance. It create a contextualized situation where language items are presented and practised; 3
Media materials can lend authenticity to the classroom situation, reinforcing for students the direct relation between the language classroom and the outside
classroom; 4 Media provide us with a way of addressing the needs of the difference of learning styles visual and auditory; 5 Media decrease
students’ dependency to their teacher and improve their language learning experience; 6
Help students call up existing schemata and maximize their use of prior background knowledge in the language learning process; 7 It provides teachers
with a means of presenting material in a time-efficient and compact manner, and stimulating students’ senses, and make them feel at ease in processing
information. Brinton 2001 divides media into two kinds. They are nontechnical media
and technical media. The examples of the former are boards, cards, maps, wall charts, posters, board games, pictures, brochures, flyers, menus, puppets. The
benefit of them is that there is no need of electricity and they are less expensive. The examples of the later are audio and or video player, radio, television,
50 projectors, laboratory, computer, laptop, smartphone. They are quite expensive
but they can ring the outside world in all its complexity into the classroom. Further she proposes a framework for structuring media lessons as the
following.
Figure V: A framework for structuring media lessons
The framework
somehow resembles
the pre-communicative
and communicative activities. Te input and focus stage belong to the pre-
communicative activities meanwhile the transfer stage belongs to communicative
51 activities. The framework also shows that the media materials are used in the
transfer stage which will help the students to interact in the activities provided.
d. Contextualizing the Teaching of a Past Tense Grammar Point
