21 to see how the condition first. If the students don’t pay attention, we
need to use first language to solve the problem and then we translate again in English.” Teacher A, interview, March 10
th
, 2015
Based on the interview with Teacher A, it is stated that translation helps the teacher to get the students attention. If the teacher uses English all the time,
the students may confuse and don’t pay attention. In topic Taste, Teacher B used translation to explain the meaning of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy or hot.
Teacher B asked, ‘what is ‘manis’ in English?’, ‘what is ‘pahit’ in English?’, and so on. Teacher B reported in the interview that,
“I used translation to introduce new vocabulary, and it should be repeated over and over again drilling. Some students in my class are
pleased with drilling and at the end of the lesson before they are home, they still remember the vocabulary.” Teacher B, Interview, April 10
th
, 2015.
This theory is in line with Cameron 2001 who claimed that “when new words are introduced, pupils will produce the first language translation, then the
teacher can accept the translation as useful evidence of understanding.”p.86. The idea of drilling to provide useful input to the students and make them
remember the new vocabulary has similar idea with Linse 2005 and Igbaria n.d who stated that the vocabulary items should be revisited or recycled in
different activities, with different skills and for multiple times.
22
4. Personalization
Based on the observation, I found that Teacher B used personalization for both topics that she delivered to teach concrete and special vocabulary. For
example, when introduced the word oil, Teacher B asked, “What do you use when you fry food?” From the personalizing question, the students began to think
possibility of what word being learned. Another example when Teacher B introduced the concept of tongue which could sense four kinds of taste, she
recalled the students activities on school during Valentine days when they got chocolate and then asked, “Did you eat your chocolate on last Valentine? How
was the taste?” The students told the taste to the teacher, they said that chocolate was sweet and bitter in their first language. Then, the teacher used translation to
convey the meaning. Teacher B explained in the interview that,
“Using personalization makes students become more critical and it creates communication to the students as well. I ask question, the
students answer, and I give response again. Moreover, if I related it with students’ life or their activity before, it will be easier to put the target
vocabulary in since they are familiar with the issues.” Teacher B, Interview, April 10
th
, 2015
This statement was in line with Cameron 2001 theory, relate new words in learners own lives will help learners’ deep processing and help them to
remember the words that can be used in their own speech. Based on the
23
observation and interview, the students become more active in answering personalizing question since they are familiar with the issue and it help students’
deep processing since they become critical to guess the vocabulary or they concentrate on working out the meaning, not only given translation. Although
translation is sometimes given after the students personalize the words, at least they do not merely accept the translation. Translation here used as useful evidence
of understanding.
5. Hands-on Experiment
Hands-on experiment used to teach science concept and vocabulary used in that concept. Teacher A used hands-on project while explaining the word stick.
She asked the students to try sticking the magnet to other objects that she brought one by one and drew conclusion about what objects can be pulled and can’t be
pulled by magnet. She also used hands-on project to explain the word food coloring by asking the students to make food coloring using suji leaf in pairs. This
activity made the students understand that food coloring could be made by suji leaf and the color that was produced was green. As reported in the interview:
“Small experiment in food coloring is for reviewing, the students have already known about colors. So this experiment is kind of putting the
vocabulary in the context which is about food coloring. Sometimes, when the students have already known the vocabulary, they will take it lightly.
24 Therefore, small experiment can be used to review the vocabulary in
different ways.” Teacher A, interview, March 10, 2015
Then, Teacher B used hands-on project when explaining the word mix and explode. She asked the students to do hands-on experiment using water, oil, and
food coloring. Teacher B instructed the students to mix water and oil first in a glass. This showed water and oil could not be mixed. The students began to draw
conclusion that mix was if water and oil could be together. Another experiment was done to describe the word explode. In a glass where water and oil were in,
Teacher B gave drops of food coloring. After waiting for few seconds, the drops of food coloring which detained in the oil was being explode and it mixed with
the water in the glass. Here, the students could see that explode could be seen as drops of food coloring which began to mix with the water after detained in the oil.
Teacher B explained in the interview that, “
Hands-on experiment is used to give evidence. For example, water and oil cannot be mixed. At first, the students said that it could be mix but
they prove it themselves that it couldn’t. Hands-on project can strengthen stimulus in students’ brain rather than being explained by the teacher
only.” Teacher B, Interview, April 10
th
, 2015
This technique is in line with Gordon 2007 claim that the students can interpret the context of vocabulary when they observe and participate in learning
experience. Using hands-on experiment, the students can learn by doing Gordon,
