of words, using picture, and acting, all of those will help children to grasp the meaning
by using fun activity in class.
Moreover, children have opportunity to learn and hear English sounds in English class.
2 Choosing the Right Activity
One of the important aspects in teaching English is variety in activity. During in teaching and learning process, teachers not only change type of activity but also
pace of the lesson. There are two varieties: first is variety of activity and second is variety of organisation.
In the variety of activity, teacher should know the condition of class and learners. Teacher can use a stirring or calming activity, activity at the desk or
moving activity. Teacher can stimulate learners by using games, songs, or speaking tasks in the stirring activity. But, sometimes that activity can make
learners get too over-excited and make a noisy in the class. Besides, in the calming activity teacher can makes some serious activity, such as: listening,
writing or colouring.
Variety of organization is talk about individual work or group work. Individual work can use speaking task or song in class. It will make students focus to their
self. Also, learners can be less stressful than performing in front of class and they can learn on their learning style.
46
Nevertheless, using group work or pair work is the powerful context for communication in the classroom. There is always a good
idea to demonstrate what teacher wants the children to do before the pair work activity. Children should not be able to choose their groups because it usually
causes somebody to be left out. On the other hand, we cannot expect a pupil to work well with someone he or she simply does not like
.
3 Students’ Involvement
Students’ involvement is important method to stimulate students learning and help them to get language quickly and effectively. They also can help teacher in
the teaching and learning process. One of the way of students is by using presentation stage which stdents lead in, called inductive approach. On the
46
Jeremy Harmer. op.cit., p.115.
contrary, deductive approach is differing with inductive, where the presentation is followed by examples.
Students’ understanding will be harder when they are guess something in learning because they are not able to understand the language rule. Young learners
should be assigned such activities that make them concentrate on the task. The activities that require high concentration and make them focus are problem
solving activities or discovery techniques. It is supported by Harmer, ―There are
good pedagogical and methodological reasons for this since the students will be more involved and since this kind of activity invites them to use their reasoning
processes‖.
47
Discovery techniques can be used for presenting any kind of new language, for example new grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation.
Based on explanation above, not all aspect can be considered. It depends on teacher and hisher consideration which the best activities and the best method for
hisher students. Generally it can be stated that if an activity is enjoyable, it will be memorable.
4 Misunderstanding in Teaching Young Learners
There are two misunderstanding about teaching young learners.
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First, teaching is straightforward. However, children have a little bit complicated view
of the world than adults. The fact is children should improve their skills to reach their world and develop their understanding. Teachers should understand how
children learn, whether by using individual work or grouping work.
Second is, children only need to learn simple language. Sometime, children only want to learn a simple language by using songs, numbers, and colours. In
fact, they can learn it if teacher taught it. So, children can increase their capability in learning language. Teachers should know this condition and finding the best
way to teach them.
47
Jeremy Harmer. op.cit. p. 71.
48
Lynne Cameron. op.cit. p. xii.
C. Previous Related Studies
The first relevant study was a thesis entitled Teaching English Pronunciation to Young Learners
– Focus on Accuracy written by Adéla Králová a thesis of University of Pardubice, which was published on 2011. The objective of the
research was the activity of pronunciation that teacher use and also for young learners’ errors in pronunciation and how to corrected it. This study used
qualitative and quantitative research. The pupils at the age from nine to eleven to attending the third, fourth, and fifth grades of a primary school are put by the
writer. Then, the result was describe by using qualitative research.
49
The second relevant study was thesis entitled Developing Pronunciation with Young Learners written by
Nad’a Tomčíková, a thesis of University of Pardubice Faculty of Art and Philosophy Department of English and American Studies,
which was published on 2006. The objective of the research was to a group of young learners that was used as a basic for the research. The description of the
course and the research condition is used in the research. It was used data collection tools and process of data analysis is explained in detail. The result is,
interpreted from the viewpoint of activities focusing on English pronunciation development and at the same time suitable for the age group of young learners.
50
The last relevant study was a journal entitled Practices and Impeding Factors in the Teaching of English to Young Learners in the First Cycle Public Primary
Schools at Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia, a journal of Institute of Language Studies and Journalism, Wollega University, which was published on 2014. The
aim of the research is to examine the practice and relates impeding factors in the teaching of English to young learners in the first cycle. The research used
observation and interview to gather relevant and proper data. The result of the research is the study indicates that English is thought through mother tongue.
51
49
Adéla Králová. Teaching English Pronunciation to Young Learners – Focus on
Accuracy. Pardubice: 2011.
50
Nad’a Tomčíková. Developing Pronunciation with Young Learners. Pardubice:2006.
51
Eba Mejina. Practices and Impeding Factors in the Teaching of English to Young Learners in the First Cycle Public Primary Schools at Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia. Nekemte:
Instituteof Language Studies and Journalism, Wollega University, 2014.
The distincition between the first and the second studies with the writer is the research design. The first study combine qualitative and quantitative research. The
second use description on herhis research. Meanwhile, the write use case study on her research. The distinction with the last study is in instrument. Heshe only
used observation and interview. The writer also use that and adding documentation.
D. Thinking Framework
After reviewing the background and theory that have been outline above, it can be obtained thinking as follows; pronunciation affect to communication.
Pronunciation is a sound comes from vocal cords in the form of words or sentence that become one or important unit in the language to convey meaning from the
speaker. Someone will be more easily understood with good pronunciation. In learning pronunciation, there are important components that cannot be
abandoned; there are consonants, vowels, intonation, and stress. All of the components will effect to meaning of words. However, in practice, not all of the
components will appear. The English pronunciation is often not in line with the existing theories. It is caused by several factors, such as 1 interference of mother
tongue, which is learners’ first language influence their target language; 2 learners’ age, which is adult learners have limited to distinguish and produce
native- like sounds; 3 learners’ attitude and psychological, which is attitude pf
target language learning will influence of achievement in pronunciation; 4 prior pronunciation instruction, which means learners who have good habit of learning
correct pronunciation at the beginning will influence learners’ success with current effort.
However, there is strategy in teaching pronunciation; teacher and learners should have collaboration in teaching and learning process. Practically, effective
teaching is related to behaviors that teacher do in class. Teacher can use some techniques to help students to learn and concern most about how to improve
students learning in pronunciation. There are five techniques that teacher can use in teaching pronunciation, such as: drilling, a minimal pair, visual aids,
communicative activity, and reading aloud. The technique that easy to use for young learners is drilling and visual aids. According Larsen, drilling divide into
7:
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1 backward build-up drill, 2 repetition drill, 3 chain drill, 4 single-slot substitution drill, 5 multiple-slot substitution drill, 6 transformational drill, and
7 question and answer drill. Usually, teacher uses repetition and chain drill for young learners.
52
Dianne Larsen Freeman, op cit. pp. 48 —49.
