41
class on comprehending a text regardless the topic of the text. By sharing what they have and find in their texts, the teacher provided students with various topics
so that they could enrich each other.
b. Comprehending a Text
This learning technique deals with reading comprehension activities. Based on the direct observations, the teacher conducted the reading class by
prioritizing the learning activities on reading comprehension. Among 14 meetings that have been observed, 11 meetings were about reading comprehension with
three different learning activities. The main learning activities in reading comprehension were reading activity and answering comprehension questions
activity. The teacher conducted the reading activity and answering comprehension questions activity together; the teacher asked students to read the text and then
directly to answer the comprehension question based on the text they have read. The teacher distributed different reading texts to each student. Hence, each student
had a different text to read and different questions to answer. In doing reading activity, students read the text silently. The teacher did not ask students to read the
text aloud because they had a different reading text. Based on the direct observations, the researcher found that students
checked the assignment of answering comprehension questions by themselves. As presented earlier, each student had a different reading text along with assignment
of answering comprehension questions. The teacher provided students with key answers for each text to check their own work. By looking up to the key answers,
students then checked and gave score on their work by themselves. The teacher also gave students another assignment besides answering
42
comprehension questions. After students finished the activity of answering comprehension questions, they were asked to compose interrogative sentences
based on the text they have read. The interrogative sentences must be with WH question words; students were not allowed to compose interrogative sentences
with yes or no answers.
c. Comparing English Texts
The next finding is learning activities of comparing descriptive and narrative texts. In this learning activities, the teacher asked students to find two
English texts and then compare them. The teacher asked students to do this learning technique in groups of two. For this learning technique, the teacher
brought students to the school library and asked them to find the texts from the library’s collection of books, magazines, journals, and newspapers. The teacher,
however, suggested students to find and compare the authentic texts. In conducting the learning activities, students also did the comparing activity in the
library so that they do not have to go back to their classroom.
d. Translation
This learning activity deals with language the teacher uses in communicating with students in the learning activities. In communicating with
students, the teacher spoke in Indonesian more than in English. In this learning technique, the teacher gave students explanation and instruction in students’
mother tongue. After giving instruction or explaining to class, the teacher always translated what he had just said in English into Indonesian. When the teacher was
facilitating question from a student individually, he also always spoke in Indonesia.
43
e. Outside Classroom Activities
The next learning technique deals with places where the teacher conducts English reading class. This learning technique was to bring students to other
places outside the classroom for learning activities. The teacher did not always conduct the learning activities in classroom. The teacher often conducted the
learning activities outside classroom. Besides conducting in classroom, the teacher sometimes brings students to an open aired place called Pendopo. The teacher
once conducted learning activities in the language laboratory, and once in the school library. The teacher conducted the learning activities outside classroom
usually for afternoon class. The teacher also sometimes conducted learning activities outside classroom when students ask for it.
f. Independent Learning
The next learning technique deals with ways how students conduct learning activities in reading class. There were two kinds of learning activities in
independent learning conducted by the teacher; they were learning in groups and individual learning. The first learning technique was to ask student work in groups
in the learning activities. The teacher asked students to work in groups for assignment of composing interrogative sentences. The teacher also asked students
to work in groups when students did the learning technique of comparing two English texts. The teacher did not decide the members of the group; he let students
choose group members by themselves. The groups lasted only for one assignment and the teacher then asked students to work in new groups for the other
assignment. Based on the observations, students needed more than one contact
