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require the students to think very hard will be rejected by the students because of their boredom. Second, various activity should be employed to maintain
children’s interest and to keep children’s attention alive. Halliwell 1992: 7 introduces the term imagination as a mean to maintain the students’ attention.
Although language teaching should be concerned with real life, promoting fantasy and imagination can be very useful for teaching young children. Third, teacher
should be animated, lively and enthusiastic about the subject matter. Children need this exaggeration to keep their spirit maintained and their mind alert.
Halliwell 1992:6 states that it is because the children’s instinct of being fun. Fourth, humor will also maintain students’ attention. However, appropriate humor
to children should be used instead of adults’ humor. Finally, children are very curious to learn. Raising students’ curiosity will maintain the students’ attention
and focus.
c. Sensory Input
Children need to have all five senses stimulated. Teaching learning activities should also stimulate children to use their five senses. Halliwell 1992:
10 also adds that the success of teaching young learner also depends on the children’s experience to acquire new ideas or concepts. Exposing the students to
many experience so that their five senses are stimulated will help the young children to create meaning from their experience. In teaching learning practice,
Brown 2001: 89 suggests ways to teach related to the students’ sensory input. The first one is that physical activities play important role in the teaching learning
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activity. Young children are basically active and lively. Therefore, by giving them more chances and experience to be active, new ideas and concepts can be
introduced easily. Second, sensory aids are helpful to internalize concepts. Pictures, audio-video recordings, taste of foods or smell of flowers are important
elements in teaching language to children. Finally, teachers’ nonverbal languages are also important because children sensitively pay attention to teachers’ facial
gestures, gestures and touching. Halliwell 1992: 11 states that these special nature of language are the key part of the process by which language develops.
d. Affective Factors
Children in many ways are much more fragile than adults because their egos are still being shaped. In the practice of teaching, they are extremely
sensitive to peers. Therefore, the slightest differences of communication can be negatively interpreted Brown, 2001: 89. In addition, Halliwell 1992: 12
sustains that mistakes and failures are frustrating for children. Therefore, teachers need to help the children to overcome those potential barriers especially in
language teaching. Brown 2001: 89 also suggests ways to lower the students’ barriers in learning a language. First, help the students to laugh at various
mistakes that they all make. In teaching learning activity, checking understanding is certainly important. However, checking the young children’ understanding
should be done carefully and laughter is a good technique to convey that they make mistakes. It is also meant to maintain their attention span. Halliwell 1992:
12 suggest different idea check students’ understanding. Teacher can check by PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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watching what they do and by watching their face. Second, teachers should be patient to build their confidence. However, teacher should also be strict on the
expectation of children. Most children arrive at school with their confidence still intact. They do not expect to be able to do everything immediately but they
assume that they can do anything eventually Halliwell, 1992: 12. Finally, teacher should give more opportunities for children to participate orally,
especially for the quieter ones. These opportunities and positive reinforcement that the teacher provides will build positive self esteem.
e. Authentic and Meaningful Language
