Characteristics of Junior High School Students

For a course to meet learners‟ needs, it is necessary to collect information about both the current state of the learners, where they stand in terms of language ability, learning preferences, and the desired goals or changes, and where they would like to be or what they want to achieve, change, and so on Graves, 2000. Hutchinson and Waters 1987 divide needs analysis into target needs i.e. what the learners need to do and learning needs i.e. what the learners need to do in order to learn. The learners‟ target needs are defined as follows. a. Necessities are what the learners have to know in order to function effectively in the target situation. For example, the learners have to comprehend a text, so that they will be able to answer the exam questions. b. Lacks are what the learners need to know but they do not know. There is a gap between the existing proficiency and the target proficiency. c. Wants are what the learners wish to learn and do. Still, Hutchinson and Waters 1987 propose some ways which are frequently used in analyzing needs. They are questionnaires, interviews, observations and data collections. According to the data above, questionnaires are used in this study to gain the target needs and the learning needs of Grade VII students of Junior High School

4. Learning Materials

a. Definition of Materials

Tomlinson 1998 defines materials as anything such as cassettes, videos, CD-ROM, dictionaries, grammar books, readers, workbooks, photocopied exercises, newspapers, food packages, life talks, instruction given by a teacher, etc. that can be used by the learners or teacher to increase the learners‟ knowledge and experiences of the language. In line with Tomlinson, Richard 2001 mentions that materials is the basis for much of the language input that is received by the learners and the language practice that occurs in the classroom. He also classifies materials into two types. They are authentic and created materials.

b. English Materials for Teenage Learners

Burns and Richards 2012 assume that it is important to provide teenage learners enough content for language use that engages them in their multiple quests for meaning and provide them appropriate opportunities for their creative expression and experimentation with the target language. Burns and Richards 2012 also offer some critical analysis of current textbook for teenage learners. a A search for appropriate topics, tasks, and texts. The topic of the materials should engage teenage learners who are about to leave their childhood behind and the adults they might become. They also need to be involved in the appropriate tasks. The texts that are contained in the textbook should attract teenage learners. b A search for authentic encounters. Teenage learners want to test their abilities in using the language skills by simulating a real life case in the classroom. Moreover it is now possible for them to communicate with native speakers through social media on Net. Here, authentic texts are needed.