84 decision.
As it was stated in the chairperson’ testimony, the main intension of the school in conducting the English course was to give the students adequate
preparation beneficial for them to face the real world after school. The foundation stated that intension based on the students’ major social background of weak
financial support. English, then, was considered as one of some ways for the students to successfully compete in the real world. The researcher sees the
foundation ’s decision to intensify the students’ English communicative
competence as a right decision, despite some weaknesses the process still has. The researcher sees also the relation between the course participants’
expectation with the credit-based modular approach. One of the interviewed course participants stated the freedom to choice what the learners wanted to learn
can be considered as the door to apply the approach. The task then goes to the curriculum decision maker and the tutors to respond to this enthusiasm by picking
the teaching-learning method and materials which are contextual to the course participants’ urgent needs. Up to this point, the following discussion will be
specialized into the discussion of time the course participants will dedicate and the module, to fit with the concept of credit-based modular approach.
a. Credit and Dedicated Time
Albeit its independence from time-based learning model, time spent by the course participants
is the basis upon which assessment of the course’ progress is able to be measured. In this time frame credit is defined as the dedicated time
the course participants use to achieve the communicative competence as the main goal of the course. Having two hours course per week, or approximately 96 hours
85 per year rough calculation, the course then need to be divided into consecutive
sections with each section has certain competence to be fulfilled by the course participants. Each completion of competences is measured by certain tests to
measure the course participants’ learning progress. It is the responsibility of the course designers and the program decision maker to develop a body of flexible
learning structure open to any adjustment in the middle of the process. However, so far the term of dedicated time did not discussed the time spent for doing any
assignments outside the regular meeting with the tutors. Whereas the time spent for assignment completion should also be included into the credit. The course
designer and program decision maker may put two hours for assignment completion, and given the example that every two-hour meeting delivers an
assignment, there will be 96 hours also per year for assignment completion.
b. Module
The learning structure as it has been mentioned above is best embodied into the form of a module. The module is not a cage within which the course
participants and the tutors cannot make any move or creativity concerning some topics or recent events which have impact to their lives. Instead, the module is a
flexible guideline with which both the course participants and the tutors responsible to their own role. Any adjustment and inputs then would be
considered as integral parts of the module development. Moreover, module has its important function to measure the number of credits offered to the learners within
a particular time frame.
86 Applied to the English course as serving tool to the course participants’
expectation, modules should be developed based on the course’ participants’ degree of English ability. It, thus, does not follow the regular classes determined
by the school in regard to formal education levels. Consequently, a placement test is necessary to place the course participants into the level they fit in.
Concerning the communicative competence as the final goal of the course process, the materials prepared to fit the module should also be selected
based on the course participants’ urgent needs. The materials are then grouped into some themes which all together represents communicative and contextual
course materials, compatible enough to communicative learning process and learning environment.
Thus, learning materials related to college students’ live and activities, or concerning the working world, or related to social
intercommunication, will be helpful in connecting what the participants have learnt to what happens in the real life.
86
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter focuses on two things, namely the conclusion and the recommendation for further researches and current practice. On giving the
conclusion of the res earch’s findings, there is also an acknowledgement of the
limitations the research has and the limitations of its application.
A. Conclusion
The research found that English communicative competence was the main goal the course participants expected in joining the English course which is held
by SMA St. Fransiskus 1 Jakarta. The term “English communicative
competence ” means that the course participants, who were the students of SMA
St. Fransiskus 1 Jakarta, expected that by joining the English course they could get some benefits related to their future plans in which English plays significant
role, such as advanced study, future jobs, and international connection they might developed in the future. The research reckons the lack of courage and confidence
among the course participants as one of some influential factors which contributed to the failure of the course participants in dealing with their
expectation in joining the English course held by the school. As communicative English competence as their main expe
ctation in terms of the course’ goal, the
