g. Other interactive techniques
These include interviews, games, jigsaw, problem-solving activities, role-play and discussion.
18
B. Teaching Speaking
One of the main concerns of language teachers is how to help language learners to develop their language proficiency. In this regard, speaking proficiency has received
the greatest attention among both the language teachers as well as the language learners. This is because speaking is an essential part of the language learning
process. Despite its importance, today language classes particularly are focus on the language system. Teaching vocabulary and grammar seem to earn more attention than
the skills needed to use this vocabulary and grammar. Teaching speaking has been underrated and most language teachers have sustained to teach speaking just as a
repetition of drills or memorization of speeches. Traditional classroom speaking practice often takes the form of drills in which
one person asks a question and another gives an answer. The question and the answer are structured and predictable, and often there is one correct answer. The aim of these
activities is to promote students to ask and answer the question. In contrast, the major goal of teaching speaking skill is communicative efficiency using the target
language.
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Language learners should be able to make themselves understood by using their current proficiency. In other words, a success of language teaching and
learning is measured in terms of the ability to speak using the target language. Language learners should focus on the meaning of what they are saying rather than
on the particular language structure.
20
18
H. Douglas Brown, Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, Second Edition
, New York: Pearson Education, 2001, pp. 271 —277.
19
Arthur Hughes, Testing for Language Teacher Second Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003, p. 113.
20
Jack C. Richards and Theodore S., Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, Second Edition
, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001, p. 159.
Thus, teaching speaking should encourage and emphasis on practice as a way of developing communicative skills. The teacher should give speaking activities that
encourage students to speak as natural as possible. Teachers should take a part as a facilitator who guides them to keep talking with their friends. In fact, if the right
activities are taught in the right way, speaking in class can be fun. This can also raise language learners‟ motivation.
C. Philosophical Question
1. The Nature of Philosophical Question
Philosophical question in this study is meant as the practice of philosophy by means of oral communication. It is a question that does not ask for facts, but inquires
into meaning of concept that we usually think. Furthermore, philosophical question do not call for correct answer; they refer to problems that cannot be solved by
calculation. To answer such questions, people have to consider her or his own depth of thought.
According to Shahini and Riazi, the essence of philosophical question is effective to teach productive skills such as speaking and writing and also to teach
thinking skills in students.
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Philosophical question, however, encourage students to think deeply about the world around them and to discuss their understanding of the
concept and reason for an understanding. Moreover, observation by Van der Leew shows that philosophical questions
attract students‟ motivation to participate in class discussion. It also showed those students‟ word range and talk increasing when philosophical questions rose in the
discussion.
22
In the end, students not only blindly accept or memorize what they get from the teacher but they will also know how to think critically and share their ideas
fluently.
21
Gholamhossein Shahini A. Mehdi Riazi, A PBLT Approach to the Teaching ESL Speaking, Writing, and Thinking Skills, English Language Teaching Journal, Vol. 652, 2011, p. 171.
22
Van der Leeuw, Philosophical Dialogue and The Search for Truth, Journal of Thinking, 173, 2004, pp. 7
—8.
