STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INDEPENDENT LEARNING IN KUMON ENGLISH COURSE JATIMULYO YOGYAKARTA A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

  STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

  INDEPENDENT LEARNING IN KUMON ENGLISH COURSE JATIMULYO YOGYAKARTA A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education

  By Agatha Wikandhita Prawestri

  Student Number: 071214041

  English Language Education Study Program Department of Language and Arts Education Teachers Training and Education Faculty Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta 2012

  

ABSTRACT

Prawestri, Agatha Wikandhita. 2012.

  Students’ Perception on the Implementation

of Independent Learning in Kumon English Course Jatimulyo Yogyakarta .

  Yogyakarta: English Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

  Among typical instructors or teachers-based English course, there is an English course that uses independent learning for young learners. That English course is Kumon English Course. In Kumon English Course, students are not permitted to ask the instructor how to work with the problems on the worksheets. The researcher wanted to find out whether independent learning in Kumon English

  Course

  could develop children’s English skills or not. There were three problems presented in this research: (1) how far is independent learning applied in Kumon English Course

  ? (2) what are the students’ perceptions on the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English Course? (3) how could the teaching- learning process of the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English

  Course be improved? According to Rousseau, autonomy is a precondition for effective learning.

  When learners succeed in developing autonomy, they do not only become better language learners but they also develop into more responsible and critical members of the communities in which they live (as cited in Benson, 2001, p. 1). “Independent learning in Kumon English Course is intended to help children to develop their learning skills through learning the materials by CD-Textbook and doing the exercises by worksheets.

  ” (Kumon Educational, 2011) The researcher conducted a survey study by employing interview and questionnaire. The researcher interviewed 4 instructors and distributed questionnaires to 30 students to answer the research problems. The researcher also conducted library study to give some suggestions for the improvement of the teaching-learning process in Kumon English Course.

  The first finding of the research is about the implementation of independent learning which comes from the experience of Toru Kumon. He did not apply the methods of learning from any theories. His mission is to help children acquire basic academic skills and become independent learners. Secondly, most of the students had a positive perception on the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English Course to develop students’ English skills. It was shown from the responses given in the questionnaires and interviews that 100% participants feel that Kumon has helped them to learn English. The last findings that the instructors should not permit students to move on to the next level if they have not mastered the current level’s materials, parents or instructors can help students to arrange their time management, and the instructor should use English in classroom’s conversations; with both the other instructors and students. Overall, it can be concluded that indepedent learning is considered as an effective way to develop students’ English skills.

  

ABSTRAK

Prawestri, Agatha Wikandhita. 2012.

  Students’ Perception on the Implementation

of Independent Learning in Kumon English Course Jatimulyo Yogyakarta .

  Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

  Di antara lembaga bimbingan belajar Bahasa Inggris lain yang umumnya bertumpu pada peran instrukturnya atau guru dalam proses pembelajaran, ada sebuah lembaga Bahasa Inggris yang berbeda dari lembaga Bahasa Inggris lain karena menggunakan metode pembelajaran mandiri bagi para siswanya, yang merupakan pelajar usia dini. Lembaga Bahasa Inggris tersebut adalah Kumon

  

English Course . Dengan menggunakan metode ini, siswa tidak diperkenankan

  untuk bertanya kepada instruktur bagaimana cara mengerjakan soal / memecahkan masalah pada Lembar Kerja Siswa yang tersedia, Peneliti ingin mengetahui apakah belajar mandiri di Kumon English Course dapat mengembangkan kemampuan Bahasa Inggris anak. Peneliti menyajikan tiga masalah dalam penelitian ini: (1) bagaimanakah konsep belajar mandiri yang diaplikasikan di

  

Kumon English Course ? (2) apa persepsi murid tentang pelaksanaan belajar

  mandiri di Kumon English Course? (3) bagaimanakah upaya-upaya yang dapat ditempuh guna meningkatkan proses belajar mengajar di Kumon Kursus Bahasa

  Inggris ?

  Menurut Benson (2001), kemandirian merupakan sebuah prasyarat bagi pembelajaran yang efektif. Ketika siswa berhasil mengembangkan kemandirian mereka, mereka tidak hanya meningkatkan kemampuan berbahasa mereka, namun juga mengembangkan tanggung jawab dan menjadi anggota yang kritis dari sebuah komunitas dimana mereka tinggal (p. 1).

  “Pembelajaran mandiri di Kumon

  

English Course bertujuan untuk membantu anak-anak dalam mengembangkan

  kemampuan belajarnya melalui pendalaman materi dengan menggunakan Buku Teks yang dilengkapi CD, serta pengerjaan latihan soal / pemecahan masalah dalam Lembar Kerja S iswa.” (Kumon Educational, 2011)

  Peneliti mengadakan survei menggunakan wawancara dan angket terhadap para siswa dan instruktur di Kumon English Course untuk menjawab pertanyaan- pertanyaan yang disajikan dalam penelitian ini. Peneliti juga melakukan studi pustaka untuk memberi beberapa masukan untuk peningkatan proses mengajar dan belajar di Kumon English Course.

  Hasil penelitian yang pertama dari penelitian ini adalah pelaksanaan pembelajaran mandiri adalah berdasarkan pengalaman dari Toru Kumon. Beliau tidak mengaplikasikan metode pembelajaran dari sebuah teori tertentu mengenai belajar mandiri. Misinya adalah membantu siswa dapat mahir dalam akademik dan menjadi siswa yang mandiri. Kedua, sebagian besar siswa memiliki tanggapan yang baik terhadap pelaksanaan pembelajaran mandiri di Kumon

  

English Course untuk mengembangkan kemampuan Bahasa Inggris mereka

  tersebut terlihat dari jawaban di angket dan wawancara bahwa 100% partisipan terakhir adalah masukan-masukan untuk Kumon English Course tersebut yakni: instruktur sebaiknya tidak memperbolehkan siswa untuk melanjutkan ke level pembelajaran yang lebih tinggi apabila belum menguasai materi di level yang tengah ditempuh, orangtua atau instruktur perlu membantu siswa dalam mengatur jadwal mereka, instruktur harus membiasakan diri untuk bercakap-cakap menggunakan Bahasa Inggris di dalam kelas, baik dengan murid maupun instuktur lain. Secara keseluruhan, dapat disimpulkan bahwa pembelajaran mandiri merupakan cara yang efektif untuk mengembangkan kemampuan Bahasa Inggris siswa. Kata kunci: tanggapan, pembelajaran mandiri, kursus Bahasa Inggris

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  The whole process in conducting the research and writing the thesis was one of greatest parts in my life. I could obtain this great opportunity to write my gratitude to everyone behind me in finishing this research because I could not do this alone. I would like to deliver the greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ because I have finally finished writing my thesis after striving until my last sweat to do the biggest part of my study.

  I would like to convey my respect and gratidute to my sponsor, Carla Sih

  

Prabandari, S.Pd., M.Hum. for her patience, guidance, and suggestions during

  the process of doing this research, and also her willingness to spend her busy time reading and correcting my thesis. Furthermore, I sincerely appreciate the kindness and assistance of the lecturers and administrative staff of the English Education Study Program. This would not be easy without them.

  I am also thankful to the owner of Kumon English Course Jatimulyo, Yogyakarta, Ms. Shienny Leo, the instructors; Lucia Anggraeni, Lia

  

Hariningtyas, Yosefina Nitsae, Savitri Wikansari and the students of Kumon

English Course Jatimulyo Yogyakarta for supporting me in doing and completing

the data needed for this research.

  My sincere love is also expressed to my beloved family, Bapak Antonius

  

Soesilastanto, Ibu Yustina Dwi Ningsihnarwani, Mbak Monica Anggit

Prabasworo, Mas Adrianus Pradigdiyo and my cute niece, Getrude Riang love, laugh, prayer, and support that never end to give me strength to reach my dreams although I always do many wrong things to them.

  My great thankfulness also goes to Bagus Perwira Laksmana, for his patience, guidance, and help from the process of doing this research, and Aegidia

  

Pravitasari for the support. My greatest supporters, Thekla Ragam Reko Satiti,

Yosephine Novitasari Suyoto, Prasetyani Dwijayati, Ernawati Sriningsih and

  all PBI ’07 for the laugh, cry, and time that we spent together in these four years.

  My sincere thanks are addressed to Ria Hapsari, Dwi Nugroho Yulianto, and Alfonsus Rinardi who are always willing to share their knowledge and give suggestion for my thesis, Stefani Dwi Astuti for the support and suggestion, then for giving the laugh and entertainment when I start getting frustration in writing this thesis, and for the time we spent while doing this thesis in the library.

  At last, my deepest appreciation also goes to many other names which cannot be mentioned one by one. I thank them for helping and supporting me in the process of doing this research for accomplishing my thesis. God bless every step of our lives.

  Agatha Wikandhita Prawestri

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Page

  TITLE PAGE ................................................................................................. i APPROVAL PAGES ..................................................................................... ii DEDICATION PAGE .................................................................................... iv STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ........................................... v PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ........................................... vi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... vii ABSTRAK ........................................................................................................ viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................... x TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................. xii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................ xv LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................... xvi

LIST OF APPENDICES .............................................................................. xvii

  

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................. 1

A. Research Background ..................................................................... 1 B. Research problem ........................................................................... 3 C. Problem Limitation ......................................................................... 3 D. Research Objectives ....................................................................... 4 E. Research Benefits ............................................................................ 4 F. Definitions of Terms ........................................................................ 6 1. Perception ................................................................................... 6 2. Independent Learning ............................................................... 6 3. Kumon English Course ............................................................... 6 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ........................ 8 A. Theoretical Description .................................................................. 8 1. Perception ................................................................................ 8 2. Independent Learning ............................................................. 11 3. Young English Learners ........................................................... 12 4. Kumon English Course ............................................................ 15 B. Theoretical Framework ................................................................... 19

  

CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................... 22

A. Research Methods .......................................................................... 22 B. Research Participants ...................................................................... 23 C. Research Instruments ....................................................................... 23 1. Interview ..................................................................................... 23 2. Questionnaire ............................................................................. 25 D. Data Gathering Technique .............................................................. 26 E. Data Analysis Technique ................................................................ 26 F. Research Procedure ........................................................................ 28

CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ................ 30

A. The Implementation of Independent Learning

  in Kumon English Course ............................................................... 30 1.

  Teaching-Learning Process and Material ................................... 31 2. The Instructors’ Roles ................................................................ 32 3. The Parents’ Roles ..................................................................... 33 4. Advantages and Disadvantages for Implementing this Method 33 5. The Children’s Responses on Independent Learning ................. 34 B. Students’ Perception on the Implementation of

  Independent Learning in Kumon English Course ........................... 35 1.

  The Students’ Background Knowledge of English .................... 35 2. The Students’ Learning Process in Kumon English Course ...... 37 3. The Students’ Result of Using Independent Learning ............... 40 C. The Improvements of the Teaching Learning Process ................... 42 1.

  Students’ Confidence and Motivation ........................................ 43 2. Studets’ Self-esteem ................................................................... 44

  

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. .......................... 46

A. Conclusions .................................................................................... 46 B. Suggestions ..................................................................................... 48

  

REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 49

APPENDICES ............................................................................................... 51

  

LIST OF TABLES

  Table Page

  2.1 Kumon Programmes ............................................................................. 17

  3.1 Blueprint of Interview Form ................................................................. 25

  3.2 Blueprint of Questionnaire Form .......................................................... 26

  4.1.1 Kumon’s Curriculum....................................................................…..... 32

  4.2.1 The Result of the Students’ Background of Knowledge (Close-ended) ........................................................................................ 38

  4.2.2 The Result of the Students’ Background of Knowledge (Close- ended) …………………………................................................ 38

  4.2.3 The Summary of the Students’ Background of Knowledge (Interview) ............................................................................................. 39

  4.2.4 The Result of the Students’ Learning Process (Close-ended)................ 41

  4.2.5 The Result of Students’ Learning Process (Close-ended)...................... 42

  4.2.6 The Summary of the Students’ Learning Process (Interview)............................................................................................... 42

  4.2.7 The Result of the Students’ Result of Using Independent Learning (Close-ended) ......................................................................................... 46

  4.2.8 The Result of the Students’ Result of Using Independent Learning (Close-ended) ......................................................................................... 47

  4.2.9 The Summary of the Students’ Result of Using Independent Learning (Interview)............................................................................................... 48

  

LIST OF FIGURES

  Figure Page

  2.1 The Perceptual Process …….......................................................................... 9

  2.4 Kumon Triangle……............................................................................. 20

LIST OF APPENDICES

  Page Appendix 1:

  The Result of Interviewing 4 Instructors….………………….... 51 Appendix 2: The Questionnaire

  ........................…………………………….. 61 Appendix 3:

  Students’ Final Scores of Close-ended Statements …………… 64 Appendix 4: Raw Data from Open-ended Quest ionnaire Questions ……….. 65 Appendix 5: The Results of Interviewing

  5 Students .…………………….... 70 Appendix 6:Permission Letter to Conduct Research ..................................... 72

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This research intends to

  figure out students’ perception on the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English Course. In this chapter, the researcher presents six parts namely research background, research problem, problem limitation, research objectives, research benefits, and definition of terms.

A. Research Background

  Nowadays, learning English starts from the early ages. Some playgroup include English as one of the subjects. Since English is a foreign language in Indonesia, teachers have to teach the basics of English by interactive ways to make the children grasp the meaning. Philips (1993) explains that the kinds of activities that work well for children are games and songs with actions, total physical response activities, simple and repetitive speaking activities that have an obvious communicative value (p. 5). Those activities will make the children are enthusiastic and interested to the material. Whereas there is an English course that uses independent learning to develop children’s learning skills. Independent learning in Kumon English Course means that the students do everything individually, such as listening to the CD-textbook and doing the worksheet. Kumon Asian (2011) explains that:

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  studying on their own. The worksheets have been designed in a way that allows students to figure out how to solve problems on their own. It means the students are not permitted to ask to the instructors how to solve the problem on the worksheet. The instructors do not teach students in front of the class. They just accompany the students when students are doing the worksheet.

  This research will gain the information whether the independent learning in Kumon English Course is useful to develop c hildren’s English skills or not. It can be found out from the perception of people who experience in that independent learning process.

  “Perception is a pattern-recognition process coupled with some functional consequences for the system which performance such pattern-recognition. Learning is also a process. When we learn something in our process of learning, we can assess it is a good or not for ourselves and other people

  ” (Moreno, Merelo, Etxeberria, p. 67). Perception and learning are intertwined in a simultaneous process. Therefore, the researcher can identify the perception on the learning process. From the students’ perception, the researcher will find whether the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English

  Course can develop children’s English skills.

  The researcher tries to figure out whether CD-textbook and worksheet given by Kumon English Course help the students to learn English individually and can develop children’s English skill. The researcher also finds out the learning result of children in the using of independent learning in Kumon English Course. Those findings will help the researcher to gain information toward the strength and weakness of the independent learning implementation, and then from those

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  in Kumon English Course. Therefore, this research will enhance the teaching- learning process and develop the students ’ learning-process in Kumon English Course .

B. Research Problem

  Considering the preceding explanation, the problems of this research can be formulated as follows:

1. How far is independent learning applied in Kumon English Course? 2.

  What is the students’ perception of the implementation on independent learning in Kumon English Course?

  3. How could the teaching-learning process of the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English Course be improved?

C. Problem Limitation

  Kumon focuses on vital subjects such as Math and English. In this research,

  the researcher focuses only in English class. This research focuses on independent learning method in Kumon English Course. The researcher will investigate students who are studying by using Kumon

  ’s method which is independent learning. There are four Kumon English Courses in Yogyakarta; Kumon Jati

  

Mulyo, Kumon Griya Indah, Kumon Ungaran, and Kumon Wulung . The

  researcher conducted this research in Kumon Jati Mulyo. The researcher chose

Kumon Jati Mulyo because it had more students in English class than the others.

  4 Since students in Kumon English Class do not learn English in a class with _, the instructor who will teach them about the lesson that day therefore the

  researcher took 30 students from 60 students as samples in different level of study. Those 30 students were in the range of age 6 to 12 years old.

D. Research Objectives

  Related to the problem formulation, there are three objectives that have to be accomplished in this study. They are stated as follows.

  1. To describe independent learning method applied in Kumon English Course.

  2. To identify students’ perception of the implementation on independent learning in Kumon English Course.

  3. To give some suggestions of the teaching-learning process of the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English Course.

E. Research Benefits

  The researcher expects that the findings of the research may give contribution for further education development. Besides, there are some benefits aimed to Kumon English Course, instructors, students and future researchers.

1. Kumon English Course

  This research will help Kumon to gain information toward the strengths and weaknesses of independent learning for students and whether independent learning develops student’s English skills or not. The researcher hopes that this

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  research can give input to the Kumon English Course about what things that should be developed or reduced toward the teaching-learning process.

  2. Instructors of Kumon English Course

  The instructors can know whether this independent learning in Kumon

  English Course develops

  students’ English skill. The researcher hopes this research can give input to the instructors about what things that should be developed or reduced about their roles in order to develop students’ self-learning.

  3. Students of Kumon English Course

  This research will be useful for students who are studying in Kumon English

  

Course because they will know how far the independent learning that is given in

Kumon English Course can develop their English skills. They will know that

  independent learning is valuable to enhance stud ent’s understanding in English, such as children are expected to be autonomous, discipline and having responsibility from what they must do.

  4. Future Researchers

  By conducting this study, it is expected that the result of the study is able to be used to carry out another study. Independent learning is suitable not only in English courses but also it can be implemented in schools. Therefore, this research is expected to encourage other researchers to evaluate and revise the teaching method for other levels and objectives.

  6 F.

   Definition of Terms

  To gain clearer understanding in this study and to avoid misunderstanding, the researcher limits some definitions of important terms, namely:

  1. Perception

  According to Robbins (2005), “Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment

  ”(p. 134). Therefore, they can interpret the information they gain by measuring and reflecting. In this research, perception refers to the way children interpret their experiences toward the implementation on independent learning when they are learning English in Kumon English Course.

  2. Independent Learning

  Independent learning is also called autonomy. According to Rousseau, autonomy is a precondition for effective learning. When learners succeed in developing autonomy, they do not only become better language learners but they also develop into more responsible and critical members of the communities in which they live (as cited in Benson, 2001, p. 1). In this research, independent learning refers to a learning method implemented in Kumon English Course.

  3. Kumon English Course Kumon English Course is an English course which employs independent

  learning as the learning method. Kumon uses this kind of method because Kumon believes on the potential of each individual. Kumon pursues the potential of each individual with self-learning method (Kumon Asian, 2011). In Yogyakarta, there

  7 Kumon Ungaran, Kumon Jati Mulyo, Kumon Griya Indah and Kumon Wulung .

  Most of the students who are studying in Kumon English Course are children. Several students are still in kindergarten and the rest of the students are in elementary school and junior high school.

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In this chapter, the researcher discusses the related literatures which become

  the basic of the study. This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is theoretical description; which involves some important theories related to the research. The second part is theoretical framework; which provides the summary of the specific theories which are used as the guideline to answer the problems.

A. Theoretical Description

  There are four points to be discussed in the theoretical description. Those are perception, independent learning, young English learners, and Kumon English

  Course .

1. Perception

  According to Robbins (2005), perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment (p. 143). As Altman, Valenzi, and Hodgetts (1985) point out, “Perception is the way stimuli are selected and grouped by a person so that they can be meaningfully interpreted

  ” (p. 85). When children are receiving the stimuli, children can identify the stimuli. After they indentify the stimuli then they will recognize information. They will match and compare the information that they

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  obtain recently with the information that they obtained in the past. From those definitions, perception is viewed as the responses to a stimulus or to surroundings.

  However, perception will create behavioral responses. For example, when a child has positive perception of independent learning method in the place that he or she is studying, he or she will create a positive behavioral response toward that activity. A figure 2.1.1 figure out the perceptional process from a person gets the stimuli until he or she can response it in a behavioral.

  Perception, Sensory’ organization, and Behavioral

  Stimuli selection interpretation of response of stimuli stimuli

Figure 2.1.1 The Perceptual Process (Altman et al., 1985:86)

  People have different ways to select and group the stimuli. It is different because there are several factors. Altman et al., (1985) explains that the way we interpret the information depends on several factors, including clarify and familiarity of the stimuli, our physical characteristics, our needs and values, knowledge, feelings, and past experience. McShane and Glinow (2005) explain that the attention from the environmental stimuli is based on our senses. (p. 76) Therefore, there are various factors that influence people’s perception although they have a similar stimulus.

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  “There are four vital factors which can influence someone to have perception towards something.

  ” (Altman, et al., 1985, p.86). They are:

  1. Selectivity A person cannot catch all the stimuli in his environment. Each person selects certain stimuli. The selection of stimuli will be different from one person to another. The different selection of stimuli because different interest towards something. It is supported by Gibson, Ivancevich, and Donnelly (1997) that people tend to ignore information or cues that make them feel discomfort. People will take the stimuli based on what they want and most of that stimulus is usually the positive one.

  2. Organization of Stimuli According to Gibson et al., (1997), individuals tend to perceive data as organized wholes. Stimuli that people perceived will influence people’s perception when organize them. “The selected stimuli should be organized in order to be meaningful. ” (Altman et al., p. 87). The arrangement of stimuli affects the people’s perception.

  3. The Situation A stimulus can be interpreted meaningfully by people based on their experiences. A situation in the past affects what people perceive.

  “Perceiving a situation accurately is also related to how well a person adjusts his or her behavior

  11 of situation.

  ” (Altman et al., p. 89). People cannot perceive something that they have not experience about it.

  4

  . Self-Concept “Self-concept is the way someone perceives his or herself. The way people feel and see themselves will affect their perception of surrounding.

  ” (Altman et al., p. 90). Self-concept is very important because it will determine what a person perceives and does. For example, a student who feels that he or she is an independent person, he or she will enjoy and like to be in the environment which requires his or her independence, as in the implementation of independent learning which requires the children’ independent in learning the material. Children

  ’s self-concepts can shape their like or dislike towards the implementation of independent learning.

  Based on the explanation above, it can be concluded that everyone has his or her own point of view on something. The same object or event can be perceived differently by different person then leads to different behavioral response or attitudes. Related to this research, perception is the way how the students feel or think about and consider something, this case is the implementation of independent learning in Kumon English Course.

2. Independent Learning

  Independent learning is one of learning methods. Independent learning is also known by a number of other terms: learner autonomy, learner independence,

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  lifelong learning, learning to learn, and thinking skills. According to Rousseau, autonomy is a precondition for effective learning. When learners succeed in developing autonomy, they do not only become better language learners but they also develop into more responsible and critical members of the communities in which they live (as cited in Benson, 2001, p. 1). From that statement, it is clear that being responsible on something has an interrelation in autonomy.

  Besides, when the learners are being autonomies, they are not only developing their language skills but they are also learning how to be responsible on something. Learning English is about how people learn and practice by themself. Scharle and Szabo state that the best way to prepare them for successful language learning is to help them to become autonomous (as cited in Benson, 2001, p. 55). Therefore, when people are learning English, they need to become autonomous. Although independent learning is done by the learners, people around them also have the important role. The most important role is to be the motivator for them.

3. Young English Learners

  The students who have range age from 6 up to 12 years old are the subject of this study. The students of this range age are regarded as young learners.

  Therefore, this part will discuss the theory of young learners. Actually, children have a basic skill to help them to learn something such as language. According to

  13 Halliwell (1992), children have a well-established set of instincts, skills and

  characteristics which help them to learn another language. (p. 3) It has long been hypothesized that children learn a foreign language better than adults. This is often used to support the earlier introduction of foreign language teaching. This idea is that because children’s brain is still able to use the mechanisms that help the first language acquisition. However, Lightebown and Spada (as cited in Cameron, 2001) state that where native-like proficiency in a second language is the goal, then learning benefits from an early start, but when the goal is communicative ability in a foreign language the benefit of an early starts are much less clear. From that statement , it can be concluded that the main point of the benefit of an early starts learning English is such less clear because of the different needs, motivations, and context from children and adults when learn a foreign language. Beside all the main points, children have basic characteristics to learn a foreign language. These characteristics are more help them to learn a foreign language.

  There are the basic skills or characteristics of children which help them to _. learn foreign language based on Halliwell (1992, p. 3-5) The first characteristic is chil dren’s ability to grasp the meaning of the utterances from the intonation, gesture, facial expression, action, and circumstances. It shows that when children learn a new language, they do not know the meaning of every single word. They just interpret sound, and new structure. Secondly, children’s creativity of using the

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  limited language resources which comes from children will produce their mother language in a foreign accent unconsciously when they do not know the word or the grammatical structure of the foreign language. It usually occurs in a classroom when learners need to communicate in an unpredictable occasion.

  The third is childr en’s capacity for indirect learning can be an advantage for teachers. This skill is used by teachers to develop their self-learning. According to Halliwell (1992), children usually focus on guessing phrases and after passing a long process of guessing, children will have confirmed words and structure they only half knew at the beginning (p. 5). From that statement, it indicates teacher can give a motivation for children to learn the meaning of the phrases. Since children have good capacity in indirect learning, Halliwell (1992) also states that they will be interested to do real task in the language classroom (p. 6). Real tasks here mean the meaningful and interesting things to do which are not just language exercises. It is good to provide the children with an occasion for real language use and let their subconscious mind work on the processing of language while their conscious mind is focused on the task. For example, while the instructors are correcting the student’s worksheet, the students listen to the recording and try to find the meaning of vocabulary.

  The last is children prefer to do the task by themself. According to Suyanto (2007), children around six up to ten years old have not been able to share and very self-centered, but they will change at the age of eleven up to twelve years old

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  (p.6-7). At the first range age, it can be used to introduce children with independent learning and at the second range age, this time can be used to develop their self-centered learning.

  From all of the basic skills, it is clear that children can learn a foreign language from their basics skills individually. They have a strong basic skill to learn a new language independently.

4. Kumon English Course

  Kumon is a course which uses independent learning for the teaching-

  learning process. Kumon is from a name of Toru Kumon from Japan. When Toru Kumon helped his son Takeshi studied Math, he made some worksheets to be done by Takeshi everyday at that time. This way made Takeshi had best score in Math. From that experience, Kumon method was born. It grew in the other subjects of study, such as English, Japanese and Mandarin. The description about

  Kumon is explained as follow:

Kumon is a unique method of study which aims to give every child skills

  that last a lifetime. Kumon helps children to develop their learning skills and exceed expectations with worksheet and study centre-based programmed. Children are expected to do worksheet by themself. (Kumon Educational, 2011)

  Therefore, to get progressing through the Kumon ’s program, children will do a little piece of work every day. They will work with worksheets that have been prepared by Kumon. Kumon aims to improve students’ reading comprehension skills and nurture an interest in reading, which will enable them to read widely

  16 Stage Level Content Critique Block Stage V

  AI/ AII Simple Sentences, Basic Expressions, Making Short Sentences, Writing from Memory, Sentence Topics, Thought Sequence Word Building Block

Table 2.1.4 Kumon Programmes (Kumon Educational, 2011)

  7A Familiar Words, Word Stories

  6A Simple Phrases, Familiar Sentence Structures

  5A Letter Tracing, Sound Parts, Word Tracing

  4A Familiar Letter Combinations, Rhyming Skills, Sentence Tracing

  3A Spelling Patterns, Take the Tail, Syllables, Sentence Copying

  2A Word Puzzle, Function of Words, Oral Reading

  Stage I

  BII Subject and Predicate, Expressions in the Past, Modifiers, Making Statements, Defining Words, Identifying Ideas, Comparing and Contrasting

  L Figurative Language, Interpretation, Tragedy, Critical Writing K Plot, Setting and Atmosphere, Irony, Comedy, Content Evaluation J An Introduction to Critique, Essay Structure, Character Analysis

  Part of a Sentence, Expression of Language, Sentence Construction, Elements of Statements, Organizing Information, Synthesizing Ideas BI/

  Sentence Building Block Stage II CI/ CII

  DII Complex Sentence Analysis, Statement from Paragraphs, Topic, Main Idea, paragraph

Development

  Events, Concision EI/ EII Links within Sentences, Diagramming Paragraphs, Scene Transition, Underlining Reason and Result DI/

  Block Stage III FI/ FII Referring Words, Interpreting Text, requirement of Questions, Unraveling Text, Recounting Story

  Reading Impressions, Identifying Paragraph Elements, Identifying Sentiment, Summary Method Level G, Summarizing a Single Paragraph Paragraph Building

  Character Variations, Summary Method Level H, Summarizing over Paragraph GI/ GII

  I Persuasion, Argument, Description, Precise HI/ HII Reading Perspectives, Paragraph Connections,

  Summary Block Stage IV

  and with confidence. Kumon program is started from introducing vocabulary and teaching basic reading skills. “Students go on to learn about sentence structure,

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  paragraph building summarization and critical reading.” (Kumon Educational, 2011). From table 2.1.4, it shows the stages of Kumon

  ’s curriculum. Kumon has six stages. One stage has some levels of study. For example, stage I has some levels, they are 7A until 2A. Each level has different content.

  Before attending Kumon English Course, children will have a placement test. The placement test in Kumon is to help students to study at their own learning level. It is clear that Kumon English Course is made to help children to conceive their English skills based on their ability. Although Kumon just focuses on children’s interest in reading, Kumon also pays attention in the others English skills. While doing worksheet (writing), children must be listening and speaking with CD-textbook. The implementation of independent learning in Kumon English

  Course is explained as follow: