Role plays Speaking Definition of Terms

or her sensory organs eyes, nose, ears, tongue, and skin and the person does not experience the stimuli directly. From the above explanation, it can be concluded that perception can also be formed by sensations. When someone experiences a stimulus, he may have sensation and perception processes. Those processes are different but it is quite difficult to separate one another. That argument is supported by Bootzin.R, Elizabeth.L and Robert Z 1983:103. They claimed that it is impossible to separate perception from sensation. Sensations themselves are the entering of raw data from the senses into the brain Huffman et al, 1997:79. This thought is also supported by James 1983:724 who stated that sensational and reproductive brain-processes combined, then, are what give us the content of our perceptions. Now it is understood that both experience and sensation can form perception, but the result is different. Perception that is formed by experience is stronger than perception formed by sensation Santoso, 2000:32. It means that the perception which is formed by experience is hard to be changed because someone feels more impressed when heshe experiences it. In this study, perception refers to the response of role play to form some meaningful information to the learning process. The students’ perception on the use of role play technique in learning speaking would be stronger if they experience it by themselves. The students are really involved in the activity whether as actors or audiences. Whereas, it would be weaker if they have the perception by listening to someone’s opinion on the use of role plays in learning speaking. If the students have positive experience they would form positive perception on the use of role play in learning speaking and vice versa. Then, it would be more difficult to change the perception if the students form their perception based on their experiences and visions of the technique.

1. Factors that Affect Persons in Perceiving the Stimuli to Make perception

In organizations theory, Gibson et al 1985:61 provides a perceptual process in the form of diagram, and there are six factors influencing someone’s perception. They are stereotyping, selectivity, self-concept, situation, needs, and emotions.

a. Stereotype

The first factor is stereotype. Stereotype is a set of thinking in a particular group that is generalized to all members of the group Gibson et al, 1985:64. It indicates that people have set some knowledge in their mind, although they do not know whether it is true or not. In perception on the use of role play in learning speaking, stereotype might occur. For example, stereotype with age as the basis. The 2007 students of the English Education Study Program at Sanata Dharma University will be assumed to have a same perception about it. If they consider role play as a good technique, they will set this in their mind so they will perceive role play positively. Most of stereotypes are wrong perceptions because it is formed not because of the fact that happens in our environment. It is supported by Gibson et al 1985:65 who says that stereotyping can result in implementing improper programs.

b. Selectivity

The second factor is selectivity. It is impossible for us to catch all the stimuli that exist in our environment. Only certain stimuli are taken and then processed in our brain. It is caused by our interest of those stimuli. The perception is based on something that we want to choose. It is supported by Gibson et al 1985:66 who