Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the researcher presents the introduction of the research. There are five parts that will be discussed: A background of the study, B research problem, C objective of the study, D benefits of the study, and E definition of terms.

A. Background of the Study

Teachers’ interest in teaching English to teach adolescent learners increase nowadays since English becomes one of the main subjects that should be taught in school. However, some English teachers are uncertain to use the interesting methods to teach the students. Based on the characteristics of the adolescent learners, the teachers elaborate some methods in accordance with the students’ needs. Since they like to be curious, active, and fun, the teaching-learning process should be suited to the nature of adolescent themselves. The teachers should create the process of English learning for adolescent learners as interesting, exciting, and challenging as possible. Adolescent refers to the period of life between childhood and adulthood Kimmel Weiner, 1985. This concept of adolescent appears to have emerged in America in the late nineteenth century. Adolescent learners have a good memory and fast response. They are going through a period of significant physical, emotional, intellectual, moral and social change or we call it as the transition period; they are no longer a child, not yet an adult. American psychologists regard 2 adolescent as a period of storm and stress for young people in all country. Based on those characteristics, there are many methods that can be applied in the class activity such as using game, song, and story which make the students feel fun and enjoy. The main purpose in teaching English for the seventh grade students is to make them enjoy in the learning English. The teachers need to use some interesting methods such as using game, role play, and story in order to achieve the objectives of the lesson and to attract the students in the teaching-learning process. The teachers as the one who understand the problems of teaching have to choose the appropriate methods, the activities and also the media to teach English to their students. During the teaching-learning process, the teacher should know the characteristics of each student and the methods in order to balance the variety of the students’ characteristics and create conducive atmosphere for the activities. Quantum Learning is one of the teaching approaches which is more enjoyable and easier to be received by the students, especially adolescent learners. Based on this approach, there is no obtuse student because all of the students have the intelligences. Gardner, as cited in Richards 2001, states that each person is unique and has a blend of intelligences namely linguistic, mathematicallogical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist intelligence. Quantum Learning is different from Communicative Language Teaching approach. In CLT Communication Language Teaching, the learning process is based on an approach that emphasizes the interaction as both the means and the 3 ultimate goal of study. Communicative approach for teachers and teachers-in- training provides opportunities in the classroom for their students to engage in real-life communication in the target language. Quantum Learning proposes a learning approach which is based on the multiple intelligences. Quantum Learning approach serves some ways of learning based on the special intelligence that the learners have. Therefore, the learners will learn language with their own way of learning. That is the reason why people tend to employ Quantum Learning approach in the process of teaching English language. The language competence is the type of knowledge which people need in order to use language through meaningful interaction. Quantum Learning includes specific guild for creating an effective learning environment, delivering content and facilitating the learning process by gaining the ways to increase; participation, motivation and interest both students and teachers. The needs to find an interesting and appropriate teaching-learning approach and materials could be shown in SMP PL Bintang Laut which is located in Solo. Based on the observation and the interview on March to May 2014 with a teacher, it was found that the students need another way of teaching-learning process so that they would be interested in English. When they had the English subject, they seemed to be uninterested to follow the teaching-learning process. When the teacher asked them to do some exercises and when the teaching- learning process was teacher-centered or even when the teacher explained something in front of the class, the students felt bored or they even talked with one and another so that they did not listen to the teacher. The teacher also 4 confused to lead the students to be more independent since the teacher realized that the seventh grade was a transition period from elementary to a junior high school. As a result, some of them tend to disturb others when they are not interested in the process. This research focuses on the seventh grade students of junior high school. A junior high school is an institution where the students are in the phase of transition from childhood into teenagers. The writer chooses a junior high school because mastering English is needed to be taught as early as possible. Therefore, they can use English better in their life later on. Based on the observation and the interview with the teacher, it was found that SMP PL Bintang Laut is a junior high school which is located in Jl. Brigjend Slamet Riyadi No. 94 Surakarta. This school was established in 1958 and it is located in the main road of Slamet Riyadi street. The location helps the school to get the students up to the maximum quota. This school has 8 classes in each grade. Each class has about 38-40 students. Most of the students in SMP PL Bintang Laut are Chinese. This school is under the auspices of Pangudi Luhur. In this school, the students are more interested in science. The students join some competitions and achieve many awards for the school. However, the teacher said that the problem is on the students’ mood, so they tend to be easily bored by the activity. They have less motivation to use English in the daily activities. The teacher expects the students can learn English more and practice it in daily life although the time to learn is limited. It means that the Engli sh lesson’s material 5 should be applicable and based on the students’ need. The class activity should be interesting so that the students will be more interested. Based on those reasons, the writer will apply Quantum Learning which is proposed by DePorter and Hernacki 1992 as an approach to raise the students’ motivation in learning English more and to make the students have better understanding on the materials. This can be suitable for the students because Quantum Learning has several principles. Those principles are: everything speak, everything has its purpose, experience before label named, respect to every effort, and celebrate the achievement DePorter, Readon, and Singer-Nourice, 1999. Those principles can be used to design a set of materials for the students in learning English. Besides, it is suitable to increase their motivation and to make them easily and happily in learning English. Therefore, the writer decides to analyze the process of teaching-learning in SMP PL Bintang Laut especially for the seventh grade and develop the suitable material in learning English using the Quantum Learning principles.

B. Research Problem