Figure 2.3 : Yalden’s Instructional Design Model Yalden, 1983: p. 88
In this research, the researcher chooses the ADDIE instructional design model since its phases are simpler but detailed so that it will not be time
consuming but the results will be satisfying. Besides, it represents a dynamic and flexible guideline for building effective teaching and learning activities. In
addition, its phases are frequently modified to suit user ‟s needs and it can be
employed in combination with other models.
7. Four Strands of Language Course
Theories of four language strands of language course Nation, 2007: p.1 will give further explanation in order to present the appropriate theories for this
research. Language course involves many activities for students in classrooms and the learning activities itself have the big influence in learning process.
Considering the importance of combining activities, so deciding the portion of some focuses will help the target students to achieve the goals of language
learning. Besides, a certain activity may not be the only focus in a language course because each activity should have a portion in language course.
The four strands of language course should be balanced to make language course effective. In balancing activities, Nation 2007 classifies main types of
activity into four strands of language course. The four strands of language course consist of four focuses. The four strands of language course by Nation 2007: p.1
Need Survey
Description of Purpose
Selection develop-
ment of syllabus
type Production
of a proto- syllabus
Production of a
pedagogical syllabus
Development and
implementation of classroom
procedure Evaluation
are meaning-focused input, meaning-focused output, language-focused learning, and fluency development. Each explanation will be explained as follows.
1 Meaning-Focused Input
The meaning-focused input strand involves learning through listening and reading-using language receptively. It is called meaning-focused because in all the
work done in this strand, the learners‟ main focus and interest should be on understanding, and gaining knowledge or enjoyment or both from what they listen
to and read Nation, 2007: p.2. Students‟ activities will cover listening and
reading sections. The activities for this meaning-focused input can be listening to story, extensive reading, watching video or TV, etc. However, Nation 2007: p.2
gives limitation that meaning-focused input only exists when students are familiar to what they are listening to and reading, when they like the input and want to
understanding it, when students may not know only a small proportion of language features, for example they should know 95-98 vocabulary and they
may not know only 5, and when they can get knowledge by clue and background knowledge and when the quantities of input are large. If those
conditions are not present, then the meaning-focused input strand does not exist in that course. Large quantities of input are needed to make the strand works well.
2 Meaning-Focused Output
The meaning-focused output strand involves learning through speaking and writing-using language productively. The activities in this strand include
talking in conversations, giving a speech or lecture, writing a letter, writing a note to someone, keeping a diary, telling a story and telling someone how to do
something. Meaning-focused input and meaning-focused output can be combined. It is possible when a student‟s output may become another student‟s input. Nation
assumes that this strand can be presented if students write and talk something that is familiar to them if students‟ main goal is to express their message or
communicate with others, if they can use communication strategies, dictionary or previous input when they need and if there are sufficient opportunities to write
and speak Nation, 2007: p.3.
3 Language-Focused Learning
Language-focused learning has many names, such as focus on form, form- focused instruction, deliberate study and deliberate teaching, learning as apposes
to acquisition, intentional learning and so on Nation, 2007: p.5. Language- focused learning involves the deliberate learning of language features such as
pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and discourse. The ultimate aim of such learning is to deal with messages, but its short-term aim is to learn language
items. The activities in this strand are pronunciation practice, using substitution tables and drills, learning vocabulary from word cards, intensive reading,
translation, memorising dialogues and getting feedback about writing. Nation ibid gives restraint to language-focused learning. Language-focused learning
will succeed when students have conscious attention to language features, when they should process the language features deeply and considerate ways, when
there should be chance to provide spaced and repeated attention to the same fetures, when the features that students learn should be simple and should not
depend on the knowledge that they do not have, and when features in language- focused learning should also be included in the other three strands frequently.
4 Fluency Development
The fluency development strand should involve all the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In this strand, the learners are expected
to make the best use of what they already know. Besides, students can transfer and receive message so that communication can occur. The fluency strand occurs
when students listen to, read, speak, and write things that are familiar to them, when their focus is on transmitting and receiving message, when there are some
supports to perform faster, and when input and output should be large Nation, 2007: p.6.
Those four strands focus on activities that promote students to practice the English skills. In summary, those four strands can be described as follows.
Figure 2.4: Summary of Four Strands Nation, 2007
Figure 2.4 shows Language Input includes learning through listening and reading. Nation 2007, p.2 states that the learners should understand and get
information from what they read and listen. Language Output includes learning Language Input
Language Output
Language Focus
Fluency Development Reading Listening
Speaking Writing
Spelling, Pronunciation, Grammar, Vocabulary
FOUR SKILLS OF ENGLISH
through speaking and writing. In language output, the learners focus on conveying ideas and messages Nation, 1996: p.7. Next, Language Focus in figure 2.4 refers
to learning through language items and language figure such as grammar explanation, spelling exercises, or vocabulary study Nation, 1996: p.7. The last
is Fluency Development. It includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the learning. Nation 2007: p.6 states that the activities in this strand consist of
speed reading, repeated retelling, ten-minutes writing, and listening to easy story. However, this research uses the all strands because the product of this
research would like to improve the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills which are owned by the technology divisions students of vocational high school.
By using four strands, students can have the balance skill in each competency so that it will be more helpful for students to be able to communicate in English.
B. REVIEW OF THE TARGET-GROUP CHARACTERISTICS
The participants of this research are the English teachers and students of the technology divisions at vocational high school. They were chosen as the
participants in this study because the product of this study is aimed to design the materials for improving the life quality of vocational high school students so that
they can be ready for competing with other human resources in working world especially with people from other countries. By knowing the needs and
background of the participants, the researcher can design the suitable materials for the participants.
