teacher’s smile or scowl, the colleagues’ mirth or hushed silence has a strong influence.
The sixth is to encourage appropriate practice. The media must enable the students to make their response not just one but many times. The students must be
led on some measure to discover for themselves the concepts, principles, and strategies, once they have grasped them, practice may help them use more
confidently and transfer them into a variety of new situations.
5. Realia as the Teaching Media
The teacher has to create new strategy in teaching learning activity. The media is one strategy that the teacher may use it. Creative teacher uses a variety
of media will increase the probability that the students will learn more, retain better, and develop their skills. In this study, the writer designed realia as the
media in teaching vocabulary for the sixth grade students of elementary school. Before using realia as the teaching aid, a teacher should know and recognize the
meaning and the use of realia.
a. Realia
Lado 1964:125 in his book “Language Teaching” states “Realias are real objects which are effective in showing meaning”. Heinich 1982: 94 in
his book “Instructional Design and the New Technologies of Instruction” proposes the same idea as Newby 2000: 107 in his book “Instructional
Technology for Teaching and Learning” about realia. Realia are real models PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
and objects such as pictures, tools, toys, dolls, animals, plants, things, and people which are available to promote students’ learning. The models are real
objects or the representation of real things. A model simplified for instructional purposes. Indeed, models may be provided learning experiences
real things cannot provide. Therefore, the teacher who wants to introduce the real objects can generate interest and enthusiasm of the students.
There are advantages and limitations of real objects or models stated by Newby 2000:111. The advantages are:
1 less abstract and more concrete. Real objects and models provide hands-on
learning experiences and emphasize real world- applications. 2
Readily available. Materials are readily available in the environment, around school and in the home.
3 Attract students’ attention. Students respond positively to both real objects
and their models. And the limitations are:
1 Storage: large objects can be pose special problems. Caring for living
materials such as plants and animals can take a lot of time. 2
Possible damage. Materials are often complex and fragile. Parts may be lost or broken.
To limit the use of realia, in this study the writer used real objects or other objects which represented the real objects, for example pictures, toys,
puppets and dolls. In the designed materials, the realia would be presented as pictures.
b. The Use of Realia in Teaching Vocabulary for the Sixth Grade