Student`s lived experience on English language learning through self-access centre in vocational high school - USD Repository
STUDENT’S LIVED EXPERIENCE ON
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING
THROUGH SELF- ACCESS CENTRE
IN VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
A THESIS
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Magister Humaniora (M.Hum)
in English Studies
by
CAECILIA LUPPI SATESTI
056332018
THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDIES
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
A THESIS
STUDENT’S LIVED EXPERIENCE ON
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH
SELF - ACCESS CENTRE IN VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
by
CAECILIA LUPPI SATESTI
056332018
Approved by
Dr.B.B. DWIJATMOKO, M.A ________________________
Adviser Yogyakarta, 25 August 2010
A THESIS
STUDENT’S LIVED EXPERIENCE ON
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING THROUGH
SELF- ACCESS CENTRE IN VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
by
CAECILIA LUPPI SATESTI
056332018
Defended before the thesis committee and declared acceptable.
THESIS COMMITTEE
Chairperson : F.X. Mukarto, Ph.D. ___________________
Secretary : Dra. Novita Dewi, M.S., M.A.(Hons), Ph.D. ___________________
Members : 1. Dr. B.B. Dwijatmoko, M.A. ___________________
2. Dr. J. Bismoko ___________________ Yogyakarta, 25 August 2010 The Graduate School Director Sanata Dharma University Prof. Dr. Augustinus Supratiknya.
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY
This is to certify that all ideas, phrases, and sentences, unless otherwise stated, are ideas, phrases, and sentences of the writer. The writer understands the full consequences including degree cancellation if she took somebody else‟ ideas, phrases, and sentences without a proper reference.
Yogyakarta, 1 August 2010 Caecilia Luppi Satesti
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN
PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta dengan
Nama : Caecilia Luppi Satesti Nomor Mahasiswa : 056332018 Menyatakan bahwa demi pengembangan Ilmu Pengetahuan memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta karya Ilmiah yang berjudul:
“Student’s Lived Experience On English Language Learning Through Self-Access
Centre In Vocational High School” yang saya tulis beserta perangkat terkait yang tersedia.Dengan demikian kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma Yogyakarta, saya berikan hak dan wewenang untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengolahnya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas dan mempublikasikan di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sesungguhnya.
Dibuat di : Yogyakarta Pada tanggal : 25 Agustus 2010 Yang menyatakan, Caecilia Luppi Satesti
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The greatest Almighty Jesus Christ, my grateful goes to YOU. I believe that everything happens in my life is under your power, your generosity. I am so grateful for all the blessings, inspiration and never-ending guide from nothing to something, prior to, during, and upon completion of this master‟s thesis. Thanks also go to my inspiring father who passed away in the journey of completing my study, his spirit colors my life.
I would like to thank to my adviser, Pak Dwi (Dr. B.B. Dwijatmoko, M.A.) for his encouragement, guidance and his constructive feedback in all period of accomplishing this research. My grateful also goes to English Language Studies lecturers for the chance to participate in their classes. Participating in their classes has indeed encouraged me to value the time, networking and to increase insight and knowledge.
Thanks to my family for their supports, understandings, and patience. Specially goes to my husband, Ignatius Didin Hernomo for his encouragement to join the program with all consequences. My beloved sons, Vincentius who helped me to work with the research data in his little vacation and for his motivation and also my second son, Antonius who motivates me to complete my thesis.
I would like to express my gratitude to the headmaster of SMK N 1 Pengasih (Drs. H. Rumawal) who permitted me to have a research at his school and for facilitating my access to the participants.
Thanks also to my colleagues who cannot be mentioned one by one in SMK BOPKRI WATES for their supports, assistances, encouragements and tolerances.
My gratitude also goes to LPMP Yogyakarta, Pemda Kabupaten Kulon Progo and Dinas Pendidikan Kabupaten Kulon Progo for the assistances, encouragements and support given to me throughout the duration of this study.
Finally, special for Rinto and Bonut, thank you for your willingness to be my participants. God Bless You.
Yogyakarta, 1 August 2010 Caecilia Luppi Satesti
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page i Title Page ……….………………………………...………… ii Approval Page………………………………………………. iii
Thesis Defense Approval Page……………………………… Statement of iv Originality…………………………………….. v
Statement of Lisence Agreement …………………………… vi Acknowledgements …………………………….…………… vii Table of Contents ………………………………………...…. x
List of Tables ……………………………………………..… xi List of Figures ……………………………………………..... xii
Coding System ……………………………………………… xiii Abstract ………………………………………...…………… Intisari xiv ……………………………………………………….
I. INTRODUCTION A.
1 Background ……………………………………………...
B.
5 Problem Identification ………………………………......
C.
5 Problem Delimitation and Limitation …………………...
D.
6 Problem Formulation …………………………………… E.
7 Research Goals ……………. …………………………...
F.
8 Research Benefits ……………………………………….
II. THEORETICAL REVIEW A
10 Literature Review ……………………………………….
1.
10 The Characteristics of Vocational High School……..
2.
12 The Characteristic of Language Learner…………….
3. Autonomy in Language Learning
18 a. Concept of Autonomy……………………………..
23
b. Autonomy in Language Learning…………………
4 Self-Access Centre 29 a. Resource Based…………………………………....
30 b. Technology Based………………………………...
B.
30 Theoretical Framework…………………………………..
III. RESEARCH METHOD A.
32 Research Method ..………..….………………………….
B.
33 Nature of Data …….………………….………………….
C.
33 Data Setting and Sources ………………………………..
D.
36 Data Gathering Instruments and Data Collection ……….
E. Data Proces 39 sing …………………………………………
F
40 Data Analysis…………………………………………….
IV. ANALYSIS A.
43 Data Presentation………………………………………...
B.
47 Findings and Discussion…………………………………
V. CONCLUSION A.
63 Conclusion ……………………………………………….
B.
64 Recommendation ………………………………………... Bibliography
65 ………………………………………………………
Appendices
67 Appendix 1: Interview Data ……………………………………….
81 Appendix 2: List of SAC‟s Materials and Devices………………..
97 Appendix 3: Syllabus of Elementary ……………………………... LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1
27 Metacognitive Strategies………………………………….. Table 3.1
Blueprint for Interview Questions on the student‟s experience on the autonomous language learning in Self- access centre
36 ………………………………………………
Table 3.2 List of Intervie37 w Question…………………………………
Table 3.3 Table of coding41 ………..…………………………………
Table 4.1 A sample of interview with Rinto, the first participant45 ….. LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Major influences on the theory of autonomy in language
23 learning…………………... Figure 2. Framework of the research on the autonomous language
31 learning through Self- Access Centre…………………..
CODING SYSTEM
: Rinto (the participant‟s name) 15/03/10 : The date of interview SAC
The coding used for the result of the interview as follow: Example : I/R/15/3/10/ SAC-E I : Interview R
- – E : Self-Access Centre on Equipment
ABSTRACT
Caecilia Luppi Satesti. 2010.Student‟s Lived Experience on English Language Learning through Self-Access Centre in Vocational High School. Yogyakarta: English Language Studies, Graduate Program, Sanata Dharma University.
Learning English in a non EFL country is not as easy as learning English in an English speaking country. In Vocational School, there are many programs to facilitate the students to improve their performance
This study tried to describe and interpret the Student‟s Lived Experience on English Language Learning through Self-Access Centre in Vocational High School. In this study, the student
‟s experience are the centre information to understand how Self- Access Centre contributes to the autonomous language learning in Vocational High School and how beneficial of student‟s experiences to be a reflection for all school elements specially for school management to consider the improvement of Self-Access Centre continuously
. This research also reveals the student‟s applying their strategies in their learning as the efforts of to be autonomous students in English language learning It was phenomenological research and the main data were from the participants‟ description about their experience on the autonomous language learning through self- access centre and some interviews to get in-depth data. The participants of this research were two vocational high school students from SMK N 1 Pengasih at the second grade. They were from Multimedia program, and the main reason of the background selection was that they were already familiar and autonomous with the devices available in Self- Access Centre. The description of participants‟ experiences and the interview data were transcribed and thematized according to the components and categories of metacognitive strategies. The data were analyzed in the process of coding. The final step was making the interpretation of the result of analysis.
The result of this study shows that from the student‟s experiences, the Self- Access Centre is important to be managed well in order to support the students in their learning in order to be more autonomous in English language learning. Self-Access Centre is not only a place which provides facilities to have self-directed learning but also a „program‟ where the students develop their language learning. Self –Access
Centre means deeper than only a place to learn language, the facilities are provided with certain intention to grow learning awareness among students up. It is also found out that the environment plays an important role on the process of learning, they felt comfortable with the situation and the available resources in Self-Access Centre. It is easy to get the needed materials.
The finding of this study also shows that as adult learners, they are responsible of their learning and they try to explore it by applying their metacognitive strategies in their language learning in order to get best result as autonomous language learner. The essence of the experience is the important part of this phenomenological research to make a reflexive point. It will be meaningful for others when there is an opportunity to empower others in their daily learning process. Indeed autonomous students are able to work in empowering others.
INTISARI
Caecilia Luppi Satesti. 2010.Student‟s Lived Experience on English Language Learning through Self-Access Centre in Vocational High School. Yogyakarta: English Language Studies, Graduate Program, Sanata Dharma University.
Mempelajari bahasa Inggris di sebuah negara dimana bahasa Inggris bukan sebagai bahasa asing atau bahasa kedua yang digunakan di negara tersebut bukanlah hal yang mudah seperti kalau kita belajar bahasa Inggris di negara atau tempat yang memang menggunakan bahasa itu sebagai bahasa pengantar sehari
- – hari atau sebagai bahasa kedua. Di Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan , ada banyak program yang diselenggarakan untuk memfasilitasi siswa untuk memperbaiki kemampuan berbahasa Inggris mereka.
Penelitian ini mencoba mendeskripsikan dan menginterpretasikan pengalaman hidup siswa dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris secara mandiri melalui Self-Access Centre di Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan. Didalam penelitian ini , pengalaman siswa merupakan informasi utama untuk memahami bagaimana SAC memberikan kontribusinya pada pembelajaran bahasa secara mandiri dan juga betapa pentingnya pengalaman siswa sebagai sebuah refleksi bagi seluruh elemen sekolah khususnya manajemen sekolah untuk mempertimbangkan adanya peningkatan SACnya secara terus menerus. Penelitian ini juga mengupas penerapan strategi belajar oleh siswa sebagai bentuk usaha untuk menjadi siswa yang mandiri didalam sistem pembelajaran bahasa yang mandiri pula.
Ini adalah penelitian fenomenal dimana deskripsi mengenai pengalaman hidup dan hasil wawancara dengan partisipan merupakan data utama dari penelitian ini. Partisipan dari penelitian ini adalah dua orang siswa sekolah kejuruan dari SMK N 1 Pengasih di tingkat dua. Mereka adalah siswa dari program studi Multimedia dan latar belakang pemilihan ini didasarkan pada kemampuan mereka dalam bidang penggunaan alat-alat yang tersedia dalam Self-access centre. Data wawancara ditranskrip and ditematisasi menurut komponen dan kategori dalam metacognitive strategy. Data dianalisa dalam proses pengkodean. Langkah terakhir adalah membuat interpretasi dari hasil analisa.
Hasil penelitian ini menggambarkan pengalaman siswa, dan juga informasi betapa pentingnya mengelola SAC secara baik sehingga bisa mensupport siswa menjadi siswa yang mandiri dalam model pembelajaran bahasa secara mandiri . SAC tidak hanya menjadi sebuah tempat yang memfasilitasi belajar siswa akan tetapi juga menjadi sebuah „program‟ dimana siswa dapat mengembangkan belajar bahasa mereka. Self_Access Centre mempunyai arti yang lebih daripada hanya sebagai tempat belajar, semua fasilitas yang ada disediakan dengan maksud tertentu yaitu untuk menumbuhkan kesadaran siswa . Ditemukan juga bahwa suasana atau lingkungan belajar mempunyai peranan penting dalam proses belajar, mereka merasa nyaman dengan suasana itu dan dengan tersedianya banyak materi sebagai sumber belajar. Mudah sekali mendapatkan materi sumber yang diperlukan.
Penemuan dari penelitian ini juga menunjukkan bahwa siswa yang sudah dewasa bertanggung jawab terhadap belajarnya dan mereka mencoba untuk lebih mengeksplorasikan dengan cara menerapkan metacognitive strategies dalam pembelajaran bahasanya supaya memperolah hasil yang terbaik yaitu menjadi siswa yang mandiri. Essensi dari pengalaman belajar mereka merupakan hal yang penting untuk merefleksikan belajar mereka. Dan ini akan menjadi berarti apabila ada kesempatan bagi mereka untuk bisa membuat orang lain mengalami pengalaman belajar yang sama dengan jalan memanfaatkan Self-Access Centre. Tentu saja seorang siswa yang sudah mandiri dalam proses belajarnya dapat juga membantu siswa yang lain.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background information of the importance of this research will be presented in
this chapter. The discussion is commenced with the general information of learner‟s learning strategy. The focus of the discussion is the st udent‟s lived-experience on English language learning through Self-Access Centre in Vocational High School.
A. Background
Learning English in the Non-English speaking country is not as easy as learning English in an English speaking country. English as a foreign language brings a certain effect on the way of learning, on the language achievement and also on the view at the language itself. There are so many divergent response on the use of English as a world language both positive and negative response but actually they are aware of the needs of English in this era.
English is learnt in school and got greater contribution hours than other subject. It happens because the schools are aware of the difficulties of learning English there fore the school usually add special hours to this subject with the intension to provide more opportunity to explore the learning. But still, the problem arouse when the result of their English learning is not as the expectation. Their achievement is low, their language is still poor. Most of the students feel that learning English is difficult for them because there is less exploration on the learning itself.
Teaching and learning process also takes an important role in their language achievement. The atmosphere of learning plays much on this. The previous model of learning process in class which is done by the teacher may lead to the un- autonomous learning. Teacher is as the centre of the process, the learning is conditioned, and the student followed what their teacher said strictly. All class practices led to the dependent behaviors of their language learning. So it is important to keep analyzing on the model of language learning process. Then, the effort to have an exploration of relevant language learning which appreciate to the changes in the education fields becomes an important step nowadays.
Referring to the Vision of Transformative Education which will bring the changes from the traditional community to the modern community, where the most important factor of the transformation process is education and investments, an Education where the learners are permitted to grow their awareness in the use of technology. This vision gives greater chances for the teacher to make an innovation in the language learning process, there is a clear wish of this vision that it will be a modern community who has higher capability in technology and also has modern aesthetics, ethics and modern personality. Refers to this vision, there is greater chances to have wider exploration of language learning using many media and places, since the main point is how the learner acquire the language well.
The Self-Access Centre is designed to provide chances of self learning and self evaluation. The learners are allowed and suggested to develop their learning through various media and various resources. There are countless resources which can be used to maximize language learning.
The important thing is the learner‟s willingness to have an open
- – mind ways of learning, they can adapt and adopt to the learning process which give free chances to explore their language learning. The issue of autonomous learning is the main target of this process of learning. Self learning is one of the suggested ways, the learners are freely to decide, choose and finally be responsible of their learning. Self Access Centre is one of the destinations to carry
Learning through computer offers opportunities for learners to direct their own learning. The using of multimedia to promote language learning will support language acquisition or perhaps more properly, language development. Learners must be as an active participant in learning, actively seeking ways to analyze, question, interpret and understand their ever-changing environment. There are many innovative multimedia sources which facilitate language learning. All skills of language can be learnt this interactive multimedia.
Multimedia on the computer allow students almost complete control of the number of repetitions and the amount of non-language media support, a choice of other language for bilingual glossing, and instant reply for any point in an audio or video presentation. A number of multimedia computer programs that provide opportunities for exposure and production and analyze
- – their relative merits as a means to developing the target language. (Hanson Smith, 1995:p189) An opportunity to have great exploration is the advantages of these sources.
Language learners are freely to browse the activities which go from the simple to the complex one. Therefore they will be experienced by these stages and they will develop their language ability step by step in the on going period of learning. Multi media as a learning tools and sources provides experiences of learning in different environments led to better results. Feeling of boring can be denied by having varieties of learning environments, it will give exposures to obtain the goal of learning itself.
The environment of learning in Self-Access Centre leads the learners to the autonomous learning which opens the chance for them to be responsible on their own learning process.
There are three principles of learning styles: Learners who are more conscious of their learning styles make better use of learning opportunities.
Learners learn better when they are provided with learning opportunities that enhance and extent their learning preferences. Learners work better with new learning styles when they are given guided opportunities to practice them.
(Karen Yeok-Hwa Ngeow, 1999:p.302-303) From these principles of learning, multi media provided in self access centre can be the way for learners to explore their language learning. The computer will support the learners in their learning process and practicing different ways of learning. The challenging language learning software will enhance and extent the learner‟s learning styles. This experience of learning will empower the learners to make a strategic decision on their language learning in order to acquire the language, therefore research on the student‟s lived-experience on English language learning through Self-Access Centre in Vocational High School is necessary to reveal how one‟s experience of learning is meaningful for others as an important point to reflect at their learning.
B. Problem Identification
Referring to the three principles of learning by Karen (1999), Self Access Centre is the most suitable destination to the extent of language learning, with various media; text ( written media), video, audio and multimedia sources. Self- Access Centre also provides free working hours under the control of the administration staff to help them. The use of Self-Access Centre to explore language learning can be a model of self learning which increases opportunities for autonomous learning. The better the students apply the principles of learning, the easier for the teacher to direct the learning to the creative and challenging learning activities.
“There are many advantages in the use of multimedia; one of them is in the promotion of autonomous language learning”.(See Benson,2001,Benson and Lor,1998,Benson and Voller,1997 in Beatty,2003).
Dealing with the issue of autonomous learning, here, this study will try to define (1) what the learners think and do about self access centre,(2) why do they decide to go there; Do they get advantages on the using of SAC in their language learning and also to reveal (3) what is learners lived-experience of their language learning through Self-Access Centre.
C. Problem Delimitation and Limitation
The study will focus on the area of language learners who has self-learning in the multimedia system which is provided by Self-Access Centre and the contribution of their learning into their progress in acquiring the language and then autonomous learning done by the autonomous learner will be the goal. The participants who study on multimedia program are already familiar with the technology available in Self- Access Centre.
The qualitative method will be used to investigate the participant, the self access centre‟ equipment, functions, service and the setting of self access centre in vocational high school.
D. Problem Formulation
Self Access Centre is designed to accommodate learners of different levels, styles, goals and interest. It aims to develop learner autonomy among the users. They are freely to choose and determine what materials they want to learn, they can select the sources according to their level, their interest in order to support their language acquisition. Self Access Centre potentiates to promote learner autonomy in a number of ways. It provides facilities which allow learners to pursue their own goals and interest while accommodating individual differences in learning style, level and pace of learning. The resources in self access centre are potential to raise learners‟ awareness of the learning process by highlighting aspects of management of learning such as goal setting and monitoring progress. The activities in self access centre is as a realization of self access language learning, learners make use of the SAC to learn deeply on what they learn in class with their teacher. Then finally, the experience of self learning done in self access centre will help the student to be more autonomous in the process of learning.
Language learner has a great opportunity to explore their learning, they are free to direct their learning, their plan, implement and evaluate themselves and finally the contribution of sources in self access centre will be seen in the progress of their learning to acquire the language.
To investigate how autonomous they are in their language learning done in self access centre and how self access centre works on the process of acquiring the language, it is important to investigate their metacognitive strategies relating to the autonomous language learning through self-access centre. The implementation of metacognitive strategy in their autonomous learning shows one characteristics of how autonomous they are.
To reveal the contribution of the Self-Access Centre in promoting autonomous language learning, it needs to investigate their equipment, function, service, and setting. How Self - Access Centre accommodate language learning, contributes to the learning and finally promotes the autonomous learning. The study will describe and interpret the student‟s lived-experience in the area of English language learning through self access centre in vocational high school. The research, therefore, aims to answer theoretically and empirically the following question: What is
Student‟s Lived-Experience on English Language Learning through Self-Access Centre? E.
Research Goals
This research aimed to describe, and interpret, how vocational school students experience self - access language learning in term of autonomous learning through self - access centre and what in their perspective constitutes language learning and to reveal the answer to the research question theoretically and experientially. The study also reveals and describes how Self - access centre contributes to the realization of the autonomous language learning among learners in order to be more empower, self-fulfilling, and autonomous, which means they can do what they are supposed to do and they can do it on their own when they learn. The goal of this research was therefore to describe and interpret the students‟ lived experience on English language learning through self- access centre and finally use the findings as a reflection to the next goal.
F. Research Benefits
Scientific and technological benefits are obtained in this research. At least, there are two scientific and four technological benefits.
1. Scientific benefits This study may have two scientific benefits to empower learners and promote their autonomy in language learning.
a.
This study may provide description of learners‟ autonomy in the autonomous language learning through Self-Access Centre as an attempt to understand learners‟ lived-experience on English language learning and to empower the learners to develop their sustain autonomous language learning.
b.
Through the interpreted descriptions, this study may contribute in the development of education in general and English language learning in Vocational High School.
2. Technological benefit This study has several technological benefits to contribute in the improvement of autonomous language learning through self - access centre.
a.
This study may encourage media designer to design multimedia sources in a specific way in order to have an appropriate sources for language learning b. This study may encourage school management to improve and keep develop the school curriculum with the orientation of learners‟ needs, the progress and the goal of language learning.
c.
This research may bridge the gap of learners‟ needs, the idea of autonomous learning and self - access centre in vocational high school. d.
This study may encourage teacher to develop their teaching activity supporting to the establishment of autonomous language learning.
e.
This study may encourage learners to be autonomous in the effort of exploring their language learning experience.
f.
The study may useful for parents to give more attention, support, motivation and reflection on their childr en‟s learning.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW In this section, the discussion focuses on literature review and theoretical
framework. Several previous research related to the topic of this research are discussed to support construct understanding of the study. Theoretical framework is described to get the tentative answers to the research questions.
A. Literature Review
The literatures on related topics are discussed in this section. The discussion will go around the characteristics of Vocational High School in general, the characteristics of language learner, and the style of learning. In the next part, it will reveal the depth concept of autonomy, language learning, and Self Access Centre in Vocational High School.
1. Lived – Experience
Dilthey suggested that in its most basic form lived experience involves our immediate, pre-reflective consciousness of life: a reflexive or self-given awareness which is, as awareness, unaware of itself.
A lived experience does not confront me as something perceived or represented; it is not given to me, but the reality of lived experience is there- for-me because I have a reflexive awareness of it, because I possess it immediately as belonging to me in some sense. Only in thought does it become objective (Dilthey quoted in Mannen.1990, pg.35).
Lived experience is the important part of the phenomenological human science, it is the starting point and end point of this study.
Other‟s lived experience is as the centre of the reflection, take the value of the experience and use it as the mirror to develop ourselves. Studying experience, interpreting and reflecting the essence of experience are the activities in this study. And the main point is how others use the essence of the experience to the beneficial of own life, as a mirror. As stated by Mannen, 1990 that the aim of phenomenology is to transform lived experience into a textual expression of its essence in such a way that the effect of the text is at once a reflexive re-living and a reflective appropriation of something meaningful.
2.The Characteristics of Vocational High School
Vocational School is an educational institution which has a responsibility to prepare the students goes to work in a certain field. There are two goals: general goals and specific goals. It is stated in general goals that vocational school aiming the learning to develop the field of learners‟ humanistic. The learning process is try to reveal all humanistic potentials of the learners in order to be a people who are ideally good in their moral values on any side of humanism. While the specific goals state that vocational school is aiming to prepare the students to be a productive people who are able to work independently and has the capacity to fill the vacancies in industry as a middle skilled worker based on their competency. The goals also said that vocational school is to prepare them to be able to develop themselves in order to be ready with their life, their future.
Competency based learning in vocational school have to cover mastery learning principle in order to master the attitude, knowledge and skills for an appropriate profession as the competencies. For the realization of mastery learning, it is important to develop following learning Principe‟s such as Learning by doing means that the process of learning is done by having real activities which provides meaningful learning experiences and it will be the learning based on production then. Another principle is Individualized learning which allows the students to develop their uniqueness in learning.
The system of learning in vocational school is done as a combination of Dual System Education, Multi entry
- – multi exit, and Distance learning. Dual system education is arranged together with the industry at the intention of making closer to the industry, whereas the multi entry
- – multi exit is the realization of the concept of education with the open system, means that the student gets flexible service on their learning so as they are able to study while having other activity such as having part time job or certain course. The last learning system of vocational school is distance learning means that the process of learning can be done in a distance. The student needs not to come to school, but this system can only do for certain competencies which allows student to learn individually without any assistance.
Now, come to the characteristic of vocational school student. Vocational school student is a student who learns in a school which delivers vocational education, certain field of science. Vocational school student is prepared to be a middle skilled worker. The student is prepared to go to work after graduated from the school, they aren‟t prepared to go to university although this paradigm is changing now. Recently, there is a new trend of vocational student; they try to develop their study by having higher learning at the university although it is irrelevant with their previous field of study at the vocational school. Market demand affects this decision; the competition among job seekers is tightly happen.
On the other hand, there are also many vocational school graduates absorbed in the industry. Some vocational school are qualified enough to make good graduated and qualified middle skilled workers. Therefore many industries seek them and occupy them as their employee even the process of the final examination has not finished yet. Then soon after they graduated, they go to work directly.
3. The Characteristic of Language Learner
Learners have certain characteristics which are different from one another, their characteristics will lead more or less successful language learning. Learners‟ characteristic will affect the language acquisition; extrovert learner and introvert learner will express different acquisition. Learners‟ personality will also take an important part in gaining the target learning. Some learners have a much easier time of learning than others; there are some characteristics of language learner that influence their successful of learning. They are intelligence, aptitude, personality, motivation and attitudes, learner preferences, and learner beliefs (Lightbown and Spada, pg.49.2004). Every element has their own roles on the effort of attaining the successful of language learning. It is belief that students who have all elements in „good‟ condition will get their successful easily.
Intelligence seems has a close relationship with the characteristic of „good‟ language learner. This intelligence usually is tested by a test called „IQ‟ test and it is found that IQ scores is a good means predicting how successful a learner will be. Intelligence is also close to the ability of certain kinds of second language than to others. It is proved by Genesse 1976, in his research found that intelligence was related to the development of French second language reading, grammar, and vocabulary and the research also found that intelligence was unrelated to oral productive skills. Intelligence may play role much when the learning needs analysis and learning rule, and play less in the process of learning where instruction focuses more on the communication and interaction. But it is important to keep in mind that intelligence is complex, there are so many factors influent the performance of language learner. It is a belief that every learner has various abilities and other strengths that can not be measured by IQ test and it influents their successful of their language learning.
The second characteristic of language learner is aptitude. This is a gift from God indeed, it‟s really individually; it‟s really different one from others. As reported by Lorraine Obler in 1989, he found that there was a language learner who could learn fast by only hearing the native‟s spoken. She could cover what she heard with what she had learnt in school. Aptitude is distinguishing one learner to others in the way they learnt and show their different types of abilities. There are two famous test which used to measure this aptitude such Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) and Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery (PLAB).
The aptitude identifies different types of abilities such as 1. the ability to identify and memorize new sounds, 2. the ability to understand the function of particular words in sentences, 3. the ability to figure out grammatical rules from language samples and 4. the ability to memorize new words. It is reported that the relation of the test result and the performance in their language learning expressed on the implementation of grammar translation or audio-lingual methods. It is beneficial to recogn ize the learner‟s aptitude; it will help the teacher to design the appropriate activities which accommodate learners‟ needs in order to get maximum achievement. It is also beneficial for the learners to decide which language features are going to develop i ntensively. Basically it is important to understand learner‟s aptitude to determine which profile is the strength and which one is the weakness then use the information to place the learners on the appropriate learning program. In relation to maximize the use of self-access centre, knowing self aptitude will help the learners to decide the way and the aid they will use to.