Institutional Repository | Satya Wacana Christian University: The Use Of English - Indonesian In Teaching Mathematics For The First Grade Students Of SDN Salatiga 06

THE USE OF ENGLISH - INDONESIAN IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS FOR
THE FIRST GRADE STUDENTS OF SDN SALATIGA 06
Muchammad Rafsanjani Saputra
Abstract
This study discussed the use of English-Indonesian in teaching Mathematics for
the first grade students of SDN Salatiga 06. This study was aimed to answer the research
question, "What are the division of the use Indonesian and English in teaching
Mathematics?” and “What were the reasons of such division in teaching mathematics?".
One teacher from SDN Salatiga 06 was selected to be the participant of this study. The
data used qualitative method and the data were obtained from one participant’s interview
and observation. The result of the study exposed that the teacher uses English and
Indonesian to make the students understand Mathematics in class and face the problem in
teaching Mathematics. This result supported several finding found by Birdsong (1999),
Fatmawati (2011), Krashen (1988) and Moschkovich (2005). Teacher must really give
attention to the suitability of the languages that they use in teaching with the students’
needs and abilities. The suitability of using language is important because the students'
understanding depends on the language that the teacher uses in explaining the material. In
teaching, the use of English should be supported by Indonesian to ensure the students
understanding.
Key words: Language use, students' understanding, English-Indonesian.