A suggested English reading test for SMEA students based on the communicative competence approach - Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya Repository

  I INTRODUCTION

  o f t h e i s one

  T e s t i n g t h e i m p o r t a n t t h i n g s i n the p r o c e s s o f t e a c h i n g l e a r n i n g a c t i v i t i e s . t e a c h e r and t h e a r e a b l e t o know t h e

  o f the about students t h e knowledge t h a t has

  we d i s t i n g u i s h among and t e c h n i q u e . The d i f f e r e n c e and t h e

  i s

  among them t h e of l a n g u a g e and t h e n a t u r e of l a n g u a g e and l e a r n i n g .

  1 r e f e r t h e p r o c e d u r e s o f language t e a c h i n g t o o v e r a l l f o r o r d e r l y p r e s e n t a t i o n of no p a r t o f which c o n t r a d i c t s , and

  2 t h e s e l e c t e d method implemented b y C h r i s t i n a t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p t h e a p p r o a c h , a s f o l l o w s of t h e e c i f i c e s e l e c t s t o

• s e l e c t i o n and s e q u e n c i n g

  Method and i n A l l e n and e d s , a s Language, a

  7

  1

  means n o t a method.

  Timur,

  A

  Competence t h e l a n g u a g e p r o f i c i e n c y ; t h e e x p r e s s i o n , i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , and n e g o t i a t i o n o f meaning

  S a n d r a g i v e s the d e f i n i t i o n of t h e communicative competence a p p r o a c h a s f o l l o w s :

  i n t e r e s t s them want a a p p r o a c h which i s more t o t h e human r e a l i t y . i s a n a p p r o a c h which h i g h a t t e n t i o n t o t h e i n t e r a c t i o n p r o c e s s

  ...

  b y

  of t h e s e s t r a t e g i e s a s as s t r a t e g i e s a r e based on t h e method and hence a r e i n a c c o r d t n e t n e o r e t i c a l i s s u e s o f a p p r o a c h ,

  s h o u l d be s e e n as a n a p p r o a c h

  Language

  .

  .

  i n e v e r y s c h o o l i n I n d o n e s i a . S a l e h u d i n , one of t h e c u i t u r e members : .

  

i s 3ne of t h e a p p r o a c h e s which i s s u g g e s t e d t o be used

  3 I n t n i s t h e w r i t e r o n l y a b o u t a n a p p r o a c h and l i n e t n e i s t h e competence approach. Nowadays, t h e communicative competence a p p r o a c h

• p a u l s t o n , p e a c h i n g E n g l i s h a and 1976, p.

i n v o l v i n g between two o r more p e r s o n s b e l o n g i n g t o the same ( o r d i f f e r e n t ) s p e e c h

  community between one and

  a w r i t t e n o r o r a l Competence Approach, of a r e more f o c u s e d i n

  : a p p s o p r i a t c n e s s t o t h e c o n t e x t t h a n grammatical. occurency. what h a s been p o i n t e d o u t

  by Savignon competence i s i c .

  t a k e s p l a c e i n a n i n f i n i t e v a r i e t y .

  . and s u c c e s s i n a p a r t i c u l a r r o l e one u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f c o n t e x t and e x p e r i e n c e of a s i m i i a r k i n d . I t c h o i c e s of r e g i s t e r t e r m s of t h e s i t u a t i o n and t h e o t h e r

  6 s t u d e n t a s a p e r s o n who l e a r n s a he n o t o n l y t h e r u l e s of

  t h e l a n g u a g e ( i m p l i c i t knowledge), a l s o

  how f o r communicating h i s i d e a s , f e e l i n g s and s o on.

  He a c q u i r e competence. i s a n a l a n g u a g e u s e them one o r more p e r s o n s i n and h a s t o know

  only forms, b u t

  be

  a b l e

  t o u s e

• Communicative Competence Theory Classroom P r a c t i c e , P u b l i s h i n g 1983, p.

i n r e a l s i t u a t i o n and r e a l i n t h e i r time. what h a s been p o i n t e d o u t S c a r c e l l a : b y d i s c o u r s e r u l e s and s t r a t e g i e s a r e complex, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by v o c a b u l a r y , p r o s o d i c f e a t u r e s ; f e a t u r e s of n o n - v e r b a l communication, and p e r h a p s t o a l e s s e r d e g r e e , s y n t a c t i c f e a t u r e s .

  all of t h e s e f e a t u r e s may v a r y a c c o r d i n g

  t o t h e s o c i a l c o n t e x t . F o r i n s t a n c e , some g r e e t i n g s a r e a p p r o p r i a t e i n some s i t u a t i o n , b u t n o t i n o t h e r s . a r e sometimes s h o u t e d , and sometimes spoken q u i t e s t i f f l y . g i v e n s i t u a t i o n , a n a p p r o p r i a t e

  o f

  g r e e t i n g on a These i n c l u d e ; t h e p e r s o n b e i n g g r e e t e d , t h e time of day, t h e l o c a t i o n and t h e i n t e r a c t i o n , o t h e r p e o p l e p r e s e n t , a n d t h e s o r t o f i n t e r a c t i o n which i s e x p e c t e d s c o r n f u l , e t c ) of l a n g u a g e . I n h e r e , s a y s t h a t : i s t h e u s e t o which l a n g u a g e i s p u t , t h e p u r p o s e of an u t t e r a n c e r a t h e r t h a n t h e p a r t i c u l a r g r a m m a t i c a l form a n u t t e r a n c e t a k e s . A l a n g u a g e f u n c t i o n h a s do w i t h what s a i d a s oppoaed t o i s t o how i s s a i d . Language i s used f o r a n

  o f p u r p o s e s : t o command, t o d e s c r i b e ,

  t o t o t o a t t r a c t a t t e n t i o n and and o

  8

  u t t e r a n c e be u n d e r s t o o d u t t e r a n c e p l a c e d i n i t s c o n t e x t of h a s been s u g g e s t e d t h e u s i n g of t h e p r i n c i p l e s and P r a c t i c e i n

  A c q u i s i t i o n , U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n P r e s s , Co. E x e t e r , I n d o n e s i a , a l l of t h e t e a c h i n g and l e a r n i n g p r o c e s s s h o u l d be b a s e d on t h e communicative competence approach. i s

  Because a t e s t a p a r t o f t h e t e a c h i n g and p r o c e s s , t h e t e s t s h o u l d be g i v e n on t h e b a s e of communicative competence a p p r o a c h t o o . what s t a t e d i n i f t h e a p p r o a c h i s

  .

  communicative, t h e t e s t must be communicative

  : i f

  a l s c s a y s t h a t we t e a c h f o r . competence, we have t o t e s t f o r communicative we competence s o t h a t we and o u r s t u d e n t s know how w e l l a r e d o i n g what we c l a i m t o be t h e w r i t e r t h i n k s , t h e t e s t o f ( t h e V o c a t i o n a l High School ) h a s n e v e r b e e n a n a l y z e d . this r e a s o n , t h e w r i t e r c h o o s e s t h e t e s t of t h e s c h o o l a s t h e o b j e c t b e a n a l y z e d i n t h i s s t u d y . t h e sample o f t h e t e s t , t h e w r i t e r t a k e s a c a l l e d ( ) SMKTA i n t h e y e a r of i s t e s t made b y t h e e d u c a t i o n and c u l t u r e r e g i o n E a s t Java. w r i t e r t a k e s t h r e e l e v e l s a r e t e s t f o r t h e f i r s t , t h e

• second she third y e a r s t u d e n t s . About t h e t e s t , we

  Jawa t a n t a n g a n Indo- . n e s i a i f c a n s e e i n t h e t h i s t h e s i s . o f t h e w r i t e r h a s a n a l y z e d , t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e t e s t s c a n be s e e n as f o l l o w s t e s t f o r t h e f i r s t y e a r s t u d e n t s .

  The t e s t c o n s i s t s of t h a t i s i n t o numbers of r e a d i n g comprehension, numbers of and 38 o f s t r u c t u r e q u e s t i o n s . t h e r e a d i n g comprehension, t h e s t u d e n t s a r e g i v e n a s h o r t r e a d i n g p a s s a g e w i t h a t i t l e Tourism

  The f i v e numbers o f t h e r e a d i n g comprehension q u e s t i o n s a r e g i v e n w i t h a n o r d e r t o b e answered c l e a r l y . s e v e n of t h e v o c a b u l a r y q u e s t i o n s a r e g i v e n i n m u l t i p l e c h o i c e . The s t r u c t u r e q u e s t i o n s a r e d e v i d e d i n t o :

  33

  numbers m u l t i p l e c h o i c e and i n a r r a n g i n g some w o r d s t o a c o r r e c t s e n t e n c e . t e s t f o r t h e second y e a r s t u d e n t s .

  The t e s t c o n s i s t s of 50 numbers t h a t i s devided i n t o 5 numbers of r e a d i n g comprehension,

  7 numbers of and numbers of s t r u c t u r e q u e s t i o n s .

  r e a d i n g comprehension, t h e s t u d e n t s a r e g i v e n a s h o r t r e a d i n g p a s s a g e w i t h a t i t l e The of t h e r e a d i n g c o m p r e h e n s i o n g i v e n w i t h t o a n s w e r t h e q u e s t i o n . s e v e n numbers of t h e q u e s t i o n s a r e g i v e n i n c h o i c e . s t r u c t u r e q u e s t i o n s d e v i d e d i n t o 33 numbers o r d e r s a r e c h a n g e i n t o n e g a t i v e i m p e r a t i v e ; c h a n g e s e n t e n c e t y p e f i l l t h e b l a n k t o compose t e n s e , u s i n g blank u s i n g c o n j u n c t i o n ; a n d , c h a n g e into p a s s i v e t e s t t h e t h i r d y e a r s t u d e n t s .

  _, numbers t h a t i s d e v i d e d i n t o v o c a b u l a r y

  , ^.

  . , ₇ t h e s t u d e n t s a r e

  a t i t l e E n g l i s h t h e r e a d i n g c o m p r e h e n s i o n a n o r d e r t o a n s w e r t h e q u e s t i o n .

  o f

  g i v e n s t r u c t u r e q u e s t i o n s t h e q u a l i t y of t h e t e s t s , t h e w r i t e r shows h i s t h i n k i n g a s f o l l o w s m u l t i p l e c h o i c e i t e m s i n t h e t e s t of t h e t h i r d s t u d e n t s h a s b e e n g i v e n i n a s h o r t d i a l o g u e s o it i s two o t h e r t e s t s .

  o f reading

  t e s t s a r e g i v e n by u s i n g q u e s t i o n word q u e s t i o n and t h e a n s w e r s t a t e d i n t h e p a s s a g e s . r e a d i n g t e s t seems

  i s

  i t enough t o t e s t t h e m a s t e r i n g of t h e r e a d i n g p a s s a g e o n l y i n numbers. i t

  i s

  p o s s i b l e , why i t i s n o t g i v e n among t h e s k i l l . r e a d i n g p a s s a g e s do n o t r e f e r t o t h e o b j e c t i v e s c h o o l which t h e e c o n o m i c a l p r o b l e m s . We c a n

  U S ,

  s e e t i t l e s of t h e l i k e Language, t h e w r i t e r o p i n i o n t h e r e a d i n g p a s s a g e s a r e b e t t e r a b o u t R e t a i l s e r v i c e s o r o t h e r s . r e a d i n g i s more s u i t a b l e a n d a p p r o p r i a t e p a s s a g e a b o u t Tourism t h a n t h e o t h e r two r e a d i n g p a s s a g e s

  The t h a t t h e r e a d i n g c o m p r e h e n s i o n i n t h e t e s t has more p r o b l e m s t h a n t h e s t r u c t u r e t h e o r be

  i t happened s i n c e . .

  a i n s t u d y i n g s t a t e d i n t h e book of E n g l i s h a s a Second Language: T e c h n i q u e s a n d p r o c e d u r e s t h a t s p i t e of t h e f a c t t h a t r e a d i n g i s t h e most s k i l l of a l l f o r most s t u d e n t s i n E n g l i s h t h e w o r l d , i t i s a s k i l l t h a t h a s b e e n much t h e a u d i o - l i n g u a ? t r a d i t i o n l a n g u a g e t e a c h i n g a n d l e a r n i n g l a n g u a g e

  i s

  I n d o n e s i a s t a t e d i n t h e 1984 as f o l l o w s : s o h o u r s i n o n e s e m e s t e r a r e d e v i d e d a s f o l l o w s : 16 h o u r s f o r s t r u c t u r e , 2 b h o u r s f o r r e a d i n g a n d

  4

  v o c a b u i a r y , h o u r s f o r 1 2 o b j e c t i v e of t h e c u r r i c u l u m 1984, we c a n s e e t h a t government r e a l i z e s t h a t t h e r e a d i n g c o m p r e h e n s i o n s k i l l i s t h e most i m p o r t a n t .

  i s

  t e s t which made by t h e government seems p o o r e i t h e r o f t h e q u a l i t y o r i n t e r m s o f t h e q u a n t i t y of t h e t e s t s . p

  SMTA 1984, P e l a k s a n a a n

  a a h a s a Departemen R e p u b l i k J a k a r t a , h 2 8

  1984, Thinking about t h e communicative competence

  be

  a p p r o a c h t h a t i s s u g g e s t e d a s a n a p p r o a c h t o u s e d i n p r e s e n t i n g t h e t e a c h i n g l e a r n i n g p r o c e s s , i t l o o k s t o make t h e k i n d of t e s t . t h e be d e a l e d w i t h t h e competence approach. t h e t e s t of t h e year h a s g i v e n c o n t e x t , P u t n o t i n t h e

  t w o t e s t s .

  r e a d i n g p a s s a g e i n t h e t e a t f o r t h e f i r s t y e a r s t u d e n t s h a s been s u i t a b l e w i t h t h e s t u d e n t s need, b u t i n two words which a r e used i n t h e t e s t s do n o t s u p p o r t t h e f u n c t i o n o f l a n g u a g e must be m a s t e r e d by t h e s t u d e n t s . u s e l e s s f o r s t u d e n t s t o be g i v e n a r e a d i n g t i t l e p a s s a g e t n e

  S i n c e t h e r e a d i n g t e s t h a s many problems, w r i t e r t r i e s t o p r e s e n t a s u g g e s t e d r e a d i n g

  t e s t for

  base on t h e communicative

t h i s t h e s i s .

  . of t h e problem t e s t i n g t h e s t u d e n t s , a l l

  i n

  s h o u l d be aware t h a t t h e t e s t must be t o measure s t u d e n t s ' communicative competence. The problem posed i n t h i s p a p e r i s : i s communicative a p p r o a c h a p p l i e d i n c o n s t r u c t i o n of t e s t f o r

  T h i s p a p e r aims t o s u g g e s t a d i f f e r e n t k i n d o f t e s t i n g which i s deemed of

  1.3 o b j e c t i v e of t h e s t u d y s t u d y i s made on b a s i s t h e f o l l o w i n g s u g g e s t a n E n g l i s h r e a d i n g t e s t s t u d e n t s on t h e b a s i s of t h e communicative competence approach. t o c o n t r i b u t e a k i n d of which i s Dased on t h e communicative competence

  The w r i t e r t h a t t h i s s t u d y c a n E n g l i s h t e a c h e r s t o be aware of now t o make a t e s t b a s e d on t h e communicative competence a p p r o a c h , which e s s e n t i a l t o be p r e s e n t e d a n d developed.

  1.4 The of t h e s t u d y w r i t e r hopes t h a t t h i s s t u d y c a n

  : 4.1. h e l p E n g l i s h t e a c h e r s i n aware of t h a t s h o u l d be made. o f h e l p E n g l i s h t e a c h e r s i n i n making a t e s t b a s e d on t h e competence approach. t o be a b l e t o communicate b e t t e r . 4.3 h e l p t h e 4.4. encourage E n g l i s h t e a c h e r s i n I n d o n e s i a t o be c r e a t i v e and i n making a t e s t t h a t can measure t h e s k i l l . .

  1.5 scope and

  The f i n d s t h a t i s n e c e s s a r y t o

  w r i t e r i t l i m i t t h e scope o f t h i s s t u d y . s i n c e i t w i l l o n l y c o n c e r n w i t h t h e t e s t a t t h e i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o b e a r i n mind t h a t t h e s t u d e n t s m a s t e r e d t h e grammer and v o c a b u l a r i e s which have a r e needed i n d i a l o g u e s , s i n c e t h e y have g o t t h e s e t h i n g s the a t t h a t r e a d i n g i s t h e most i m p o r t a n t f o r t h e s t u d e n t s , t h e t e s t that w i l l be s u g g e s t e d i s o n l y a b o u t r e a d i n g . The o t h e r s k i l l s u c h a s w r i t i n g , s p e a k i n g and o t h e r s w i l l be neglected.

  SMTA many k i n d s of i n I n d o n e s i a , b u t i s t e a c h i n g now, a e a l i n g w i t h t h e s c h o o l where t h e w r i t e r t h e w r i t e r w i l l o n l y t h i n k a b o u t t h e t e s t t h a t g i v e n

  ) f o r ( a n economical v o c a t i o n a l h i g h s c h o o l as t h i s s t u d e n t s t h e example. w r i t e r t h i n k s because c a n t r y o u t and a n a l y z e t h e more e a s i l y .

  h i s

  w r i t e r wants t o a p p l y the k i n d t e s t i n s c h o o l n e x t

  Terms

  1.6 D e f i n i t i o n of t h i s d e f i n i t i o n of t h e t e r m s used i n t h e s i s

  :

  a r e below T e s t sample o f on t h e b a s i s of o b s e r v e d performances about t h e more g e n e r a l u n d e r l y i n g competence of an i n d i v i d u a l t o perform s i m i l a r o r r e l a t e d t a s k s .

  Communicative Competence.

  F u n c t i o n a l language p r o f i c i e n c y ; t h e e x p r e s s i o n , p 310