CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
English
is one of the most important languages in the world. It has become increasingly
clear that English will play an important role in communication in various
parts of the world. In Indonesia, English is taught as the first foreign
language. Because it is a foreign language, most learners of English in
Indonesia get difficulties in studying English. Ramelan (1999: 5) said that
most learning problems are caused by different elements found in the two languages,
so that when students learn a foreign language he will get difficulties.
The
degree of difficulty is determined by the degree of differences between the two
languages: the language of the student and the target language. At a relatively
old age a learner will have a lot more habit interference than when he starts
learning it at a much younger age. When English is taught with the same teaching
style student might become bored. The additional lessons offered by some
schools such as dancing, music, handicraft, gardening or other can be taught as
a local content (it is not a compulsory subject which is chosen by certain
schools based on the need of the local community).
In
Elementary School English can be taught as one of the local content subjects.
It is the actually a good time for students to learn English for the first time.
Evidence presented in 1921 to the Newbolt Committee of Enquiring into the
Teaching of English shows similar concern to those expressed above: Many children,
when they first come to school, can
scarcely talk at all. Sometimes, they cannot even name their eyes, ears, and
toes and so forth… New bolt (in David Wray and Jane Medwell, 1994: 9). The objective of learning English in
Elementary School as a local content is “students are expected to have the
skills of the language in simple English”. They are expected to become more
familiar and can use English like their own, although it is a foreign language.
The students listen to the teacher using the target language communicative
from the beginning of instruction, and communicative
activities prevail throughout the course (Dian Larsen-Freeman, 1986: 109). The
teacher helps her students to understand her by using picture and occasionally
words (song) in the students’ native language and being as expressive as
possible.
Vocabulary
is an important element in a language, besides pronunciation and grammatical
rules. Teaching vocabulary is not easy for the teacher. According to Wright,
(in Lynne Cameron, 2001:12), a teacher needs to remember that children may
still be finding it difficult to use pronunciation correctly in their first
language to control reference across a sequence of events and plot actions, and
not to demand unreasonable skills in the foreign language.
One
implication is that when children learn a foreign language at the earliest stages
they have not developed skills and learning abilities in the first language. The
teacher needs to choose one of the techniques, which is the best for students. Good
vocabulary teaching techniques would interest the learners. A lot of students
are enthusiastic to practice language by using
it in games. Games are not only for fun but it also helps students to understand the learning
process in?????
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