Saturday, June 1, 2013

WHAT THE BABIES AND ADULT DO IN LEARNING LANGUAGE?

Each language has different system, so does English. The differences among the languages are felt difficult for learners when they are learning the target language, since their first language system is different from the target language they are learning. Sometimes, many foreign language learners and adult still have difficulties to use the target language. They are afraid of making mistake because they don't know much about the grammar. However, there are still many of them try to study hard to find the differences and similarities among the languages their learn to master them. They compare their first language to the target language. They also learn some theories from books, and practice to friends, teachers, the native speakers, etc. to know more about the language. Finally, they master the target languages they learn, and even a learner can speak more than one foreign language.

The babies also learn the grammar naturally from their environment where they live, whether from parents, family members, friends, etc. We can watch the babies learn the language from the their early development. They  listen gradually, imitate saying a word, some words,  sentences, use them to say, speak or communicate with other babies, talk to the parents, siblings, other members in the family around the environment in which they live, and so fort. They can easily speak with the language (mother tongue). When their mom or other persons where the baby lives move to a new place and new environment they learn new language itself. They do the same things to know the new language. I think we are necessary to get advantages for what the babies do when learning the language, and what the early language learners and adults use to learn and master some languages in order not to be not afraid and worry to practice using English and making mistakes or errors, so that they feel easily understand and communicate in English.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

PROMOTING OUTDOOR LEARNING ACTIVITIES



Formal teaching learning process generally happens indoor or in the classroom. The learners often feel frustrated when doing so many various complex assignment in the classroom. With the abundance duties they have to do, especially with full concentration in the classroom will increase the students' stress. In addition, there is no air conditioner in the classroom, the hot whether can decrease their comfort in learning. It's sometimes the teachers with unsuitable method in teaching will also influence the students' curiosity for  learning progress.
Considering the facts above I think teachers should think over to the plan they have made to modify the setting space to teach their students. They are necessary to bring their students out from the classroom to find new interesting atmosphere for teaching learning process. As the writer himself experienced when conducting teaching learning process outdoor, the students felt free to express their ideas, they were not afraid of making new creation, they felt safe with their teacher and friends to discuss something, unlike what they felt in the classroom, some students felt like they were in cage or in the prison, they were always kept by the security or even police, because they felt like prisoners. Moreover, they students can socialize with their friends, to work together, they feel the fresh air of the surrounding. They felt happy, they can smile and laugh together. The teacher can be a facilitator or even students' friend to share knowledge and experience, as well as the teacher can motivate them pleasantly. They can discuss firstly with the light topic then the more difficult one which is challenging and interesting for them. Let's see the following pictures:
                                                                   Figure 1

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Watching at the above figures, and considering the evaluation I gave to the students. The students felt easily respond the questions. They felt happy without thinking stress-fully. Those above activities gave chance to them to be more responsible in doing the assignment. They appreciate their friends ideas. They were cooperative. They were able to make decision for their own group. It was more interesting and challenging for them. So, applying the learning process outdoors motivate the students to learn enthusiastically and pleasantly.







HAVE FUN WITH GAME
There are many ways one can use when learning English. One of them is learning with game. one can feel happy when learning with game. Especially the early learners. Since the game is able to give them learn the target language by experiencing the process where they are involving with the game they are playing themselves. One of the game is "Dangerous game".

This game gives chance to the learners to learn vocabularies. For examples, they learn parts of speech. Some of them are noun, adjectives, verbs, conjunction, etc. Besides, they can learn some groups of words deal with certain aspects or classification that the teachers want, such as group of nouns in the bedroom, bathrooms, living room, kitchen, etc., and some groups of words deal with kinds of flowers, vegetables, profession, etc.

This game divides some students in pairs, where each pairs has the same groups of words they have to think and remember. For example, first pair belongs to noun, second pairs belongs to adjective, the third pair belongs to verbs, the fourth is adverb, etc. Each pair sits face to face with their legs straights face each other. They are all concentrate to what parts of speech the words the teacher mentions belong to. Then the pair who belongs to the word the teacher mentions has to run as past as possible jumping among the other pairs and surrounding them, then return to the place where they are sitting at first. The first student who can come to the first where she or he sits first. she or he will be the winner.After that, the teacher mentions the other new word dealing to the part of speech or certain group of vocabularies. and so fort. Like we can see in the following photo:
                                                                         Figure 1.
                                                                         Figure 2