Zone of Writers

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO TEACHING

2011-10-03T01:37:00.001-07:00

The recent advances in technology made possible by the internet have resulted in a rapidly changing world. In order to keep up with such advances, the presence of technology in the classroom has become of increasing importance.Integrating Technology into Teaching is a great way for an educator to enhance the effectiveness of their lessons and connect with their students. After all, the current young generation has been immersed in technology like never before, and using instructional technology is a way to accommodate their educational needs in a way that is familiar and fitting for them.So what are some of the meaningful ways to include technology in the classroom?To begin, instructional technology can be a great way for an educator to have their students conduct research. One way an educator could do this would be requiring students to conduct internet research for a project.In order to supervise and direct the effectiveness of this lesson, teachers could supervise computer lab time to make sure students are making correct use of their time.They could also assign requirements for references and citations in order to teach children best practices for internet research. Selecting a particular website for research on a particular unit or topic could be an effective way to provide students with further direction.Integrating technology into teaching can also be done by using computer software with the internet. Instructional technology can provide information and insight in creative formats, and software programs can provide lesson plans in a very effective manner.This technique could be used for any subject, such as math, science, social studies, and English. Examples of this could include students viewing a series of videos online to learn about the cultures of another country, or online educational presentations that can help them learn about geometric shapes.One of the great potentials of such examples of instructional technology and the internet is the fact that they can be interactive and hands-on activities for students. These online tools usually provide a small test at the end of the viewing material or throughout the presentation to involve the student directly in the process.Another effective method of utilizing instructional technology could be assigning students to create presentations using software. The effectiveness of this could be further enhanced by requiring students to post several links to websites, or embedding videos in the presentation. This will help students in their presentation skills, research skills and technology comprehension skills.Another wondrous benefit for educators to consider about integrating technology into teaching is the fact that using instructional technology is a way for teachers to diversify their teaching lessons with a different kind of approach.Providing more instructional variety aside from the usual lecture format can be a way to keep students engaged and interested in learning new material. It can also provide a breath of fresh air to certain lesson plans.As the world changes, education plans must change as well to keep up and prepare students for the future. Integrating technology into teaching is a necessary ingredient to preparing students sufficiently so that they are successful in their lives once they pursue their careers.

The Reason of Learning English

2011-10-03T01:31:00.001-07:00

Why do people choose to learn English? The reason is very easy: people want to communicate with others more and make more money even sometimes. Thus flocks of them try to learn speaking and writing, for the two parts are really something that can give you knowledge and profits. However, if you hope to learn this language very well, you have to make all your efforts to work.People always use their mother tongue to communicate with each other, so they can speak the language very fluently. If you can use English to speak with one another as you do in your native language, you will speak English as you speak your native language. In this case people who want to learn English very well have to exert to speak as much as possible. But this sentence is too general for you to comprehend, we need to analyze it.Once you decide to practice this language, whom do you hope to communicate with? Definitely you should choose to speak with foreigners. But I think you need to speak with native English speakers who have accepted fairly good education. Of course, communicating with common English natives is suitable to the English beginners. Or perhaps sometimes they think they can learn something by a software. Definitely they can, but they need to well-use the product at hand and must often spend some time staying with native English speakers.Then once you desperately want to speak this language well, what kinds of things do you need to speak with your foreign friends? Yes, you can start talking with your partners on some life style things which can always give others time to breathe the fresh air. But once you have conversed with them for some time, you had better move to other important things, like current news, books, researches, humanities and so on. Thus, your English vocabulary will increase and your fluency in this language will become nicer. But you should persist.As for English writing, you can touch it if you have strong interest or hope to get some money by using it. Some people would like to use this language to write stories or essays, for they want to be the writers in the future. But this is quite a tough way, for it is even not easy to use your native language to write something, how could you use another new language? So the harshness will get doubled if you determine to do so. Others may need to write something online about some products or important documents in English, so that they can get money, then they choose to learn English writing. But no matter which aim you have to write English, you need to work hard still and read lots of advanced English everyday. Once you have something stored in your mind, you have something to output.

Adopting Technology Into the Clasroom

2011-10-03T01:27:00.001-07:00

Classroom technology is not only the sign of improvement of today's technology but also an efficient and effective way to provide the students, an excellent and creative education. To improve the quality of the studies, you should have to insert some latest technological tools and terms in the classrooms to make the teaching more meaningful.Prepare presentation slidesA student's brain would capture the concepts rapidly if it is explained with related images, pictures or videos. So prepare presentation slides using power point or other presentation software and explain the lessons using it. You could include related pictures in the slides so that the students could understand easily. Also you could list out all the important points with bullets or numbering and highlight the important points using different colour. This will make the students feel at ease to study and thus create an interest in them to learn.Use Presentation toolsAnother important classroom technology to implement is presentation tools. The basic thing for a student to study well is the way of presentation that is provided to him by his teacher. So presentation plays a major role in teaching and learning. The way the teacher presents the lessons should be clear and informative and should be related to the topic taken by him/her. Use the presentation tools available currently in the market like smart board or IWB which are specifically designed for presentation purposes.Add MusicMusic has the magic power to improve the mood of any person. It has the ability to create pleasant surroundings. So create a nice environment to freshen up your student physically and mentally. A relaxed person can involve in his/her studies well. Add Background music to the presentation slides or videos while you take lessons; it should be soft and mild.Provide computer and secure internet accessWe all know that the internet plays a vital role in gaining knowledge as well as to communicate with people in an efficient way. It is cheap and convenient as well. You could say that the whole world is in your hands and you could communicate and share anything you know with anyone in the world. So provide the classrooms with computers and give secure internet connection for word processing, presentations, information sharing and research. Assign the teachers with laptop computers for mobile computing and remote access to systems to communicate with students, administration and parents via network.Join and create community or blogInformation sharing is the best way to contribute your knowledge to other people and also gain new information that you may not know. So the network helps you gradually in this regard. Create online community or blog and make your friends to join. Share your view and thoughts about anything you are interested. It could be something related to your studies or general stuffs like current affairs etc. You could also create a community among your students in which you could clear their doubts online when you are not in class. So that there will be good interaction between you and your class students.

All about learning language!

2011-10-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

Language is the medium we use to share our thoughts with other people, more and more people are learning a foreign language in order to communicate with people from different countries who speak another language. To master a language, we need to focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking, and to be completely immersed in the language.Traveling, living and studying abroad are ideal ways to learn any language while broadening your cultural awareness. However, that's not always practical. In fact by learning by yourself and being consistent, you can actually make considerable progress.In order to help us master the foreign language, we need as many tools and resources we can find. A grammar guide and a dictionary for the language are necessary, this will help us understand the basic mechanics of the language and the differences and similarities with our native language.Meanwhile, we should take advantage of resources such as book, newspaper, music, movie, radio and TV. A smart language learner also uses all the new technologies to reach his goal. With the help of modern information technology, learning a foreign language will be easier than ever. Internet can be the most primary resource. There are many online language courses, online dictionaries, newsgroups and other web resources such as magazine, newspapers, radio, TV, podcasts and blogs to help with your learning. There is so much good information out there. Whenever you have a question or something you don't understand, write it down, either ask a friend or go to the web for help. There are always friendly people in chat rooms, forums or Usenet, and of course the web knows all.It's pretty crucial we are able to hear what and how a native speaker of that language speaks and talks. You can talk in real time with native speakers directly just like on the telephone by utilizing voice and video chatting software, or using any of the main instant messaging services or software such as Skype. Additionally, you can use text to speech software to improve pronunciation and listening skills. Text to speech technology has been widely used, such as in a variety of telecommunication services where information is provided via telephone messages. Using text to speech software in language learning is an engaging and effective way to learn a language, you will now have the ability to know how a word should sound phonetically, as well as being able to listen to an accurate pronunciation. Now it is possible for you to listen to a native speaker's pronunciation on the computer in language learning.There are so many useful and interesting resources on the web for whatever language you are learning, these resources will help you tailor a custom program for yourself in any language learning. It is also important for you to study a little bit each day instead of a lot occasionally and then not much for a while. Daily repetition makes the language second nature. Generally a motivated person with a good method and practice will learn better and faster.

Why Do We Learn Language

2011-10-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

Why do people learn languages? Why would anyone want to learn someone else's language? Obviously, there are a lot of reasons, and if the question is on your mind, then you probably have a desire or need to learn a language yourself. The answer is often different for people. Put 10 random people together who are learning another language and you will probably have 7 or 8 different reasons and 5 or 6 different languages. Every answer is valid. Every reason is the right reason for that person and every language is the right language. There is no wrong answer to the question 'why learn a language?' and there is no wrong language to learn.The ability to learn another language is not limited by economic background, ethnic background, nationality, gender, race, religion, age or the grades you got (or are getting) in school. While everyone is different, and we all have differing abilities and strengths, we all have language ability to some degree. Maybe we all aren't going to become great orators or novelists in another language, but we all have the ability to learn, and communicate in other languages.There is no danger of learning 'too much.' You can't fill up your head with too much language, and there's no danger of you losing knowledge of the languages you already know. In fact, learning a foreign language (or more than one) improves memory, math skills, analytical skills, problem solving and increases critical thinking and creativity. Furthermore and most remarkably, learning a foreign language actually improves our reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in English.Languages don't just pop up out of nowhere, they evolve from other languages and change over time. Many of the most widely spoken languages are related and share some vocabulary, and even if they aren't, languages are always borrowing words from each other. English is full of words from many other languages.Learning another language not only gives you new knowledge, but expands upon your existing knowledge of English and gives you a whole new way of understanding it. Furthermore, you begin to learn how to learn languages, making it easier to learn other languages and understand how language and communication works in general. Other languages are not just a word for word translation of English, but an interpretation of events and opinions from a different point of view.So, why learn languages? Ok, so there are some benefits. Can learning a language benefit everyone? In a word - Yes. I'm sure if you look around and evaluate your life you will see lots of opportunities to use different languages. We are all surrounded by people who use other languages, or opportunities we could benefit from by using other languages. The possibilities are there if you look for them.Many people learn a language to connect with their roots. You may still have relatives living in the 'old country,' or you may just want to define yourself a little bit. Learning the language of our ancestors can help bring us into better contact with ourselves and open up a whole new understanding of ourselves and how we got to be who and where we are.Do you have a new addition to the family by marriage? Learning even a little of your new family members language can bring both families closer together. Or maybe you're looking for love yourself. Think of the possibilities when you learn another language. The increase in possible social contacts is tremendous when you add a whole new way to communicate. That goes for love, friendship, travel or business.The reasons for students to learn languages are many, and not just because you need it to graduate or get a certain degree. Obviously, improving English skills and overall communication skills are both valuable to students. Improvement of memory, creativity, problem solving ability and analytical skills also are of significant importance to a student. Studies show that bilinguals routinely outperform monolinguals in all areas of testing. Scores for SATs and other tests are shown to be higher for foreign language students, and the longer the foreign language study the higher the average test scores. Having second language skills also makes a student more competitive in the job market.Learning a language isn't just learning some new grammar concepts, vocabulary and different sounds. It gives insights into other cultures. It creates a more positive attitude toward people who are culturally different and gives us a better understanding of what it's like to be an immigrant. Accomplishing this life skill will give you increased prestige in your own culture and a markedly increased status in other cultures. It's a required skill to become a World Citizen.Ultimately, learning other languages gives us a better understanding of our own language and our own culture, and a new viewpoint to look at the world in which we live and define our place in it.The inner workings of each language are full of little nuggets that are downright enjoyable to learn. So, why learn languages? Lots of the reasons above pertain to me, but my answer is much simpler - because I enjoy it.

Thinking Like a Child Does not Always Mean Childish

2011-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why so many people never follow their dreams? Have you ever looked around you when you are on the bus, waiting in line at the bank or grocery store or even just around in the street?When you were a kid... You had dreams... you wanted to be a Fire fighter... an actor... a pilot... a billionaire... Spiderman!!! There were no limits to what you wanted to become.Who remembers that jar of cookies on top of the refrigerator... the jar that you could not reach? And do you remember doing everything you could to reach that jar?I still remember thinking... " I want the cookie no matter what". I remember grabbing a chair.... books... stacking them all up one on top of the other... until I could climb up all the way and get the cookie. I did not think about the difficulties or how high the chair was getting as I was stacking the books.As a child, the notion of fear is non-existent, and we think anything we want is achievable.What happens to our dreams, as we grow old? So many people around us say "NO"... that we get used to that "NO" and we let that word affect the way we think.Why is it that the little boy who wanted to be a fire fighter ends up being an accountant? The little girl who wanted to be a Ballerina ends up being a schoolteacher?We let the people around us influence our decisions. We forget our goals and follow what we think everyone else wants from us.We must each write our goals and dreams and have them near us each day. If you do not have a goal or plan of where you want to go in life, you will usually not like where you end up.What you have done up until now... up until 10 seconds ago... is GONE! You cannot change it! But what you can do... is change what you do as of Now... this minute... this second.Lao Tzu said... " When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be".Let go of the past... think of who you want to become and don't let other people tell you otherwise. Keep focus and remember how driven and courageous you were as a kid... never forget that feeling.So I'm talking to a friend of mine and I'm asking her whats she had been up to over the weekend. So you guys know... about a week prior to having this conversation, I had given her a great book about fear and positive thinking from one of my mentors.My friend says, " I have a great story for you!" and the story goes something like this...My friend has a 2-year-old daughter and as any parent, she is very protective of her. She was at the park with her daughter and she was about to climb up a very high net climber. She immediately ran to her to stop her and say, "NO!! Don't go up there! It's too dangerous!!"But then, just as she is about to talk to her, she remembered what she had learnt whilst reading the book. And instead of telling her no, he changed it to, " Be careful as you climb up. Watch your step ok? I'll be right here."She then told me that she had climbed up the net climber and nothing had happened. She was safe, she was happy and there was no danger.So what's the moral of the story?A child does not see difficulties as adults do. Children think a lot more positive and with a better attitude than we do!Why was it that my friend ran up to his daughter when she was going to climb up the net climber? Because as adults, we see the difficulties first. We go into panic mode without reason over the tiniest little things in life. His daughter did not see that. She just saw this fun climber and wanted to go up on it. It was not a difficulty; it was a fun challenge she wanted to do.She went on it and nothing happened. She was safe, she was smiling.Wouldn't it be great to be able to think like a child once in a while, when we are dealing with daily challenges? People like myself, Entrepreneurs, fall flat on the floor a lot of times! But guess what? We get up again!That is the way I like to see life. Some people see the glass half empty,others see it half full and I see it FULL; half full of water and half full or air!!It is all down to our way of thinking, and we can all learn to think more positively. Remember in part one, when I said you cannot change what you did 10 minutes ago, 1 minute ago, 10 seconds ago? Well you can't!But what you CAN do is change what you do and how you think as of today, as of right now, this minute.Think more like a child every day! And I do not mean act childish! I mean take the part of the children that have no fear, the part that sees everything as a fun challenge.

The Essence of Focus on What we Do

2011-10-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how different people who view the same incident can have different conclusions of what happened? Has your environment slanted your thinking? Have your experiences clouded your thoughts of good and bad?What causes us to have varying opinions of events? What can we do to remain focused and positive in our conclusions?Em reminded of the airplane passenger, waiting for takeoff. Looking to the left side of the plane, he saw a beautiful sunset. Looking to the right, he saw dark and threatening clouds. No matter the sky, his flight was still bound for a particular destination.Our lives are similar to the view of that passenger. We are heading on our destination, knowing there will be some happy, beautiful times, but there will also be some dark shadows along life's pathway.We can learn and appreciate a valuable lesson in this allegory. If we abide in Him, we will proceed to our destination with peace and joy, no matter the dark days that shadow our lifetime. We have that choice.We can dwell on the gloomy picture, or we can focus on the bright things and leave the dark and ominous situations to God. He, alone, can handle them anyway. Focus on God and you will be able to experience the peace that passes all understanding.

A to Z of Motivation

2009-10-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

Avoid Negative Thoughts, People, Things and Habits.

Believe in yourself.

Consider things from every angle and others points of view.

Dare to Dream and Dream Big

Energy, Excitement and Enthusiaism is in your blood.

Family and Friends are hidden treasures; enjoy these riches.

Give more than you planned to.

Have a good sense of humour.

Ignore Critisism, Ridicule and Discouragement from others.

Jump on Problems because they are Opportunities in disguise.

Keep up the good work however hard it may seem.

Love yourself, just as you are.

Make Impossibility a Possibility.

Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.

Open your eyes and see things as they really are.

Prefect Practice makes you perfect.

Quitters never Win and Winners never Quit.

Reward yourself for every small success and achievement.

Stop Wasting your Time and Procrastinating important Goals.

Take control of your Life and your Goals.

Understand so that you could Understood.

Visualize your Goals and Dreams everyday.

Win over your own weaknesses and make them as your Strengths.

Xccelerate your efforts

Yes Yes Yes, Yes you Can and You Will…!

Zap your Stress and Enjoy your Life..

POSITIVE THINKING

2009-10-30T03:09:00.000-07:00

Do not think of what you do not have;
Instead, appreciate what you have and can still have.

Do not think of things lost;
Instead, value what you still have and may yet find.

Do not cry over spilled milk;
Instead, rejoice in what was left.

Do not think of what you are not;
Instead, be humble with what you are and can still become.

Do not think of what others say you are;
Instead, concern yourself with what you affirm to be.

Do not think of the hours and days past;
Instead, look eagerly to times that are yet to come.

Do not think of what you failed to do;
Instead, think of those that you were able to do and can still best do.

Do not think of mistakes committed;
Instead, count the things you did right.

Do not think much of the pain you have caused;
Instead, plan for ways to make amends.

Do not think of the sufferings you now bear;
Instead, look to the comfort when relief draws near.

Do not consume yourself with thoughts of what could have been;
Instead, marvel at what has become and will become.

Do not be anxious to attain greater happiness;
Instead, content yourself with the little things which bring you bliss.

Do not aspire to fill your cup at once;
Instead, have the patience to do it little by little.

And if by chance you fail, do not fret over the empty part on top;
Instead, celebrate the space filled up.

Do not condemn nature when it is at its worst;
Instead, think of the times when it was at its best.

Do not blame luck for things you miss;
Instead, learn from things in which you have been remiss.

Nor should you curse luck or others for life's misfortunes;
Instead, accept them as part of life.

I say then, Live fully, die a little,
Learn much but question less.

Have just enough but give much more,
Be contented each time to crave much less.

Doubt less and affirm a lot,
Understand more, and be understood less.

Worry a little but hope you must,
Accept all, resist the least.

For all things happen, In due time they must.

HANDLING CRITICISM

2009-07-15T18:25:00.001-07:00

If you are innovative in any area and do stand out from the crowd you are most likely to receive quite much criticism, both constructive and unjustified. Even if you are not the most innovative business owner out there I am sure you have been criticized many times. But were you able to respond to the criticism? Did you take the criticism and turned it in to something good? Below is a few pointers how to handle criticism in your business.

Do not feel discouraged

You have to keep an positive attitude and do something good with the criticism you get. All the criticism you get will not be justified, and when it is not you got to be able to speak up for yourself against the person criticizing you.

If your critic is hostile, it is often from being jealous and what the person criticizing you knows is that it will hurt you, make you sad or maybe even angry. As an entrepreneur you got to work on your self-esteem and keep your head high all the time and really believe in yourself. The best way to handle destructive feedback would probably be to just ignore it. Whatever you do, do not sink to their level, if you are to respond to their criticism, do it in a way that will help you instead of making it worse. You do not always have to defend yourself.

Listen and then act

If it is constructive feedback you get you should really listen to what the person has to say and take that in to consideration, but do not just listen to one persons opinion, whether you feel the feedback is good or bad you should always look for more sources for feedback and if the majority says the same, it is time to act.

Do not forget to express gratitude to your critic when the criticism is justified.

If you feel that the criticism you just got was justified but in no way constructive, take that negative feedback and turn it in to something positive. Ask the critic to explain, and give you full feedback so that you can improve.
You can really benefit from criticism, and the ability to handle criticism is a vital key to success.

SELF DISCIPLINE

2009-07-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

Self discipline, the art of being able to step out of your comfort zone and stop making all your decisions based only on your comfort level. Is that a good description? I think so, or as a matter of fact I know it is that way based on my own experiences and what I have heard from other entrepreneurs, most of them working from their home.

By stretching beyond our comfort level we are able to really get things done that needs to get done and by that we are also boosting our confidence in what we do. Most of us know what needs to be done and are actually able to do it, but a lot of people, including myself, sometimes find it hard to discipline ourselves above of what is comfortable at the moment, and with this our companies do not perform what they should if we would give 100% to get our job done.

Because of this we all really need to have a look at this, and what can be done to change this set of mind to the better. How do we stretch ourselves over to the next level out of the comfort zone? There are a couple of steps to help you improve.

Your Responsibility

A first step to take is to acknowledge your responsibility. You got to see what you have to do to be succesful with your venture and admit to yourself that you are sitting around doing nothing and that it is your own fault if you do not succed when doing this.

Define your purpose

What do you want to accomplish? That is a question that helps you determaine a cause of why you are doing what you are doing. A part of this process is setting goals and realizing the importance of goals.

Do not feel stressed

It may take some time to get things done, but do not feel stressed over work, try to find the balance and allow things to take the time it needs. My article on stress management can be a great additional read to this article.

Schedule work

If you are really having a hard time getting a good structure in your work, setting up a schedule with work sessions is an excellent tool. As self-employed you should still work at least 8 hours a day if needed, and if you are working at home you can be more flexible so if you need you can spread your work sessions over the day. But if you are really having problems with your discipline you should not divide your work sessions in more than two 4 hours sessions.

Except from scheduling the hours you should also set up a priority list, with what you have to do today and what should be finished during these work sessions. When something has been done, strike it off the list.

Avoid distractions

As I discussed in my article, Importance of a seperate work space it is very important to find a place to work at where a minmum of distractions are available. This includes family members, TVs and other stuff keeping you from 100% focus on your task.

As with everything you need to do you will be tempted to not do it from time to time, to make up excuses for youself why you should not do it. Do NOT fall for that. Instead offer yourself some incentives and think of what you can do, when the money comes rolling in. Maybe a cruise in the Carribbeans or a new bike? On what level you put it is up to you, but it sure helps to motivate you.

There is no short cut to this, it is all about hard work, but with the steps above you are able to set your mind to this and start your journey to success.

When you have set a higher level of self discipline you will be able to do almost anything, the only one that can stop yourself from doing something is you.

HANDLIN' FAILURE

2009-07-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Failure is something most of us have to deal with in our life, both in our personal life and in business and work situations. Failure should not be seen as something negative, instead you should learn from your failure, and the next time you try whatever you failed at, you use this new wisdom and go for it.

Do not be afraid to make mistakes
If you are starting a new venture or are looking to try out new things in life you are sure to make some mistakes. A small mistake does not make a failure alone, and should never be considered a failure. Make mistakes and learn from them and you will grow in competence in whatever it is you do.

Take risks
I use to tell people “You got to bet to win”, which simply means that you got to take some risks if you are going to succeed, and on the road to success there are many wrong turns that leads to failure but that should not scare you. Dare to do something different and you are more likely to succeed than your neighbour sitting in front of his TV complaining all day long. If you are failing at least it shows you are trying to accomplish something.

See it as a learning process
As with all that is new for us we discover obstacles along the way as we work with it, and because of this you should take it as a learning process where you get valuable feedback to your own capabilities and your ventures possibilities. It is a known fact that we humans learn from failure. Keep trying until you find out what works and what does not work.

Keep a positive attitude
Always aim to keep a positivt attitude to your failures. Do not let the negative sound of the word send shivers down your spine, there should be no shame in failing even if that is what is taught to most of us. Do not mind what other people say or think if they can not give you any constructive feedback to help you improve.

A good thing is to ask yourself “What good comes out of this situation?” and “What can I do better next time?”. By putting yourself against the wall with some questions you get to move on, and put the failure behind you.

So any final words to this article? Yes. DO NOT GIVE UP

NO VICTORY WOTHOUT SACRIFICE

2009-07-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

I was watching the movie Transformers the other day, which was a great movie. It was one quote that was kind of important in this movie that caught my attention and got me to reflect to what I write about here on the blog and that was, “no victory without sacrifice”.

Take risks

Taking risk is somehow vital that we experience in ourlives. When we want to succeed we need to take the challenge s well as risk in achieving every single thing we dream. In line with this, I include a short list of steps to take to overcome the fear of taking risks. So read the steps below and step out of your comfort zone.

Do not hold back
If you are going to do something, then really do it. Commit yourself to what you are doing and do it fully.

Your feelings
Do not let your feelings control your actions in your business too much. Do not let anxiety beat you, look at the facts and calculate what you have to loose and what you have to gain.

Just DO it
Do not hesitate. Of course you should not always take a risk without calculating but sometimes it is easier to just jump off the cliff than to stand and watch how high up it is. The longer you wait, the higher the chance is that you will “chicken out”.

What you got to do is bet to win, and realize that you do not always win but for every time you try you are getting closer to you goal. After each risk taken it will get easier, it is like practicing a sport.

Are you willing to risk loosing out on wonderful rewards and success just because you are to afraid to step out of your own comfort zone? If not, it is time to act.

There is no victory without sacrifice

Are Examinations the best way to evaluate students ?

2009-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Socrates once said, “An unexamined life is not worth living”

The examination system has been used for a long time. But has always been debatable whether it is really a good way to judge a student’s degree in education?

There must be something to segregate the wheat from the chaff.

Can one imagine if there were no examinations how difficult it would have been to employ or judge a certain person’s abilities and qualifications? How could a company employ employees if there was no measurement to determine the level of intelligence?

The score cards, the grades and the degrees play an important role in forming or destroying ones career especially in the service industry. But what about the language subjects? Is it possible to judge a person’s language ability through examinations? Today most companies look for communication skills and fluency in English. In the exam a student might fare well in the written, but when it comes to spoken language he/she is not able to express himself very well, thus loses the opportunity, as Language is the international passport today.

But most of the time, the scoring system is a mandatory tool used for recognizing a student’s ability. Where there is measurement, there are results. Result needed for judgment and evaluation towards a purpose. If student is the purpose for being tested, its usually associated with knowledge, skills, eligibility and behaviors that one can achieve. This is its general purpose. But examining a student should not be the only way to judge a student.

An examination is a memory test only. How much one has been able to memorize in a given time than how much he has been able to understand through the academic year is what is tested in the examination. But if that is the yardstick to one’s intelligence, then I am afraid a person who can mug up the whole book has an advantage over a practical and intelligent person who thinks logically and acts according to the given situation. But the mugger can also be at a disadvantage because he might get some question which he has not mugged up, then he is at a loss, and he is not creative enough to write on his own, so he flunks in the examinations. If they are lucky to conjecture the right questions, then they get better result. It is a convenient system for the teachers but definitely not for the students in the long run. Some students are under a lot of stress when they take the exams and are not able to give in their best, in spite of having the ability to perform better.

Passing the exams with flying colours does not often guarantee a wonderful career but proves ones worthiness through the confidence, one gains in the process. It is not really the level of knowledge, theory or practical understanding that is tested. It is the proceeding value that is underlying.

If gold is measured in carat value; then there must be something to measure intelligence, even though it’s not the most perfect measure, even though a widely accepted one. Though examination seems to be the only reason why people study these days, to achieve high grades, and thus get a respectable position in the corporate world or establish their present and pave way for the future, the question is whether examinations are the only way for evaluation? If not then what could be a substitute or an addition to it, is a matter of concern.

Philosophers like Socrates found knowledge interesting that is why they examined things but these days examination has lead to a great dislike to education, the end is important, the means immaterial! Education is a way of enlightening people and making them aware of the world they live in and to help them voice their opinion on important issues in life later.

When this is the aim of being educated, is the examination essential?

Well! This needs lots of brain storming sessions and the changes have to be made in the top rung, that is the education system. So that the demands of the service sectors can be met with equal number of people graduating out skillfully to meet the demands! A demand and a supply equation.

There could be a comprehensive and continuation evaluation of the student through out the academic session. This has been proposed by the CBSE,{Central Board of Secondary education} which would enable the right qualities of a child to be brought to limelight and honed in the right direction thus preparing him to be a better skilled person. Exams should be the exact reflection of what the students have learnt. Nevertheless we all know that the exams as “the only” instrument to evaluation, doesn’t always give the exact picture of a child’s ability. Many a times the resulting grade is usually disappointing and the poor result is not necessarily from the student’s lack of knowledge about the subject but rather from personal circumstances, stress, nervous, health problems, etc. hence his state of mind, resulting in the performance, good or bad!.

When a teacher knows his students well and observes their progress through the academic year, checks their work on a day to day basis, with weekly and monthly assignments and projects, he or she would have a precise and a clear idea about the ability and the performance of the child even before he appears for the examination

If the outcome of the examination is not as per the standard and expectation of the child and the teacher, the child will be at an advantage if circumstances of the student’s environment at home and at class are analysed. Although this is a Herculean task for the teacher and calls for immense patience, yet it is worth the effort, because it helps a young life in the long run and gives satisfaction to the teacher to have been able to do justice to the student.

An efficient and a capable teacher must use every resource within his/her reach to evaluate a child in a continuous and comprehensive manner. Tests, reports, assignments, worksheets, short plays, role plays, etc , are various ways to grade students’ ability and efficiency.

Every new change has obstacles and it will not be an overnight change, although it will be a welcome change in the long run. This would be a silver lining to a child’s education because when a student will pass out of the school, he will be armed with the hard and soft skills as well. Though this cannot be the only way of testing students, this could be certainly an additional tool to the existing examination pattern.

However, not all the exams are the same, some kind of exams are more fair (or just) and their grade more objective than others. The “multiple choice tests” in which one must choose one of the four or five possible answers can be used to evaluate facts, dates, usually very concrete knowledge and in some cases the student can even guess the answer. On the other hand, essay type questions can be tested in written so that the students can express their depth of understanding of a particular subject, where synthesizing and formulating a critical opinion, based of the class room discussions is imperative, as it includes a learning process than the solving process or memorizing concrete facts and reproducing them in the written format.

A preference to one kind of exam doesn’t rule out the value of the other. Both should be complementary to each other as the purpose of both is to measure general educational development and improvement in the student. A wise teacher and an efficient system should implement and practice a continuous and comprehensive evaluation and every teacher must know that “What we test is what we teach or what we teach is what we test”. A student should never be tested on what he is not taught.

But it’s a complete different scenario when the student is analysed only on the basis of the exams and his competitiveness at the university level, for grants or for scholarships. In all these situations it’s not a test of knowledge but a test of scores and qualifying for that particular purpose. Here the understanding between the examinee and examiner is not crucial or viable, but a demonstration through an objective aptitude test is the means to achieve the grades. If the test is well designed and the grading system well adapted, the exam would be just and the calibre of the student well displayed.

When it’s the question of the supply and demand ratio to the job market, it is evident that employers and community groups need validation and certificates. The worth of the candidate is analysed on the basis of the certificates he holds and the grades he secures during the learning process. This is the only authentic way to judge the candidature of a candidate. Sadly, even the certificates can be procured today, by unfair means.

To come to any sort of conclusion it would need many brain storming sessions and changes will have to be made in the education system itself and of course the service industry, because all said an done the education a person acquires caters to the need of the industry, and vice versa. Every new change has teething problems and obstacles and definitely it will not be an overnight change, though it will be a welcome change in the long run. This would be a silver lining to a child’s education because when a student passes out of the school he would be not only be BOOK WISE but also armed with the hard and the soft skills, which he will acquire through the various activities of the continuance comprehensive evaluation, not through written exams.

Finally, all said and done, it’s the basic education system, the need of a uniform pattern of education, irrespective whether it’s a public school or a private one and last but not the least the demands of the service industries, which have to undergo a massive change, if the testing of the students through the examination has to change. After all, the result, the grades and percentage is the name of the game. Higher the grades / percentages, higher the chances of getting jobs or getting qualified for further studies, irrespective of whether the student was a product of a public school or a private school. If this changes, the change in the system will be a welcome change as it will bring out the best of the student in a natural process of learning and not through the stressful and strenuous trodden routine of the examination.

What Went Wrong When Children Stop Sharing Their Problems?

2009-06-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

All parents desire that their children share their problems with their parents. However, many children do not share the same desire. Why does such a situation arise?

It is very often painful for children to bring up their problems to their parents. If, what they get in return from their parents are nothing more that irrelevant, and sometimes inappropriate, responses and instructions, the children will feel that it is not worth their trouble to be open with their parents. Also, sometimes, the responses are so disempowering to the children that they are actually not only counter-productive, they can be very damaging to their children’s development.

We, as parents, have to understand the reasons why giving out advices without careful understanding is not helpful. We will have to learn to respond to our children’s problems in such a way that we empower them to solve their own problems.

We shall now discuss the reasons why giving advices to our children the usaul way is not helpful to our children.

We assume that we know what the problems are and forget to first listen carefully in order to better understand the problems. As a result, due to lack of in-depth understanding of the real issues, the advice that we so readily provide will not be relevant and will not solve the problems.

Without sufficient probing, we may not understand our children’s points of view or perspectives on what trouble them. As a result we do not provide the solutions that our children need. When our children share conflict that they are having with their friends, we may start advising them on how to stay away from those friends while they actually may be feeling guilty for not treating their friends right and want to gain the courage to apologize to their friend. As a result we may be doing further damage to relationships that they are trying so hard to salvage.

In our eagerness and haste to provide the counsel, we forget to extend empathy to our children for the problems they are facing. Our children will not feel connected to us, and they may feel that whatever suggestions we provide have no bearings on their problems and are unlikely to be accepted.

As we are the one dishing out the advice, if the advice turns out to be good, the credit goes to us and not to our children. On the other hand, if the advice is taken and implemented but does not turn out to be successful, it is taken to be our children’s fault as the advice is likely to have been one that was successful when followed by another person. In this case, it is a lose-lose situation for our children because if the advice is successful, we claim the credit and if it is a failure, it is a reflection of our children’s incompetence and stupidity.

We take the position of the experts who have the knowledge and wisdom and we talk down when we give advice, instead of speaking as equals. We treat our children as if they have neither the knowledge nor the skills to handle the problems. It is a one-way traffic and likely to be resented by our children because they feel that we treat them as if they have nothing good to share with us.

We give the message that we think our children cannot develop the solutions themselves. This is dis empowering for our children and will do great harm to our children’s development.

We do not show appreciation for the efforts our children have taken in solving their own problems. This will discourage them to take great efforts in coming up with their own solutions and taking the necessary steps to solve the problems when other problems crop up in the future.

They may just want to share their problems with us and do not want or need any counsel from us at all. Whatever advice we provide may not only be futile, but damaging to our childrens' self esteem.

We shall now discuss what we shall take into consideration when we respond to our childrens' sharing of the issues that they face.

How are you going to understand their problems and help your children gain a better understanding of their own problems so that they can develop their own solutions? As parents, we encourage our children to connect the various aspects of the problem that trouble them in order to help them to have a good grasp of the specific issues that trouble them and encourage them to develop their own solutions.

How are you going to show sufficient empathy with your children so that they feel fully connected with you enough to express their real thoughts and feelings and be receptive of what wisdom you may have to offer? Our children want to feel that we are there with them - not just physically, but emotionally as well. We want them to feel that we do feel the way they feel. It is vital that we do not belittle their feelings.

How are you going to make the situations “win-win” for them? That is, how are you going to encourage them to develop their own solutions and they take the credit when they succeed and also take the credit for the efforts taken when they fail? If they are the ones who come up with the solutions they should be the ones who claim the credits when they succeed. On the other hand, if they fail, provide the encouragement that they have taken the efforts which are by themselves very admirable. When they fail, encourage them to get up again, examine the reasons for failure and try again.

The last, but definitely not the least, question is this: “What else can you do to make them feel that it is always good for them to bring their problems to you?”

LEARNING TIPS FOR STUDENTS

2009-06-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Long ago, there was a time, when parents told children to read slowly and loudly to understand everything they read.

A lot of things have changed. Today’s children have bigger syllabi to learn. Now, learning experts and teachers ask students to read faster and grasp important points.

Here are a few tips for students who have a lot to learn, but very little time.

Make a Timetable

Your timetable should have separate time for eating, playing games, exercise, reading newspaper and study materials. You should not only make a timetable, but also should stick to it.

Give priority to leisure and games in the afternoon, but separate early morning time for studies. Make sure you read all the class notes before you go to bed.

While allotting time to different subjects, allot more time to difficult subjects. You need only less time for the subjects that are easier for you to learn.

Taking Notes

Taking notes is an important part of learning. You need to take lecture notes (classroom notes) and notes from your textbook.

- Go through the lessons on the day before your teacher would teach it in the class. This gives you an idea of what to expect.

- Write down important ideas as bullet points. One word or a phrase is enough to include an idea.

- Give prominence to important ideas by underlining them in your notes.

- Leave lot of space in each face of paper. This will help you add new points later.

- Organize your notes into separate files. Each subject should have a different file. Label the outer page of the file with name of the subject and your teacher. You should also neatly organize each file according to chapters and topics.

- Read the notes (important points) in the night, before going to bed. Read only once. This helps you memorize the lessons clearly.

- While taking notes from a book, label the name of the book and author. Also, note the page number next to your notes. It makes it easy for you to refer to the book three or six months later.

Reading Techniques

You need to read fast and grasp more things. Here are some pointers to fast reading.

- Note the name of the book and its author in the reading log.

- Take a quick look from cover to cover to identify the important chapters.

- Take a quick look over the chapter, identify the important points, and note them down.

- Read the lesson fast. To increase the speed of learning, pass your eyes through the top of the letters and not through the center. For example, while reading, pass your eyes through the area where the dot above the letter i appears and not through the loop of the letter o.

- Don’t take notes while reading.

- Don’t go back to read a word or a sentence. If you don’t get the idea of the subject, you can come back to the sentence after you finish reading the chapter. Never look up a dictionary while in the middle of reading a chapter. Refer dictionary only if you don’t automatically understand the meaning of a word after finishing the paragraph and the chapter.

- Note down the points you remember. Now check if you have taken all the important points, with another fast reading.

How to increase memory

Try to understand completely what you read or hear.

Repeat what you hear or read in your mind.

Make notes of what you learn at school or read from books. A single word can help you remember a whole idea.

Give number to the points.

Don’t try to bring to memory all the things you have learned. Learn the technique of bringing to memory one thing at a time.

How to increase concentration

Mental concentration is important to memory and better learning.

Stick to your reading timetable. You should separate a specific place and specific time of the day for reading.

Sit erect. It increases your concentration.

Don’t allow disturbances like phone calls, music etc while reading.

Concentrate on the lessons you read. Don’t think about the next book you have to read while you are reading a book. A better way is to make an order of the books and lessons to read and arrange them in order before you start reading.

Immediately after reading a paragraph, try to recall the idea from that paragraph. This helps you concentrate more on your reading.

Ideal conditions for reading/learning

A silent location that you don’t use for sleeping, eating or leisure purposes is the most ideal condition for reading.

Install a fluorescent tube light in the reading room. This helps mild light to fall evenly all over the room. Don’t sit in the darkness while reading. If you use table lamp, arrange it towards your left if you are a right-hander.

Arrange the papers, pencils, boards and books on the table before you start reading.

Never try to read while you are tired or ill.

Eat healthy food rich in carbohydrates, proteins and fibers. Replace fast food, pizza, burger, chocolates, ice creams, etc with fresh fruits, whole grain food items (like chapatti), milk, fruit juices, etc.

Exercise daily. Swimming, cycling and jogging are good for students. Practice yoga. It increases concentration and willpower.

Don’t watch TV. Instead, play some games in the outdoors. While TV makes you dumb, the games make you smarter.

Read lot of books. Read classic stories, fables (like Aesop fables, Panchatantra stories, etc), etc. Don’t spend too much time on comic cartoons.

KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION

2009-03-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent the Merciful

Similar to my previous experience deals with acquiring knowledge, the period of becoming a student is always wonderful. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to continue my study into higher education level. When I graduate from college I have my own point of view that it is enough to have such that knowledge in teaching as I always believe that we can receive as well as access it everywhere. But then it's not always true.

Since I'm a very curios person, that is I always want to know everything related to improve my teaching and how to be valuable teacher, I need to have such a person who will be able to answer all questions in my mind. It then, becomes a bases of decision that continuing my study is seen essential to fulfill my curiosity. Having had that plan in my mind, I need to take several things into account as well; time, fund, job, etc. Moreover, when I finally decide to keep on my study outside my current town, there are even more consideration I need to take.

The first time I attended the classroom I got shocked when I know that most of my friends are professional lecturers. Furthermore, the lecturers who taught us are also really good and perfectionist. I was wondering whether or not I could show my best here, in my beloved campus. The more I know, the more I realize that I am nothing. The more I study, the more questions I have in my mind. The academic atmosphere here then motivates me to study harder than others not only to get more knowledge but also to make my spoken English sounds more natural. It's really great having either friends and lecturers who have good ability. I feel nothing to worry to ask.

However there are always consequences on something that we decide. Though it is so lovely having chance to continue my study, I also have to deal with several student problems. Becoming a magister student is not as easy as I imagine- it's not a piece of cake-. It is the second time I experience with "academic shock" in becoming a student. The first is when I was a new student at Islamic boarding school. I must learn religious subjects in which I was not familiar with most of them. Besides, the study time itself. I was not in a habit studying from early morning until the evening. But then those things didn't matter anymore when I found Islamic motivational quote in one of my subjects.

It is mentioned that there are six essential things in acquiring knowledge; Intelligence, willingness. seriousness, fund, teacher's guidance and long period. (.....dakaain wa hirsin wajtihaadin wadirhaamin wasuhbatil ustaadzi wa thuulizzamaan). Whenever I remember this quote, I feel better and become more motivated. Then I come to my conclusion that every single thing we have, we face, and we think is sometimes difficult but there is always way to overcome it if we know how.

All in all, I believe that God has determined which is best for us. So every pain, everything which burdens us is just a lesson or examination given by God to make us stronger and appreciate every single effort we do in achieving our dreams.

So,what about you?

CULTURE SHOCK

2009-02-28T02:56:00.001-08:00

“A fish out of water”: This expression has been used to describe someone who is living in a new culture. Such a person will experience a variety of emotional “ups and downs” lasting from weeks to years. The different culture can indeed be difficult, and newcomers adapt in many different ways.

When people are immersed in a new culture, “culture sock” is a typical response. In the other word, culture shock is the response that an individual may have in a new country; the person may feel confused and disoriented, and every aspect of daily life may be difficult. They are immersed in new problems such as housing, transportation, employment, shopping and language.

The Differences of Value of Time between US and Indonesia.

Some newcomers to a society do well in their first year of cultural adjustment. However, they may have a more difficult time later. Perhaps they expected the second year to be as easy and successful at the first year, but are not prepared to deal with obstacles that arise during the second year. It is because of the culture in each county is different. In the next discussion it will be explained the differences of culture in The United States and Indonesia. The cultural aspect which will be compared is the value of time in both countries.

Sometimes it is difficult to describe the values or ideals of a culture from within the culture. However, if one were to look at the culture from the outside, certain observations could be made more easily. It is important to understand both American and Indonesian values of time so that, the culture shock which occurs as a result of total immersion in a new culture, doesn’t happen.
Since most people take time for granted, the effects of values on the use of time is seldom examined. A culture that values achievement and progress will discourage people from wasting time. Social etiquette determines appropriate times for visits, meetings, and even phone calls.

Time is tangible: one can “gain time”, “spend time”, “waste time”, “save time” or even “kill time”. Generally, Americans are taught to do one thing at a time and maybe uncomfortable when an activity is interrupted. Promptness is important in American business, academic, and social settings. The importance of punctuality is taught to young children in school. The use of bells signals to the child that punctuality and times it self is to be respected. In America, people who keep appointments are considered dependable. If people are late to job interviews, appointments, or classes, they are often viewed as unreliable and irresponsible. In the business world, “time is money” and companies may fine their executives for tardiness to business meetings. Of course, it is not always possible to be punctual. Social and business etiquette also provides rules for late arrivals. Calling on the telephone if one is going to be more than a few minutes late for scheduled appointment are considered polite and often expected. Keeping a date or a friend waiting beyond ten to twenty minutes is considered rude. On the other hand, arriving thirty minutes late to some parties is acceptable.

Now we go to discussion of values of time in our country, Indonesia. Living in Jakarta- a capital of Indonesia-, we have all had experiences related to poor time management. It is almost as if there is growing culture of jam karet or casually extended time in which deadlines are not honored, guests including ministers and officials cancel at the last minute, project overruns become the norm and days are spent wasting time followed by hours scrambling to catch up. The excuses are often the same, traffic jam, scheduling mix-ups, unforeseen emergencies, communication problem, and tendency of forgetful and so on.
Since Indonesians have a lack of organization at time, they have several rules of time arrival. If people are late to work, appointments, or classes are forgivable and understandable for the first time as long as they have a good reason. Later on, if they still do this, they will get warning and punishment. If they are late to business meeting they are judged as impolite person. Keeping a friend waiting for thirty minutes or an hour is acceptable. But if they make their boyfriend or girlfriend waiting although for fifteen minutes, they are considered rude.

At last we come to discussion of time orientation. As we know, cultures tend to favor either a past, present or future orientation with regard to time. A future orientation, encompassing a preference for change is characteristic of American and Indonesian culture. The society encourages people to look to the future rather than to the past. Technological, social, and artistic trends change rapidly and affect people’s lifestyles and their relationships. Although both countries are same in characteristic, but there is a difference in application. Americans apply it as a trend-setter while Indonesians as a follower.

2009-02-28T02:43:00.000-08:00

TEACHING VOCABULARY THROUGH GAMES FOR YOUNG LEARNER
By: Refika Amalia Fitri

I. INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, English becomes an international language widely used throughout the world. In fact most people use it for their own purposes, such as: overseas study, trading, and others. The use of English language is also widely developed in the society, especially in school. Because of that, English as a foreign language has been taught formally to children in Elementary schools as one of local content subject.
Since this a new phenomenon, many experts of teaching are interested in trying to give their ideas in how to teach children English effectively and efficiently.
Teaching English to children of Elementary school age is different from teaching English to adults. A teacher who teaches English to children at elementary school must consider many aspects of children’s development in Elementary school. One of these aspects is the characteristic of children in understanding the words in English.
In learning English there are four skills that should be mastered by the students, they are listening, speaking, reading and writing. To master those skills, there are several aspects in English which can support them. One of supporting aspect is vocabulary. It is necessary to give new English words in their learning process. It introduces young learners a set of new words in English so which finally help them to master the skills that have been mentioned above.
Researchers say that vocabulary must be encountered at least seven times before it is truly learnt. They also advise that words are most easily learnt when students manipulate them and make them their own in some memorable way. For both these reason, games have particularly important role to play in vocabulary learning. They provide an enjoyable way of revisiting words and they give students especially young learner the opportunity to use them in memorable way.

II.YOUNG LEARNER
A. Characteristics of Young Learner
According to Scott, the children are divided into two groups. They are: the five to seven years olds and the eight to ten years olds. The first group (the five-seven years olds) is the beginner stage. The other (the eight-ten years olds) is beginner or elementary stage. Each stage has its own characteristics.
Children of Elementary school are approximately seven to eleven years old age and called by educators as elementary school age. At that range of age, children are usually eager to learn many things. According to Hurlock, “A school age is a time when the child is expected to acquire the rudiments of knowledge that are considered essential for successful adjustment to adult life. It is also a time when he is expected to learn certain essential skills, both curricular and extra curricular.”1
It is added by Piaget in GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education), “This stage is called ‘concrete’ because children can think logically much more successfully if they can manipulate real (concrete) materials or picture of them.”2
Based on those statements above, teaching children should be in concrete way because it helps them to acquire knowledge easier. A teacher, as a person who plays an important role in the classroom, should recognize and consider the characteristics of children in elementary school age. This is important to help teacher decide or provide appropriate teaching materials as well as activities to be used in the learning and teaching process.
According to Fisher (1977), there are some characteristics of children during this stage:
1.They required an abundance of concrete materials and experiences.
2.They need a rich language environment. Their oral language is developing throughout the period of concrete operations.
3.They are active. Concrete operational children still need opportunities to move about and become actively involved in their learning.
4.They have individual interest. Learning can and should grow out of children’s interests.
5.They want adult approval. Thus, encouragement and praise can stimulate and foster children’s learning.
6.They are individuals. They have different interest and learn at different rate. They will be at different levels of developments.
7.They are socially aware of others. Children at this age want to communicate and exchange ideas with others.3

Those characteristics show that children of this period have started thinking logically. They still have difficulty in understanding abstractions, they cannot learn things which are not concrete. Therefore, the teachers should help the students with the real materials or realia.
In general, children of this stage are egocentric and they are different. They like anything which is centered on themselves. So, the teachers should be aware and consider these characteristics in order to create interesting and fun learning for children. It means that the teacher should be creative to create the atmosphere in his or her classroom.

III.TEACHING VOCABULARY TO YOUNG LEARNERS

If language structures make up the skeleton of language, then it is vocabulary that provides the vital organs and the flesh. An ability to manipulate grammatical structure does not have any potential for expressing meaning unless words are used.
For many years vocabulary was seen as incidental to the main purpose of language teaching-namely the acquisition of grammatical knowledge about the language. Vocabulary was necessary to give students something to hang on to when learning structures, but was frequently not main focus for learning itself.
Teaching vocabulary is clearly more than just presenting words. At beginner level, we may want to ask students to try to work out what words mean, rather than just handing them the meanings: when students have ‘had a go’ with the words we can lead feedback sessions to see if they have understood the words correctly.
There are many occasions when some form of presentation and or explanation is the best way to bring new words into the classroom. The examples are: realia, pictures, mime, action, gesture, contrast, enumeration, explanation, and translation.
Refers to the characteristics of young learner which say that children like learning in fun and interesting situation, the activities should be designed in order to attract the learners’ attention to the material which is given. It can be done in many ways and depends on the teacher’s creativity. In this discussion, the games are chosen in teaching vocabulary for young learner.
A game may be excellent as a game and yet of no value as an aid to language learning. Games, therefore, should not be regarded as a marginal activity, filling in odd moments when the teacher and class have nothing better to do. Some of vocabulary games are rather different: in adding extra words the learners are demonstrating their own knowledge, but to fellow learners. There is a communicative aspect to this activity too, the knowledge is shared. There are several considerations in using a game for teaching a material.

a.Organization of the Class
Many of games depend on good class organization. In doing the games, a teacher should divide the students into teams or groups. Teams are larger than groups. In class of average size, with two teams, there could easily be three groups in each team. Organization into groups, all of which can be active at the same time, is one way of multiplying language practice. The teacher should be able to get from group to group quickly, and this may mean that furniture has to be rearranged. If the classroom is unbearably crowded, it may be possible, depending on the climate and weather, to leave it. Young learners cannot learn language really well and enjoyably unless from time to time they can move about and do things while speaking it, and it is therefore a great advantage if they can get out readily from their seats.
Children nowadays, especially those for young children, are often equipped with light and easily moved tables, around each of which a group of learners may sit. It is an advantage for older learners, too, to have plenty of space and to be able to move easily about the room. Various arrangements of furniture have desirable for various activities. Sometimes the furniture gets in the way and it is necessary to push it back again the wall, example for the dramatization.

b. Scoring
When points are scorer, it is advisable to vary the method of scoring. Psychologically, it is better to give points for success than to take them away for failure, even if this procedure keeps the score very busy.
Images of things which climb or expand are useful as means of visually representing this correct. Thus, if the number of points likely to be scored is small, they can be marked on later as they are won.
Human or animal shapes (e.g. stick figure) interest more than more dots or abstract symbols, and colored chalks each can be different. Where blackboard space is limited, one ladder can show several scores. It is essential; however, that lesson should be well prepared and pleasantly and brightly conducted, so that learners actively use the language most of the time.

IV. VARIOUS GAMES IN TEACHING VOCABULARY FOR YOUNG LEARNER

1.What’s this / that? – Who’s this/ that?
Age :children
Group size :whole class or groups
Use :to practice naming people and object

Procedure:
Learners in turn hold up or touch or point to objects or people (or to pictures of them), naming a pupil in another team to answer. Those who answer correctly ask a similar question in return. If an answer is incorrect, the questioner (or perhaps someone else from the same team) ask another question. A point may be scored for every correct question answered.
Replies take the form It’s a… It’s the… It’s my / your/ his/ her… It’s X. They’re… and …Yes, it is. No, I’m…, etc.
At a slightly less elementary stage a game can be made out of the following kind of naming sequence: A (to B) : What’s this: B: It’s a …A (to class or group): Is it a…..? Reply: Yes /No.
‘Choice’ questions also lend themselves to this game: Is this a lemon or an orange?

2.Classroom shop
Age :children
Group size :whole class or groups
Use :to practice the vocabulary of shopping

Procedure:
The pupils provide the articles or sale or pictures, drawings, or models of them, or simply their names on cards – and the teacher, to get the game going, acts first as a salesman and then as a customer. Useful phrases: Can I help you? Do you have a...? I want to but.....pounds / kilograms of..... Please give me....How much is (all) that? Is that right? (When handing over the exact money), I’m sorry we’re out of stock we don’t have it, etc.

3. I Spy
Age :children
Group size :whole class or groups
Use :to brush up known vocabulary

Procedure
This is an old and simple vocabulary game. Somebody says:
I spy, with my little eye
Something beginning with B
Others guess what the object is.
Susan: The blackboard? No, not the blackboard.
Dick : A biscuit? No, I can’t see a biscuit.
Stephen: Dick’s ball? Yes, that’s right, Dick’s ball.

It then becomes Stephen’s turn. He thinks of something beginning with another letter, e.g. S, I spy...something beginning with S. The object must be visible in the room or in a wall picture.

If anyone dislikes spy because it is not among ten thousand most frequent words in printed English or because of its associations, then the following rhyme can be substituted:
One – two – three
What can I see?
Something in this room (or garden)
Beginning with....

4.Animal
Procedure
The teacher gives a card to each student. In the cards they read the name of an animal (with drawing for young children), and they have to represent that animal (mimics and sounds) in order to find the other animals of their group. For example: The cow has to find the other cows, the duck has to find the other ducks, etc.

5.Simon Says
Procedure
It is a good review for body parts (“Simon says touch your knees”). You could change Simon to your name to avoid confusion. When teacher says a sentence without the word “Simon” (e.g. “Touch your knees”) then students follow that instruction. If a student makes mistake s/ he has to sit out until the next round.

6.Color Game
Procedure
This is a good one for teaching the names of colors to young children. Arrange various colors of construction paper in a circle. Play some music and have the children march around the circle. Stop the music and all the children must sit down next to color. Pick a color and sing ( to the tune “ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”): “Who’s beside the color (insert a name of color)? Please stand up, if it is you.” At that point, the child next to the color mentioned stands up. Continue until all of the children get a turn.

2009-02-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

GOOD TEACHER & PROFESSIONAL TEACHER
Should there be a distinction between good teachers and professional teachers? Can we have good teachers as professional teachers, or professional teachers as good teachers? I think the way professional is understood is the person who does what he or she is told to do. Perhaps, the sense of a professional teacher is more connected to the policies and instructions from the authority such as the curriculum, district policies, or other guidelines created by external parties. On the other hand, a good teacher might be seen as someone who is more attached to the context, which is most likely to the students. In other words, a good teacher always finds ways to tap into students’ interests, motivation, and backgrounds, in order to design the lessons. This may mean that the good teacher can abandon the external expectations, when they cannot address the real problems the teacher face in the classroom. The story of Conroy in the book “The Water is Wide” is a good example of a good teacher, but not professional because he was perceived as unprofessional by his administrator. However, the students seemed to love him and really learned a lot from him.

In my opinion, this dichotomy is dangerous. What matters the most is the quality of student learning. If we believe all children can learn, then we should be proactive in creating supportive learning environment for quality student learning. Teachers need to be good and professional. We need to change the mindset of bureaucracy in governing education system, which values efficiency above all. Rather, all policies should be geared toward the quality of student learning, which may make the policy implementation a bit more complicated that usual. They should allow teachers to respond proactively towards the uncertainties and unexpected situations during teaching. When this happens, professional teachers are defined as the ones who can address the complex diversity of the classroom, and maximize student learning. Finally, it is important to emphasize that the accountability of teachers and students’ performance should be based on a comprehensive assessment tool, not just on test scores.

2009-02-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PORTFOLIO IN ASSESSING
THE PROCESS OF STUDENTS’ WRITING

Refika Amalia Fitri

Abstract: This article discusses the essence of using portfolio assessment as a tool to observe the process of students’ writing. It firstly explains on why focusing on the process in writing is more crucial than the final product. It then presents the stages in the process of writing. Therefore, it converses the portfolio as the most compatible tool to assess the process of students’ writing. It is expected that the presentation of this article will provide valuable insight for the teacher of writing to select appropriate assessment in examining the students’ writing.

Keywords: writing, process of writing, portfolio assessment

Writing is an important skill that is needed in this global era since it reflects a whole life skill. It is not only used as a means of communication but also as a main characteristic of a better-quality and competitive country. Writing in English teaching context refers to productive skill in which according to Dixon and Denise (1983), cited in Eksan (2004) plays an important role in communicating ideas, thoughts, and messages to a reader for a purpose. Furthermore, they affirm that through writing we are able to explain or describe things to people that are miles away from us. It means that writing is used to communicate with other persons when they are not in face to face situation. In addition, Ransdell, Lavelle & Levy (2002) stated that writing is considered as a learning tool for students and as learning activity which is advantageous for language learners.
In proportion to Raimes (1983), writing is also considered as a tool in learning because of some following reasons. First, while students are writing, they are applying their knowledge of grammatical structures, idioms, and vocabulary. Next, they also have an opportunity to be exploratory with the language. At last, students become very involved with the new language. It, therefore, makes writing viewed as a complicated skill.
The ability to write well itself is not a naturally acquired skill; it is usually learned or culturally transmitted as a set of practices in formal instructional settings or other environments. Writing skills must be practiced and learned through experience. Thus, there are some reasons why writing is considered as a complicated language skill to master.
Richards and Renandya (2001) highlighted that the difficulty does not only lie in the process of generating and organizing ideas but also in the process of translating the ideas into legible texts. Furthermore, they assert that the complexity of the skills involved in writing becomes the cause of its difficulty as well. In the process of making a piece of writing students have to focus on the skill of planning and organizing as well as on the skills of punctuation, diction, and spelling. In line with this, Rozimela (2004) points out that we are actually doing many things at once while we are writing. In the process of writing, we are involving some processes including the process of exploring ideas, the process of exploring ideas, the process of analysis and selection, process of writing itself, and process of editing. Thus, because of its complexity, the process in writing is often overlooked by the teachers. They later tend to give emphasis on the final product of writing. The next discussion is going to present the process of writing as an approach that is proposed to observe and identify students’ difficulty in producing a piece of writing.

Process of writing
One factor which makes writing complicated is the teacher who often assigns students to write a paragraph without offering guidance to them in the process of producing the paragraph. In this case, the writing activities conducted in the classroom are only product- oriented. Teacher has limited time to hold a conference with the students to discuss the stages they did in producing a piece of writing in which will enable students to identify the errors and mistakes they made for their writing improvement. Due to this fact, Hairston (1982), cited in Gebhard (1996) asserted that we cannot teach students to write by looking at what they have written. We must also understand how that came into being, and why it assumed the form it did. We have to do the hard thing, examine the intangible process, rather than the easy thing, and evaluate the tangible product. It means that writing cannot be produced with no planning, editing or revising for a good writer plan and revise, rearrange and delete text, re-reading and producing multiple drafts before s/he produces her/ his piece of writing. In this case, the process approach is proposed to overcome the difficulty faced by the students.
Widiati (2004) defines the process writing approach as an approach that emphasizes the processes that go on in the text making. This approach believes that in general a text is not produced in a linear sequence by the writer. Rather, it comes into being through a recursive, interactive, and even simultaneous way. It indicates that in the process of creating a text, a writer may go back and forth along the stages to review, evaluate as well as revise the text s/he is making.
In accordance with above statement, Nunan (1999) stated that the process approach gives focus on the steps a writer engages in producing a piece of work such as drafting and redrafting. In this approach teachers focus more on the development of repeated drafts of a text than on a without-error final product. Besides, in the first occurrence the focus of this approach is not on the quality of the draft a writer produces but on the quantity of it. Furthermore, at an initial stage a writer is supported to write down her/ his idea onto a piece of paper without thinking too much about the formal correctness. Thus, after writing down the ideas and before doing revision on the draft, s/he is suggested to share her/ his draft with others to get feedback on their ideas.
Cohen (1994) added that the process approaches give emphasis on the idea that writing is a process in which a final product comes into being after going through a series of drafts. Then, after a writer is satisfied with the result, the teacher will give evaluation on the draft. Thus Brown (2001) concludes that in spite of its being recursive and successive, in the process approach the product is, after all, still the eventual goal. The goal is the reason that we undergo the process of prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Without setting firmly that eventual goal, we will make ourselves drowned in nonstop revisions. The processes will be described in detail in the following section.

Stages in a process approach in writing

Although there are many ways of approaching process of writing, Oshima & Hough (1991) break the writing process down into three stages: pre-writing, planning, writing& revising drafts to produce the final copy of writing to hand in. Each stage will be obviously enlightened.
Stage I: Pre-writing
Pre-writing is activities to help the writer generates ideas for her/ his writing assignment. In this stage, the most important thing is the flow of ideas, and it is not necessary that students actually produce much written work. If they do so, then the teacher can contribute with advice on how to improve their initial ideas. There are two steps that could be done in this stage.
1.Choosing and narrowing a topic. This step is used when students are given a free choice of topics and can write about something they are interested in. After that, they must narrow the topic to a particular aspect of the general subject. The essential point is they must narrow the subject to a specific focus in order to enable them write about it clearly and completely.
2.Brainstorming. This step is used by the students to generate ideas. It helps them to write a paragraph more quickly and save time in the later stages of writing process. There are three brainstorming techniques:
Listing. It enables students to think about their topic and quickly make a list of whatever words or phrases come into their mind. The objective is to produce as many ideas as possible in a short time as well as find a specific focus for their topic.
Free writing. It is used by the students by writing freely about a topic since they are looking for specific focus. Meanwhile the purpose is to generate as many ideas as possible and to write them down without worrying about appropriateness, grammar, spelling, logic, or organization. Thus, the more the students write, the more ideas they will get.
Clustering. The procedure of using this technique is by writing the topic and draws a “balloon” around it in the center of paper. Then students write whatever ideas come to their mind in balloons around the core. Additionally, they make more balloons around each of idea.

Stage II: Planning (Outlining)
In this stage, the ideas generated through the pre-writing activities are organized into an outline. There are also three steps in making an outline:
1.Making sublists. The ideas generated through the pre-writing are divided further into two sublists or items.
2.Writing the topic sentence. The topic sentence itself is the most general sentence in a paragraph in which expresses the central focus of the paragraph.
3.Outlining. In an outline, students write down the main points and subpoints in the order in which they plan to write about those points.

Stage III: Writing and revising drafts
In this stage, students write and revise several drafts until they have a final copy to hand in. It helps students to improve their writing. There are four steps in writing and revising draft stages:
1.Writing the first rough draft. The main goal is to write down as much information as the students can by following the points in their outline.
2.Revising content and organization. While revising the draft, students change what they have written in order to improve it. They can change, rearrange, add, or delete to make them easier sharing their thoughts more clearly and effectively in a more interesting way. During the first revision, students should concern with content and organization only.
3.Proofreading the second draft. This step is used to proofread the students’ paper to check for grammar, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation.
4.Writing the final copy. After following several steps in the previous discussion, the students are ready to write the final copy to hand in. The teacher will expect whether the draft should be written neatly and legibly in ink or typed.
Sometimes students make the few of changes after they re-read the final copy. However, it is understandable since writing is considered as a continuous process which allows students to keep on writing as well as re-writing until they are satisfied with the final product.

Portfolio assessment
Some suggest that portfolios are not really assessments at all because they are just collections of previously completed assessment. However, if we consider assessing as gathering information about someone or something for a purpose, then a portfolio is a type of assessment. According to Anderson, Ball and Murphy (1981) assessment is the process of gathering the data and fashioning them into an interpretable form; judgment can then be made on the basis of this assessment. One source on the internet added that assessment is the collection of information, artifacts, samples of student work and performance. Based on the two opinions above, it can be assumed that assessment can be used to assess students’ progress in writing time to time. In line with that, portfolio is categorized into kind of assessment.
Northwest Evaluation Association (1991) cited in Weigle (2002) defines portfolio as a purposeful collection of students works that exhibits to the students (and/or others) the student’s efforts, progress, or achievement in a given area. In term of writing assessments, a portfolio is a collection of written texts written for different purposes over a period time. Portfolio contains a purposefully selected subset of student work in which used to decide what type of writing should be included in the portfolio.
Portfolio also refers to authentic assessment since student portfolios have most commonly been associated with collections of writing. Assessment itself is authentic when it directly examines student performance on worthy intellectual tasks. Angelo and Cross (1993) cited in Gunadi (2008) stated that authentic assessment is an approach designed to help teachers find out what students are learning in the classroom and how well they are learning. In authentic assessment students are required to demonstrate what they know by way of performing, acting out or providing extended evidence. In the other word, they are performing authentic tasks which capture meaningful application of knowledge and skill. Thus, their portfolio will tell compelling stories of the growth of the students’ ability and showcase their skills through a collection of authentic performances.

Since portfolio assessment is a multi-faceted process, it is characterized by the following recurrent qualities:
It is continuous and ongoing, providing both formative and summative opportunities for monitoring students’ progress toward achieving essential outcomes.
It is multidimensional that is reflecting a wide variety of artifacts and processes reflecting various aspects of students’ learning process.
It provides collaborative reflection including ways for students to reflect about their own thinking processes and metacognitive introspection as they monitor their own comprehension, reflect upon their approaches to problem-solving and decision-making as well as observe their emerging understanding of subjects and skills.(George:1995)
To sum up, portfolio provides an excellent vehicle for consideration of process and the development of related skills. It is frequently included with other types of authentic assessments because it focuses on meaningful collection of student performance and meaningful reflection and evaluation of that work. In addition, portfolio can enhance the assessment process by revealing a range of skills and understanding one students’ part, supporting instructional goal, reflecting change and growth over a period of time as well as encouraging student, teacher, and parent reflection

Purposes of portfolio assessment
Teachers use portfolio as an assessment based on three following purposes: to show growth, to showcase current abilities, and to evaluate cumulative achievement(Mueller:2008). The purposes are basically reflected in each type of portfolio in which each consists of several purposes as could be seen in this following table.

TYPES
Growth portfolios
Showcase Portfolios
Evaluation Portfolios
PURPOSE
To show growth or change over time
To help students develop process skills such as self-evaluation and goal-setting
To identify strengths and weaknesses
To track the development of one more products/ performances
To showcase end-of-year/ semester accomplishments
To prepare a sample of best work for employment or college admission
To showcase student perceptions of favorite, best of most important work
To communicate a student’s current aptitudes to future teachers
To document achievement for grading purposes
To document progress towards standards
To place students appropriately
Regarding to above table, the growth portfolio emphasizes the process of learning whereas the showcase portfolio emphasizes the products of learning. In line with the type of portfolio, Sabes (2008) added the common three different type of portfolio:
1.Documentation Portfolio. It can include everything from brainstorming activities to drafts to finished products. The collection becomes meaningful when specific items are selected out to focus on particular educational experiences or goals. Moreover, it can include the worst and weakest of student work.
2.Process Portfolio. It can show how students integrate specific knowledge or skills and progress towards both basic and advanced mastery. Additionally, it inevitably emphasizes students’ reflection upon their learning process.
3.Showcase Portfolio. It is best used for summative evaluation of students’ mastery of key curriculum outcomes. It should include the best work of students which is determined through a combination of teacher and student selection. In addition, only completed work should be included.
In line with aforesaid explanation, the conclusion that could be drawn is that the important thing before the students design and construct portfolio is the clear instruction about what kind of writing should be included of their portfolio and how they procedure of making it in the correct way. It is because portfolio takes work to create, manage, and assess as well. It can easily feel like busy work and a burden both teacher and student. However, teacher and students need to believe that the selection and reflection upon their work serves more meaningful purposes.

Conclusion
The effectiveness of using portfolio in assessing writing is its potential for focusing on the process of producing a piece of writing. Too often teacher emphasizes the products students create or the outcome they achieve since the process itself tends to be time-consuming. As a result teacher is unable to monitor the progress of students’ writing.
A portfolio should tell story and that story should be told. Students should primarily be the ones telling their stories through their writing. As students reflect on the balance of their work over some period of time, there is often a great sense of pride at the growth and the accomplishment. By producing pieces of writing in their own portfolio, students can take ownership of the process that led to the progress and achievement. Furthermore, assessment is no longer something done to them since they are playing an active role through self-assessment.
However, the portfolio is more than just a collection of student work. Depending on its purpose, students might have also included reflections on growth, on strength and weaknesses, or on why the contents reflect sufficient progress to indicate completion of designated standards. In this case teacher also has a vital role in monitoring the students’ growth as well as to the success of students’ writing.
All in all, before implementing the portfolio assessments, teacher should give clear instruction on how to get started, what kind of writing should be included, and how to determine when a piece of writing is ‘finished’. In addition, the use of portfolio assessment will be effective if it is implemented in the correct way by the teacher because no matter how good is the tool for assessing writing, it will not bring valid measurement if it is not properly applied and used.

References
Anderson, B.S., Murphy, R., and Associates, 1973. Encyclopedia of educational evaluation. San Fransisco.

Angelo, T.A. & Cross, P.K. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques. San Fransisco: Josey-Bass Publisher. In Gunadi, H.S., 2008. Authentic Assessment: What, how and why?. A Paper presented in the seminar and workshop in Language testing for teachers of English on November 8th. Faculty of Letters, State University of Malang.

Brown, H.D. 2001. Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. (2nd Ed). White Plains, N.Y: Longman.

Cohen, A.D. 1994. Assessing language ability in the classroom, (2nd Ed). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Eksan, R. 2004. Improving writing ability to the second year students of SLTP Negeri 18 Malang through process writing strategy. Unpublished Thesis. Malang: Graduate Program State University of Malang.

Gebhard, J.G. 1996. Teaching English as a foreign or second language. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

George, P.S., 1995. What is portfolio assessment really and how can I use it in my classroom?. Gainesville, FL: Teacher Education Resources.

http://www.greece.k12.ny.us.

http://www.jonathan.mueller.faculty.nonctrl.edu.htm

http://www.sabes.org.htm

Nunan, D. 1991. Language teaching methodology: A Textbook for teachers. New York: Prentice Hall.

Oshima, A. & Houge, A (1991), Writing academic English (3rd ed.) New York: Adsison Wesley Longman.

Raimes, A. 1983. Techniques in teaching writing. New York: Oxford University Press.

Ransdell, S., Lavelle, B., & Levy, C.M. 2002. The effects of training a good working memory strategy on L1 and L2 writing. In Sarah Ransdell & Marie-Laure Barbier (Eds). New Directions for research in L2 writing. London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Richards, J.C & Renandya, W.A. 2001. Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Rozimela, Y. 2004. The value of writing skill in the senior high school in Indonesia. In Bambang Yudi Cahyono & Utami Widiati (Eds), The tapestry of English language teaching and learning in Indonesia (p.83-89), Malang: State University of Malang Press.

Weigle, S.C., 2002. Assessing writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Widiati, U. 2004. Approaches to teaching writing in the ESL context. Kumpulan artikel: Lustrum ke-10 Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang: Universitas Negeri Malang.

Challenges of becoming a teacher of English

2008-12-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

A father has this story to tell. Once, his daughter spoke in English and asked him to solve the mathematical equation "two rivers two". Confused, the father just urged his daughter to translate her question into Bahasa Indonesia and the child did. "Dua kali dua, sama dengan berapa?" asked the daughter.

This story may sound funny, but it reflects how some students are wrongly taught by teachers still struggling in English. It's a reality that a number of Indonesian teachers make lots of grammatical mistakes when they use English in teaching their students. Consider this sentence written by an Indonesian teacher: "In piano class, Esther has improvement in her performance and with regular practicing and put confident will make her performance even more better".

Another Indonesian teacher wrote these comments: "Clara is always willing to participate in classroom activities and intrinsically volunteering in the classroom routines such as be a prayer leader. Her motor skills well developing as well as fine motor school. She is able to hold pencil, brush properly. Her hand writing is need. Clara is able to stay on tasks and finished her task on time."
Just imagine the disappointment and anxiety by parents when they read or hear such sentences. How can students learn to use correct English when their teachers don't know how? This is one of the problems when teachers with limited English proficiency are asked to use English as a medium of instruction. These teachers may have the educational degrees, but they are not competent in teaching their subjects in English. Educational degrees, though important, do not necessarily correlate with English language competence.

In Indonesia, English is considered the first foreign language and not many people can speak the language. According to Indonesian linguist Soenjono Dardjowidjojo, this can be attributed to the fact that Indonesia was not ruled long enough by an English speaking country. It was the Dutch that played a major role in the colonial history of Indonesia. For over 350 years, Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch, who arrived as traders in 1595 and stayed until the country gained its independence in 1945. British occupation in Indonesia was so brief that it left no remarkable traces. The enforcement of Bahasa Indonesia as the national language has also diminished Indonesia's ability to use English, which has become more and more indispensable.

Since English is taught indiscriminately and incorrectly in some schools in the country, a number of Indonesian parents do send their children to English courses mostly conducted by native speakers after school hours. However, we have to remember that there are many varieties of English. It's not only American English and British English that are being used out there. There are many types of English -- native and non-native, Western and non-Western. Besides American English and British English, we have other English varieties such as Australian English, Canadian English, New Zealand English, Philippine English, Indian English, and Singaporean English. English has become so pervasive that it is no longer proper to talk about one English -- either American or British English.

It's no doubt that English has become the common linguistic ground. Whether you're an Indonesian studying in Australia, an Indian businessman wanting to invest in Singapore, or a Thai teacher attending a workshop in Malaysia, you are likely to speak English. According to studies, non-native speakers of English now outnumber native speakers. Here in Indonesia, English language institutions are mushrooming and English language skills have been identified by the Pendidikan Network in Indonesia as one of the two important issues that everyone has to work on.
Due to the importance of English worldwide, many parents want their children to learn the language. But how can children improve their English proficiency when the teachers themselves need help? How can teachers also transfer knowledge and concepts to their students if they are not competent in the language they are required to use? This is one aspect that needs to be looked at in the education system of Indonesia.
In teaching in English, teachers should model the use of the language correctly. One principle in language learning is that children learn by imitation. They parrot the language uttered by adults.

Thus, it is important that teachers teaching their subjects in English are proficient in the language. If they don't have the language competence, they should take the initiative to improve their English language skills. They can do this the same way students learn the language. Reading English books such as Common Mistakes in English and other print materials is one of them. Other ways of improving English skills include watching English programs or films and participating in English discussions. Constant practice and reflection are also necessary.

If schools want their teachers to teach in English correctly, they should also provide them with necessary support such as comprehensive training and a mentor. In his book titled An A to Z of School Leadership, George Walker wrote that learning is what schools are for, and learning is what school leaders must lead. Walker, however, argued that both the employer and the employee have a shared commitment in making the employment a success.

So it's not the responsibility of the teachers alone to make some improvements and rise up to the challenge.

TEACHING NEVER ARRIVES

2008-12-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Teacher professional learning and change is a complex and non-linear process. Different teachers learn differently, just like all learners. In addition, different teachers also have different professional needs. This calls for a teacher learning model that provides multiple avenues for teachers to learn. Teachers should be given a number of opportunities to revisit and critically reflect on their practices and learning experience.

We need to make teacher professional learning valued by all elements in education. It should be a norm, a culture, not just a program to build skills and expertise. Education policymakers need to take teacher learning seriously in every decision they make. In fact, teacher learning is an inseparable part in any education reform initiative. Without teacher capacity building, any new innovation in teaching and learning will fall short in its classroom implementation. In other words, to produce powerful learning in the classroom, teachers need to learn and keep learning.

Many people feel that teaching is easy because they base it on their past experience as a student. In their mind, teaching does not require much effort to master the skills. Well, they are wrong. Teaching is indeed complex, dynamic, and full of uncertainties. Ayers (2001) reminds us, “good teaching is forever pursuing better teaching” (p. 141). Teaching never arrives. Therefore, teachers need to keep learning and to be passionate about learning to be great teachers. Teachers need to be provided sustained engagement in quality learning. Only by understanding this nature can we create high quality and powerful learning for our students, the future generation of our society.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

2008-09-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Terkadang masalah yang kita hadapi lebih mudah penyelesaiannya
Dibandingkan dengan apa yang kita bayangkan

Biasanya orang terlanjur bingung dan frustasi ketika melihat suatu permaslahan hingga ia cemas bahkan panik padahal penyelesaiaanya justru sangat sederhana. Seperti orang tua yang kehilangan kacamatanya, ia akan sibuk mencarinya kesana- kemari, bertanya ke semua orang dimana kacamatanya, ternyata yang ia cari masih tergantung di lehernya bersama tali yang terkait pada gagang kacamata tersebut.

Ketika menemukan masalah, satu hal yang perlu kita lakukan adalah bagaimana cara melokalisasi masalah, memendam sejenak dalam pikiran, mencari alternatif pemecahannya dan yang terpenting tidak semua masalah seberat yang kita pikirkan.

Mari kita coba lihat 2 kasus berikut. Kisah pertama adalah kasus kotak sabun kosong yang terjadi di salah satu perusahaan kosmetik terbesar di Jepang. Perusahaan tersebut menerima keluhan dari pelanggan yang mengatakan bahwa ia telah membeli kotak sabun (terbuat dari kertas) kosong.

Dengan segera pemimpin perusahaan menceritakan masalah tersebut kepada bagian pengepakan yang bertugas untuk memindahkan semua kotak sabun yang telah dipak ke departemen pengiriman. Karena suatu alasan, ada satu kotak sabun yang tidak terisi dan mencapai bagian pengepakan dalam keadaan kosong. Tim manajemen meminta para teknisi untuk memecahkan masalah tersebut.

Dengan segera, para teknisi bekerja keras untuk membuat sebuah mesin sinar X dengan monitor resolusi tinggi yang dioperasikan oleh 2 orang untuk melihat semua kotak sabun yang melewati sinar tersebut dan memastikan bahwa kotak tersebut tidak kosong. Tak diragukan lagi, mereka bekerja keras dan cepat, tetapi biaya yang dikeluarkan pun tidak sedikit.

Akan tetapi saat ada seorang karyawan di sebuah perusahaan kecil dihadapkan pada permasalahan yang sama, ia tidak berpikir tentang hal- hal yang rumit. Ia memiliki solusi yang berbeda. Ia membeli sebuah kipas angin listrik untuk industri yang memiliki tenaga cukup besar dan mengarahkannya ke garis pengepakan. Kemudian, ia menyalakannya. Jika ada kotak sabun yang kosong, kotak itu akan tertiup angin dan keluar dari jalur pengepakan. Tentu saja hal itu bisa terjadi karena kotak sabun tersebut terbuat dari kotak kertas yang ringan sehingga mudah terbang tertiup angin.
Kisah kedua, pada saat NASA mulai mengirimkan astronot ke luar angkasa, mereka menemukan bahwa pulpen yang dibawa tidak bisa berfungsi di gravitasi nol, karena tinta pulpen tersebut tidak dapat mengalir ke mata pena. Untuk memecahkan masalah tersebut, mereka menghabiskan waktu 1 dekade dengan dana yang dikeluarkan sebanyak 12 juta dolar. Mereka mengembangkan sebuah pulpen yang dapat berfungsi meskipun berada dalam gravitasi nol, terbalik, dalam air, dalam berbagai permukaan termasuk Kristal, dan dalam derajat temperature mulai dari dibawah titik beku sampai lebih dari 3000 C.

Tetapi hal itu tidak dilakukan oleh orang Rusia yang menjadi astronot. Untuk menulis d iuar angkasa, mereka mengganti pena dengan pensil. Cukup simple, bukan?

Hikmah yang dapat dipetik dari cerita tersebut adalah sebuah filosofi yang di sebut Keep It Simple, yaitu selalu mencari solusi yang sederhana sehingga orang bodoh sekalipun dapat melakukannya.

Ada sebuah survey yang menyodorkan beberapa pertanyaan berupa logika dan angka- angka yang disusun sedemikian rupa. Soal tersebut diajukan kebeberapa kelompok usia. Ternyata usia anak- anak mendapatkan nilai lebih tinggi dalam penyelesaian soal tersebut. Why? Karena anak- anak menggunakan logika sederhana dalam menjawabnya, sedangkan orang dewasa cenderung berpikir rumit or njlimet serta menggunakan berbagai pertimbangan. Once again, kita bisa belajar tentang pemecahan masalah secara sederhana kepada anak- anak.

Sebagaimana yang dikatakan oleh dosen mata kuliah Quantitative Research saya, “All things or problems are difficult but always possible to solve, if you know How”. Cobalah menyusun solusi yang paling sederhana saat memecahkan masalah. Remember, Keep It Simple and Have a Nice Try!

Fee’ 08

MAKING A RIGHT CHOICE

2008-09-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

By: Refika Amalia. F

Some of us tend to procrastinate a lot when it comes to make choices while others find it easy to make it. It cannot be denied that every one of us makes hundred of choices everyday which will affect our lives. Once the choice is decided, it sometimes might not be easily reversible or impossible to change. If we stop and look back at some or the biggest moment in our lives that went wrong, we discover that our biggest regrets are caused by making inappropriate or poor choice. However, making the right choice comes from learning about the situation, knowing and following our moral beliefs, realizing the benefits and consequences, looking how it will influence others, and doing what is right for us.

The first thing that should be taken into account in making right choice is learning about the situation. We have to believe if there is no right or wrong choice. It is just making a choice among alternatives since we cannot be acquainted with 100% certainty. We need to write down all relevant information which could be received not only by analyzing the choice and its alternatives, but also by listening to others’ advice. By doing so, we will able to look at the objective of the choices, the good alternatives of the choices, and the risks of any alternatives of the choices.

The next consideration in making right choice is to know and follow our moral beliefs. Is going to jail for robbing bank a good choice? No, but there are people who morally believe they are entitled to do so and it is acceptable behavior as long as they are not caught. They are lying to themselves that their idea is right when the choice is morally and legally wrong. When we want to make a choice, we must refer to moral beliefs which are acceptable in our society since moral is a lesson which has been true for years. Besides, we have to use our heads and hearts in making it.

Another consideration in making right choice is realizing the benefits and consequences. After analyzing the pros and cons of our choices, we will be ready to make a choice. It must be underlined that we may not always be able to make ‘perfect’ choice, but when we are ready with all consequences, we will achieve the benefits of it even though not at the straight point. Sometimes we require sacrifice and hard effort in running the choice we make. Thus, the benefits will be achieved as the result of doing it.

The last consideration in making right choice is by looking at how our choice will influence others and doing what is right for us. We must not be selfish and must think the effect of our choices for others. We also have to be responsible for what we choose no matter what will happen. Our choice is always be ours and at the end, we must decide the best choice for us.

In brief, there is no right or wrong choice since we have to be responsible for every single choice we make and deal with the consequences. We also have to listen to others’ good input as our choice will give influence for others. Therefore, we need to mix up our hearts and heads as well in making a choice. When we believe in our selves, we will be able to make right choice that will bring benefits in our lives.

MERAIH DAN MENIKMATI SUKSES

2008-08-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Meraih dan menikmati sukses ibarat 2 sisi mata uang yang keduanya tidak bisa dipisahkan. Tanpa usaha dan perjuangan meraih kesuksesan, kenikmatannya sulit dirasakan. Oleh karena itu, banyak kesuksesan yang diwariskan tidak dapat bertahan lama. But remember, perjuangan terus menerus tanpa menikmati sebuah kesuksesan adalah sesuatu yang menyedihkan. Take a look at these following examples.

Ada seorang bapak yang seumur hidupnya berjuang dan menabung. Sekarang, pada usianya yang memasuki kepala 7, dia tergolek lemah diranjangnya karena kanker yang pelan pelan menggerogoti daya tahan tubuhnya. Dia mulai menyadari perlunya menikmati apa yang telah diraihnya. Dulu, saat ia berjuang, ia menolak makanan enak. Ia berusaha menabung bahkan jarang seskali meluangkan waktu untuk sekedar jalan- jalan. Pada akhir hidupnya, ia minta dibelikan anggur dan berbagai buah yang enak. Sayangnya, ia kini hanya bisa memandanginya dan tidak bisa memakannya lagi. Ia harus merasakan sakit yang sedang menggerogoti raganya.

Lain lagi dengan kisah berikut ini. Konon, ada seorang kaisar berkata kepada seorang pengelana. Kaisar mengatakan bahwa jika pengelana mampu menjelajahi daerah seluas apapun, kaisar akan menghadiahinya semua daerah yang telah dijelajahinya. Sontak sang pengelana girang. Dia pun bergegas menaiki kuda dan melarikannya secepat mungkin untuk menjelajahi daratan seluas-luasnya. Sang pengelana terus melaju sampai lupa makan dan minum. Bahkan ketika lapar mengusik perutnya dan haus mengusik kerongkongannya, ia tidak peduli. Yang ada dalam pikirannya hanya satu, yaitu menjelajahi daratan seluas- luasnya.

Akhirnya tibalah ia di suatu tempat. Akan tetapi ia sudah sangat kelelahan dan hampir mati. Lalu ia menggumam sendiirian. “Buat apa aku paksa diri begitu keras untuk menguasai daerah seluas ini. Kini aku nyaris mati dan aku hanya membutuhkan tanah seluas 2m2 untuk menguburkan jasadku sendiri”. Sang pengelana menyesali usaha yang membuatnya tidak bisa menikmati buahnya. Pada akhirnya, ia mati dengan berbalut kekecewaan.

Nah cerita itu mirip dengan perjalanan kesuksesan kita. Di zaman sekarang banyak orang memaksakan diri mengumpulkan uang, popularitas, penghargaan, materi, pangkat dan posisi. Akan tetapi pada tahap akhir yang ada hanyalah ratapan batin yang tak pernah puas dan ingin meraih lebih banyak lagi. Mereka bukan lagi berjuang meraih kesuksesan melainkan kecanduan untuk sukses. Hingga akhirnya mereka lupa untuk menikmati hidup yang bahagia. Yang tersisa adalah kehampaan.

Sukses bukanlah sukses jika membuat diri kita menderita. In fact, banyak orang mencapai kesuksesan namun tidak mampu menikmatinya. Disatu sisi kita dipacu untuk semakin keras berusaha, meningkat dalam karir serta menambah harta dan tabungan. Akan tetapi disisi lain tanpa disadari kita bisa lupa untuk menikmati dan mengecap kebahagiaan yang menyertainya. Agar terhindar dari jebakan sukses seperti ini ada baiknya kita meluangkan waktu untuk sebuah jeda.

Coba untuk duduk santai, merenung, mensyukuri kesuksesan yang sudah kita raih dan ucapkan terima kasih kepada Sang Maha Kuasa. Rasakan hembusan nafas kita yang setia menemani kita meraih sukses. Apa gunanya kita meraih seluruh dunia jika tidak bahagia?

Tantangan dalam tulisan ini adalah menanyakan kepada diri sendiri, bagaimanakah cara kita merayakan dan menikmati kesuksesan yang kita raih tahun ini? Apa yang akan kita lakukan bersama orang- orang yang sangat berarti dalam kehidupan kita?

2008-07-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

A good teacher....
Is kind
Is generous
Listens to you
Encourages you
Has faith in you
Keeps confidences
Likes teaching children and other ages
Likes teaching their subject
Takes time to explain things
Helps you when you’re stuck
Tells you how you are doing
Allows you to have your say
Doesn’t give up on you
Cares for your opinion
Makes you feel clever
Treats people equally
Stands up for you
Makes allowances
Tells the truth
is forgiving.

Becoming an educator is the wonderful moment which happened in my life. It truly gives good impact to my self development. An educator is just the same as a good teacher. But why do I love to say educator, not teacher?

Basically there is only little difference between an educator and a teacher but I have my own point of view about this. For me, an educator can be a teacher but not all teachers can be an educator.
An educator does not only teach in the classroom, distribute the material and give homework to the students but she or he also teaches students through her or himself by giving the good model. The educator’s work is not finished yet until the class is over but still running outside the classroom.

An educator always cares about each student he/ she has not only in the student’s learning achievement but also in whole life aspects, She has good understanding either in the students’ difficulty or the problems that faced by her students.

Becoming a good educator is not easy. It must begin from our selves. When we can treat our selves well, we can treat our students better. It requires much time and effort to achieve it. But once we achieve it, we’ll feel the greatest passion that you never imagine before. It seems if our life is valuable for others.

As my closing I also want to include the last reason on why I use the word of educator. It is because I do not only act as a lecturer in campus but also as an English tutor and teacher outside campus. But no matter what the name is becoming an educator or a teacher is a marvelous thing in this life.
Fee 08

2008-07-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

ADMITTING MISTAKES CRUCIAL TO FIND SOLUTIONS

“Sorry seems to be the hardest word,”
by Elthon John

Whether it is the hardest word to say or not, Tika Bisono, a psychologist, advises people in any relationships that during moments of tension, “Always say sorry first, then find out what you have done wrong”.

Saying sorry is effective. Just imagine how you would feel if you have been hurt or wronged by a person. What would be your reaction if the person did not want to confess his or her mistake and to apologize for it?

The chances are you would hold a negative feeling against the person and would probably share such sentiments in your social circles. Even the most positive- minded people need emotional outlets.

Let’s say you “couldn’t give a toss” about the person you have hurt. Why would saying sorry- no matter how hard it is – still be important?

If our human tendency is to tell others how we have been wronged, the offender’s reputation would be marred. This happens in everyday working and in public relationships in our beloved country, Indonesia.

If word of mouth is your best marketing tool, then word of mouth can also be your worst negative publication. Whether you say sorry or not when is needed will affect your reputation and honor.

So, what will you do when it comes to say sorry? Why do some people find it harder to say sorry than others? I would venture to guess that pride and ego hold some of us back in saying it. As it can be speculated why many of us find it is hard to admit mistakes, not admitting mistakes when it has been made can be very detrimental not only for any relationships but also for seeking solutions.

Depending on the nature of the mistake, not admitting mistake, one can possibly have catastrophic consequences. I would give an example for this.
Nanda and Ani is a classmate. Although they are not close each other and they have their own best friends, they build good and mutual relationship. One day, a bad rumor came to Nanda. She knew about that from one of her friends, Restu. Restu asked Nanda directly about that rumor because she didn’t believe in very cruel rumor. As soon as Nanda knew who the person was, she got shocked and didn’t believe in what Restu said because Ani always behaves nice in front of her as though nothing happened. Nanda’s best friends advised her to talk to Ani directly but Nanda decided to not do that in hurry, waiting her to give explanation on why did she do that and to apologize. But the chance which was given by Nanda was never used. Moreover, Ani made a new bad rumor about Nanda and published it to more communities in campus. What happens next? Nanda and her friends became very angry and had negative feeling at her. Sadly, it was not the first time she did it. Ani’s reputation became marred.

Whilst the kind of mistakes we make in our everyday lives may not cause catastrophes or affect too many people, negative outcomes of not admitting our mistakes can nonetheless have detrimental consequences. As it has been mentioned, personal relationship can be damaged. More importantly, doors to solution will be locked. Admitting a mistake and apologizing for it is a key to open door of good solution.

As I have noted, it is not easy to admit you have made a mistake. See mistakes from this perspective instead: Who doesn’t make mistake? Even the smartest people in our times admit to make mistakes.

Do you still remember when Amin Rais, who contested the 2004 presidential election representing the National Mandate Party (PAN), has admitted to receiving money from former fisheries and maritime affairs minister Rokhmin Dahuri during his election campaign? At the time of his confession, Amin also accused SBY and his running mate Jusuf Kalla of receiving donation from Rokhmin Dahuri and The US.

SBY responded to Amin’s accusation by appearing annoyance in public. He threatened to press charges if Amin continued with his accusation. Within 24 hours, the two politicians met secretly, after which Amin said his feud with SBY was over. To prevent this problem bigger, Amin Rais gently apologized to President SBY if what he said made President disturbed. President SBY accepted it and as a result, SBY agreed to make MOU with Muhamadiyah as a mediator to keep the nation together, said Detik.com.

It is also recognized if it is extremely hard for some of us to say “I’m sorry.” Considering, though, the big cost to our reputation, we should definitely consider other ways.
Here are some alternatives: “Please forget about what I’ve said or done”; I shouldn’t have said and done that”; I know it would’ve been better if I did it instead”; the way I behave wasn’t right, can we try again?” I thought about what happened.” For the brave: “it was purely my mistake”.

Those alternatives above are in general, it means they are usually used by many of us when it comes to say sorry. But when you are public figure or you are known by many people the way to say sorry is different and also depends on the nature of the mistake. You can make press conference to admit your mistake and say sorry to the one you have hurt. Or you can also arrange the private and secret meeting with the one you have hurt after then you announce to public that the problem is over.

In addition, in face to face apologies which prove too taxing for apology, there are different ways to send the message too; over the telephone, text messages, e-mail, apology card, flowers, chocolates. If you can imagine it, you can use it.

Sorry may be the hardest word to say but saying sorry can reverse ill feelings, open the way to find solutions, and may even result in improvement of your personal and professional reputation.
Don’t let your pride and ego become blocks to the path of constructive action.

This article is written to fulfill the requirement of CCU subject.

Characteristic of a Good Instructor

2008-07-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Teachers are the key figures in the English learning process. Their influence is fundamental to their students' progress or lack thereof. To achieve the desired result in teaching English, i.e. guiding students to its successful acquisition, teachers have to be aware of and adhere to certain essentials.

They also need to take into account crucial factors such as classroom atmosphere, classroom management, tolerance, patience, passionate, and other aspects. This introspective essay will undertake to highlight a number of good characteristics that make good English as a second or a foreign language instructor. These attributes are not inclusive of all major characteristics that good English instructors should have, but they seem to be the most important ones.

Ya talkin' to me?

For English teachers, being good at the language is not sufficient; they must also use appropriate teaching techniques. Yet, many times language skill is the sole criterion used to qualify - or disqualify- someone for teaching. This observation or affirmation is based on the personal and perhaps controversial belief that there is no significant correlation between a teacher's own language competency and the language achievement of his or her students. On the contrary, English teachers must be familiar with and able to adapt and employ a variety of teaching techniques in addition to having an appropriate knowledge of the language. These techniques are methods of teaching that include classroom behavior or classroom activities and procedures which employ specific strategies selected by teachers to achieve their objectives. Language competency and teaching techniques go hand in hand in enhancing teacher effectiveness in the classroom.

I got Attitude!

The attitude of the teacher also influences student success. A positive attitude is essential. Teachers need to be confident that their students are capable of learning another language. If, for example, a teacher assumes that half of the class is incapable of acquiring the passive voice, then many of the students will never learn this grammatical form. On the other hand, if a teacher is convinced that all of the students can produce the /l/, eventually they will all be able to say it. So, good English instructors are those who remain distinctly conscious of their covert attitudes toward their students' efforts to learn English and the impact of those attitudes upon the success of their learning experience.

What's the Plan?

The ability to design an effective lesson plan is essential to successful teaching. English teachers need to educate and train themselves on how to design a lesson plan that is tailored to the needs and abilities of their students. The educational aims of each lesson must be clear, and activities should be selected that contribute to the realization of those aims. Lesson objectives should be stated in terms of student capability, that is, in terms of what the student will be able to do as a result of instruction. These objectives must specify a goal in terms of student learning and skill. For example, one specific objective might be that students will be able to answer yes and no questions using the present tense.

Master this!

Teaching for mastery is another vital method that teachers of English need to consider. Teaching for mastery means organizing instruction so all students are given the opportunity to learn what is being taught. Teaching for mastery therefore implies the creative use of a variety of teaching styles. Since different students learn in different ways, the strategic introduction of new techniques may help students overcome a learning problem. For example, if a teacher expects the entire class to master use of the subjunctive, then techniques must be utilized to help the eye-minded and the ear-minded students, or those who need explanation as well as those who learn best by developing their own generalizations. Help must also be given to those who are hesitant to express themselves for fear of looking foolish as well as those who are eager to express themselves and are unmindful of errors.

Remain Flexible

English instructors need to learn to be flexible. This is because foreign or second language learning and teaching is dynamic and subject to change, as well as there is no only one way to teach English. This is also due to the fact that maintaining a flexible teaching philosophy allows them to accommodate the various learning styles, greater diversity, and varied goals students bring with them to English classroom.

Thus, good English teachers should embrace or at least recognize the constant change that the field is ever going through. Additionally, they should always try different teaching methods, think of variety of classroom activities, and strive to search out new ideas. In the hope of finding what works best, English teachers should constantly attempt to employ different techniques and approaches and incorporate various methods and techniques that bring more success to students' language-learning experiences.

The Manager

Teachers of English need to be aware of classroom management so that they can maximize available class time and maintain discipline. Their routines must be a function of the age of the students, the physical environment, and the purpose of the instruction. For instance, independent work, small group conversations, interest group conversations, and student-led drills can all contribute to the smooth functioning of a class. If the students are actively involved in a class which is set at their linguistic level and which takes into account their interests and backgrounds, they will be so busy learning the language that discipline will, in large measure, take care of itself. Therefore, being able to handle and organize the classroom means a greater probability of success in implementing teaching plans.

Classrooms are extremely complex places where teachers have to make moment-by-moment decisions to translate a plan into action while attempting to maintain a friendly, constructive atmosphere. Unlike other classrooms, students learn through the second instead of the primary language. They deal with all aspects of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in a language other than their native tongue. This is what makes the English as a second or foreign language classroom so complex, requiring special attention. Knowing that the students' goal in attending English classes is to learn the language requires teachers to create an environment suitable for learning. A friendly atmosphere must be the major characteristic of the classroom. Students need to be shown that the teacher cares about what they are going through and is doing his or her best to help them learn effectively while developing their proficiency levels. Learners after all need a rich and safe learning environment that is exciting, engaging, and allows learners to take risk.. In such an atmosphere, students become self-motivated, willingly playing an active role in the learning process. Consequently, an attempt should be made to create a friendly atmosphere so students are free to express themselves openly, without fear of being embarrassed in front of their peers when they are corrected. This is all can be summed on the conclusion that suggests learning is best achieved when students are in a caring, welcoming, non-intimidating learning environment

A Smile won't hurt

Another crucial characteristic is tolerance. Students need to feel that the classroom is a place where mistakes are tolerated, where teachers understand that, given the nature of the classes, progress will be slow. Moving from one stage of learning to another takes time, and students should not be upset by mistakes they make. Similarly, teachers should not be discouraged or disheartened when their students do not accurately use what they have been teaching. Students also need a place where they are encouraged to do more and use English all the time. This can be done by means of challenging activities that require students to work hard and/or that provide opportunities for using English. Students, while in the classroom, need to feel encouraged to use whatever they have learned and recognize that their efforts are appreciated. Bear in mind that the classroom atmosphere is affected by the teacher's attitude and behavior.

Attention Span

Teachers of English should make it clear that each individual member of the class deserves attention, whatever his or her level of achievement. Students should be equal in the eyes of the teacher and receive an equal opportunity to participate and receive adequate feedback on their performance. The advantage of doing so is to show students how they are performing and to increase their motivation through praise. The last point to be addressed concerning the atmosphere of the English classroom is that activities should be designed to reflect actual use of the language outside this somewhat closed environment as much as possible. Students need to be taught the elements of language that enable them to take the right action and use the appropriate responses in real situations.
Patience and Passion

Another vital characteristic of good English teachers is patience. This trait entails that English teachers give their students sufficient time to internalize the point in question. A successful teacher must also wholeheartedly enjoy the work and be committed to their students. English teachers can show that to students through showing their students his or her enthusiasm for learning English, constant efforts to find new and creative ways to immerse our students in the process of teaching them English. Since English teachers usually have students from different cultural background, teachers need to show passion for the various cultures that their students represent. In so doing, English teachers will speared the level of passion to their students who in turn will develop, expectedly, a passion to become better English learners.

Be Informed

In order to understand the underpinnings of their own teaching philosophy and to be a more effective instructor, English teachers should continuously seek all sources that inform them of issues confronting the realm of second language accusation. Through these constant updating efforts, they are able to employ the most recent teaching methods supported by current research in the filed.

Be Dynamic

Another important characteristic is to maintain classroom dynamics, excitement, and a sense of fun. The philosophy behind calling to adopt such character is that students can see the passion of their instructors toward the presented materials, which gives them a reason to become motivated. In implementing such attribute, teachers should assume particular role and employ engaging and fun activities. They can engage students by making them responsible for their own learning, create opportunities, where they take active role in the class activities, and maximize each individual participation and contribution. While doing so, they should act as a guide, a facilitator, and a resource, not an authoritative figure.

Last Words

The complexity of the English as a foreign and a second language classroom require a qualified teacher and an adequate classroom environment. Adoption of some of the qualities discussed and establishment of the supportive environment described can significantly simplify this complexity and thus enhance the English learning process. Overall, it seems that a successful English classroom is the direct consequence of a qualified teacher.

American VS British English

2008-07-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

A porter in a British hotel comes upon an American tourist impatiently jabbing at the button for the lift.
"Sir, the lift will be here in a moment."
"Lift? Lift?" replies the American. "Oh, you mean the elevator."
"No sir, here we call it a lift."
"Well, as it was invented in the United States, it’s called an elevator."
"Yes sir, but as the language was invented here, it’s called a lift."

from The Reader’s Digest

Linda Berube, currently a Fulbright scholar in Norwich, addresses the question of who is responsible for the world-wide dominance of the English language: the Americans or the British.

"This treatise is written with such elegance as the subject admits, tho’ not without some mixture of the American dialect, a tract[i.e., trace] of corruption to which every language widely diffused must always be exposed."

Samuel Johnson

Truly, the Yanks have been taking a beating on the language front for some time now. For H.L. Mencken, Samuel Johnson’s observation sums up the "tone [of] English criticism" of the "American dialect" from colonial days right up until the time of Mencken’s own ground-breaking publication, The American Language, in the first half of this century. It should come as no surprise to Mencken that the "tone" has persisted, and will persist in all likelihood into the next century. Indeed, in the course of giving talks on the subject of American English to various British groups, I encounter a range of reaction, from good-natured teasing ("what do you call that language you speak over there?") to downright hostility. On a broader level, American English still warrants the attention of journalists, politicians, and scholars alike in the UK, not always in a kindly or objective way. Often it is regarded as an aberrant version of English. Most Americans would object to this latter classification, at least given the postwar global influence of American culture and vocabulary. Still, the rather vociferously-expressed comment from one audience member at a recent talk - "We gave you a perfectly good language. Why can’t you speak proper English?" - seems not far removed from Johnson’s tone in spirit, however remote in time.

Nevertheless, it has to be admitted, as Mencken and other scholars do, that a certain amount of this hostility Americans called down upon themselves, thanks to statements made by the likes of John Adams and Noah Webster. Adams was just as capable of adopting a superior tone as Johnson:

The English language has been greatly improved in Britain within a century, but its highest perfection, with every other branch of human knowledge, is perhaps reserved for this land of light and freedom. As the people through this extensive country will speak English, their advantages for polishing their language will be great, and vastly superior to what the people of England ever enjoyed.

One cannot help but hear the slap of a gauntlet thrown down here. There was even some talk of an American Academy, along the lines of the Academie Française, charged with the task of preserving the purity of the language..

Then there was Noah Webster, who regarded the form of English spoken in the British Isles as having been corrupted by the English aristocracy. Webster worked with dogged determination to standardise and simplify the spelling of American English. He excised extraneous vowels: colour/color; favour, favor (although he resisted this change for quite a while in the face of Johnson’s example). And he transposed letters, most notably the final -re: theatre/theater; centre/center. Some of his changes remain an integral part of American spelling, where others have failed to survive (croud, hed, giv, meen etc.).

And so the stand-off has continued, and despite the bickering between the two major factions, an international language has been born. And, of course, both sides would lay claim to its current world dominance. Exactly whose language is it, this current lingua franca?

Long before the United States became a superpower, it could lay claim to being a "land of light and freedom," there was the British Empire which set its cultural tone on many parts of the world. Earlier still, the British Isles themselves had been subject to invasion by Vikings and Normans/ But, as soon as the English experienced their first taste of relative freedom from foreign dominance, British English underwent a growth surge, most notably perhaps in the period immediately preceding the colonisation of America,. In some ways, the rapid changes in the language represent the movement toward a more unified English identity. If the Middle English of Chaucer in the late 1300s is compared to Shakespearean English and then again to what begins to be Modern English in the late 1700s, the language is virtually transformed in a matter of only 400 years. Current differences between British and American English pale in comparison: inflection is lost; verb conjugations become more uniform; thousands of new words flood the language, some 2000 alone attributed to Shakespeare. These are only some of the more prominent changes, as on many levels vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling and grammatical structure shift dramatically.

At about the time that England was experiencing this linguistic awakening, the spirit of exploration began to take hold. Of course, this exploration and colonization brought English to the Americas, to the southern hemisphere, to Africa, and to South Asia. In fact, India is exceeded only by the United States and the United Kingdom in numbers of English speakers.

The role that English literature played, both in its contribution to vocabulary and to its contribution to world literature, cannot be overemphasized when considering the importance of the language. The English Renaissance, Shakespeare, and the publication of the King James Bible particularly assisted the expansion and lent prestige to the language. And though the United States can lay claim to a literary tradition of its own, that of the British Isles remains unparalleled.

Yet, even if the birthplace of the language and the importance of cultural and social contributions are considered, its usefulness as a form of international communication depended on the number of English speakers. True enough, the United Kingdom alone has been in the process of producing these numbers. According to David Crystal, "between the end of the reign of Elizabeth I (1588) and the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II (1952) this figure [of five to seven million living within the British Isles] increased almost fifty-fold." to include emigrants and descendants. This is an impressive increase, but Americans can justifiably point out that the English language was not much used abroad before its introduction in North America. Only by turning their attention outward could the English make their full impression on the world culturally, linguistically, and politically. Perhaps Bill Bryson puts it a bit harshly when he states that "...without America’s contribution English today would enjoy a global importance on a par with Portuguese," (would that make India the UK’s Brazil?) but it seems reasonable that the almost exponential population growth of the United States, along with its own brand of English, coupled with the ever-expanding nationalistic and cultural activities of the English, were what gave the language its current status as a means of international communication.

And what of the English exported to America? It has often been said that the English the colonists spoke was virtually Shakespearean or, more generally, Elizabethan. But, as J. L. Dillard points out, it would be difficult to define what exactly Shakespearean English is, considering Shakespeare’s own variation in spelling and vocabulary. That it is equally difficult to describe Elizabethan English is evidenced by the varieties of regional dialect which were even more firmly entrenched by the 17th century than they are currently. Actually, the English did not give America "a perfectly good language," but rather a number of good languages or at least variations on a language, and those in a period of rather intense transition. Instead of the "two streams" or two separate languages that Mencken originally envisaged British and American English to be, it would be more accurate to consider Modern British English to be one result of that period of linguistic transition, and American English to be another.

In fact English was not immediately dominant in the colonies: other languages, such as Dutch and French, figured prominently. According to Dillard, English was a virtual "interloper" in some regions, and "had to adapt linguistically." At one point during the colonial period, there were 18 different languages spoken in the Hudson River Valley alone. Scholars have frequently suggested that the later waves of immigration to the United States explain the disparity in vocabulary between British and American English. But it is plainly not the whole story. Nevertheless, with other languages along with the Pidgin English common among Native Americans, slaves, and sailors undoubtedly contributed toward making American English as a different branch from, and not a subset of, British English.

Although the United States is not, geographically-speaking, the colonial power that England was, it had some direct role before this century in exporting its own brand of English. Dillard, citing Creole scholars, Berry and Hancock, maintains that, at least with the founding of Liberia by ex-slave repatriation, "it seems inescapable that, in a real sense, a variety of English that was in some sense ‘American’ was transported overseas before the period of British domination had ended." Of course, it is in the current century that American English has made its mark internationally. Marckwardt and Dillard highlight the efforts of such institutions and programs as the Fulbright Commission, the United States Information Agency, and the Peace Corps, as exporters of American culture and English. Technology has virtually assured the dominance of American English on a scientific as well as a popular level. With a 250 million-strong block of first language English speakers, and the rise of the United States as a military, industrial, and political superpower after World War II, Americans can certainly claim a prime responsibility for boosting English to world prominence.

The above is just an outline of how the two countries have ensured the position of English as the international language. There have been challengers to the title, none successful. As many gloom and doomsayers as there are predicting the demise of English as the predominant language in the United States, and with as much resistance to English as there is expressed in individual countries, no change in status seems imminent.

So, "Whose language is it?" appears to be a question of no pertinence. Crystal would give credit to the United States and its influence in the 20th century, "much to the discomfiture of some in Britain who find the loss of historical linguistic preeminence unpalatable." But, the world dominance of the United States rests partially on what the British had achieved in the 19th century. With as many theories as there have been on the divergence of the "two streams of English," it is still virtually impossible to consider them separately or even sequentially. It is true that the use of English predates the European settlement of America, but it has gained impetus concurrently with the rise of the United States to international status, as well as with the rise of the United Kingdom to that same status.