Irfan TEFL

Teaching Preposition of Time ‘In/On/At’ to Seventh Graders (Classroom Activity)

2010-02-20T05:18:00.000+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
Teaching preposition of time ‘in/on/at’ would be much more interesting if the amount of the students within a class is less than 40. And it was my unfortunate that I teach more than 30 pupils for the seventh grade, and 40 pupils for either eight or ninth grades.

It is because I divided the class into three large groups, in which each group is named after each preposition – in/on/at. It means that if a group consists of large students, then the effectivity of the activity I used here would be less achieved.

Here is my complete procedure of teaching preposition of time ‘in/on/at. (I modified this classroom activity from a book “Play Games with English 3”).

A. Aim
Students are able to:
- Understand and properly use preposition of time ‘in/on/at.
- Understand and properly use ‘simple past tense, simple present tense, and simple future tense.’
- Understand and properly use ‘WH-question’ especially ‘when.’

B. Activities
- Presentation Stage on preposition of time ‘in/on/at’
- Presentation Stage on WH-Question of ‘when’
- Practice Stage in the form of quiz

C. Procedure
- Presentation Stage
I started the lesson by asking them, “When did you do your homeworks?” Some of them rightly answered it, but the rest kept silent saying nothing because indeed, the level of students’ knowledge vary significantly.

Then, I told them that there is only one preposition of time in Bahasa Indonesia, that of ‘pada.’ Indonesians say, “Pada tahun 1997” (In 1997), “Pada hari Ahad” (On Sunday), and “Pada pukul tujuh malam” (At 7 pm).

Some students will find it hard to properly used them. For that reason, I wrote on the board about the use of ‘in/on/at.’

Since then, I wrote on the board about WH-Question sentence pattern, especially on ‘when.’ Here is what I wrote on the board.

- Practice Stage
I then prepared three cards written ‘in,’ ‘on,’ and ‘at.’ I then divided the class into three groups in. I distributed the cards to each group.

I told the students that I would recite some questions using WH-question when. As they have had their preposition cards, one representative of each group must answer my question based on the cards they were holding.

I set the score as such:
Three points: for the group that could answer the fastest.
Two points: for the group that answer the second fastest.
One point: for the last-answering group.

I did emphasize their answers on the proper use of preposition of time. Likewise, I put concern on the right use of simple past tense, simple present tense, and simple future tense.

Teaching “Countable and Uncountable Nouns/ How Much and How Many” to Ninth Grader Students (Speaking Classroom Activity)

2010-02-15T06:10:00.001+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
I did not even predict before that teaching ‘countable and uncountable nouns’ would be very interesting and engaging. Here is my complete procedure in teaching ‘countable and uncountable nouns’ and ‘how much and how many.’

A.    Aim
Students are able to:
-    Understand and further recognize countable and uncountable nouns
-    Understand and further use ‘how much and how many’ in the real life
-    Think about entrepreneurship

B.    Activities
-    Grouping students into 10, each consists of four students
-    Getting them to think of an entrepreneur business
-    Getting them to make a list of; (1) ingredients and (2) equipments they need to have to start the business
-    Getting them to identify which belongs to countable and uncountable
-    Using ‘how much and how many,’ getting them to buy those equipments and ingredients from teacher – acting as a seller.

C.    Procedures
-    Warming up
I did begin the class asking students, “How many students did pass the the tryout examination?” You’re right! They had just done a national examination tryout. Unfortunately, about 50% of them did not pass it.

That is why; I suggested them to be an entrepreneur just in case they cannot continue their study because of national examination failure. I then made a list of 10 most economically promising business.

I then grouped them into ten, and therefore each group must consist of four students. I got them to choose one business I have written on the board. After that, I had them make a list of things they need to have to run their business.

The list must include equipments and ingredients. While the students were busy listing the equipments and ingredients, I wrote “Countable and Uncountable Nouns” on the board with a table of countable and uncountable nouns.

Soon after the students had finished their work, I turned their head to me as I would tell them about “countable and uncountable nouns.”

-    Presentation Stage
I told the students about what countable and uncountable nouns are. I then got them to identify their lists, which belongs to countable and uncountable nouns. It worked very well, most of them could easily notice that ingredients tend to be uncountable while equipments countable.

After that, I started telling them about “how much and how many.” As we know together, “How many” is used for countable noun – even though it can also be used for uncountable noun, I did not telling them about this because the national curriculum does not suggest.

I put greater emphasize on the use of “how much” for asking the quantity of uncountable noun, and “how much” for asking price.

-    Practice/Production Stage
For that reason, I wrote a speaking chart that would be used to ‘buy’ those thing from me – from this I could then gather the students’ speaking score.

Teaching Modal Verb “Can” to Eight Graders

2010-01-27T11:41:00.002+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
This time, my office syllabus gets me to deliver a lesson about the Modal Verb “Can,” as the handbook I use suggests a topic, “Can you sing?” For some teacher, this subject is considered very easy, and therefore they find it hard to develop it into a conversation in   a class.

So am I. I found it hard to make a conversation to be told to my eight grader students. All of sudden, I was thinking about the criteria of a good leader. It is said that a good leader must have some outstanding characteristics, and I started to figure out some other characteristics of: a good students; a good wife; and a good husband.

Then, why I decided to use the characteristics of a good wife and a good husband. Well, some of my students are now making intimate relationship with the other students. Unfortunately, the relationship is majority imbalance. It means that in some cases, the girl is smart, but the boy is not. The boy is religiously pious, but the girl is on the contrary.

Well, here is my complete procedure of teaching Modal Verb “Can.”

A.    Presentation Stage
I started the lesson by having discussing with my students about the characteristics of a good student. Then, we have some characters of a good student such as; diligent, smart, obey the rules, attend the class on time, and participate in the class regularly.

After that, I turned to female students and asked, “What are characters of a good husband, according to you?” Then they started to mention some adjective and verb such as; pious, handsome, smart, give money to the family, and take care of the family.

The end of the discussion is by asking the male students, “What are characters of a good wife?” They did the same. They mentioned some adjectives and verbs such as; pious keep the secret of her husband, take care of the children, polite, and beautiful.

After that, I started to display a conversation chart to be practiced in the practice stage below:

B.    Practice Stage
B.1. Knowing One’s Skills
The conversation chart requires students to make a conversation with their partner. The chart consists of two questions and two answers. Here are the charts:

As the students have been provided with the charts, then I got them to find five talents as well as skill their partners have. Through that way, they were required to use those charts in simulated conversation.

As they have found five talents or skills of their partners, I wanted to report them to the class. I gave three points for every single student reporting their data.

B.2. I want to marry you!
The second activity of the practice stage is called, “I want to marry you?” At this stage, I got two ‘brave’ students to perform a simulated interview. The two must be male and female because one of them will offer a proposal of marriage to his/her conversation partner.

By this, I tried to educate them to find the best soulmate by asking questions like:
“Can you give money to our family?”
“Can you take care of me and the family?”
“Can you be pious?” and so on.

In the other words, I want them to really care and aware in choosing a boyfriend/girlfriend. I want them to ask such questions when they are offered with a proposal of making intimate relationship.

The score for a couple of student performing the interview is five points.

When a Historic School Altered into a Mall

2010-01-22T09:02:00.000+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
SMA 4 Pematang Siantar stands in the heart of Pematang Siantar City, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. The school is the most favourite one as a number of outstanding figures from the province have been produced by the school.

SMA 4 Pematang Siantar is likewise a worth visiting tourist destination, especially for those who love historic tourism. The school’s buildings are the historic remnants of the Dutch colonials that built the school in 1921.

Unfortunately, the historic school of SMA 4 Pematang Siantar will be altered into a mall and shopping center by the oppressive city government of Pematang Siantar under the command of the city’s mayor, RE Siahaan.

Three-day fierce protest confronting the school’s students, committee, and alumni against the local policemen was inexorable. When they were allowed to enter the school, no school’s resources were available at the school no more.

The school’s students and teachers do not want to move to the new temporary buildings. Consequently, the school’s headmaster and 10 teachers were transferred to remote areas by the city government. Worse, after three weeks of fierce protest, there is no real action from the central government.

I tried to make an investigation over the fraud land swap deal through the Google. This time, I want to let you know a brief chronology of the land swap carried out by the city government of Pematang Siantar and a private institution namely Detis Sari Indah (DSI) Limited.

Dated back to December 20, 2009, Hermanto, the commissioner of Detis Sari Indah (DSI) Ltd., sent a letter number 14/DSI-05 to the city government of Pematang Siantar. The letter is a proposal of land swap deal between DSI Ltd. and the city government.

The letter got response from the city government that later on issued a letter number 050/4353/VI/2006 addressed to the city’s Teaching and Education Department and the school’s committee about the continuation of teaching and learning activities at the school.

The DSI Ltd. viewed that response was not enough and clear. DSI Ltd. then posted another letter number 15/DSI-06 to the city government. The second letter asked more clear action and response from the city government about the proposal of land swap deal, in which DSI Ltd. will use the the school’s land as a hotel, shopping center, and a mall.

The proposal got ‘amen’ from the city government later on. The city’s House of Representative issued a letter number 425/4D55/DPRD/IV/2007 on April 17, 2007.

Through the letter, it means that DSI Ltd. is allowed to use the school’s land for a hotel, shopping center, and a mall as long as the DSI Ltd. is capable of paying IDR 34,956,967,000 (353,128 US$) to the city government.

The letter alone was issued without any approval from the President of Republic of Indonesia. Likewise, the procedure of such a lad swap deal has actually breached the mechanism that has been set as such by the Ministry of Treasury of Republic of Indonesia.

According to the state and legal mechanism of land swap deal, the proposal of land swap deal should not come out of initiative from private institution. A land swap deal between state and private institution should come out from state first, not from the private institution one.

When found as so, the mayor of Pematang Siantar City, RE Siahaan, and the Director of DSI Ld., Johny, signed a memorandum of understanding saying that three office buildings of DSI Ltd. may be used as a temporary school building of SMA 4 Pematang Siantar.

July 10, 2009 – when the school’s students were having their two-week vacation, a number of policemen entered the school and threw the school’s chairs and tables into a rubbish truck. The school’s facilities were going to be moved to the DSI Ltd.’s office buildings.

July 13, 2009 – the first day school after two-week vacation, the school’s students found themselves cannot enter their school anymore. The entrance gate was locked as the school was guarded by a number of policemen rented by the DSI Ltd. and the city government under command of the city’s mayor, RE Siahaan.

Since that day, the school’s students and alumni, backed by non-governmental groups and residents, had been trying to enter the school. Clash between the protesters and the policemen were unavoidable. Fortunately, the school’s students could tore down the school’s fence and enter the school on July 16, 2009.

No student was arrested by the city’s police station following the three-day protest. They don’t want to move to the temporary school’s building at the DSI Ltd.’s office buildings that is located too far away.

Unfortunately, the school’s headmaster and 10 teachers were transferred to remote areas by the city government. The school’s students then are left neglected. They accomplish the teaching and learning activities with no chairs and tables and other school’s facilities.

Amidst the media’s over-exposure on the Jakarta Bombing, the land swap case gets only little attention from the public. All focus of attention are now only at the Jakarta Bombing and the conspiracy theory behind it.

There is no real action and response from the central government of Indonesia to find the solution over the future of the historic school of SMA 4 Pematang Siantar so far.

Only on July 30, 2009 was there a meeting of North Sumatra Province’s House of Representative discussing the land swap deal. The meeting’s result is to summon the city government of Pematang Siantar to return the school’s facilities to the old building.

RE Siahaan alone was actually invited to attend the meeting with the provincial House of Representative, but he refused to do so. Many non-governmental institutions concerned with education call for halt of the land swap deal but the mayor of Pematang Siantar keep on his stance to alter the historic school of SMA 4 Pematang Siantar into hotel and mall.

Finally, further action from the central government is badly needed.

Teaching ‘Giving and Asking for Direction’ (Classroom Activity and Powerpoint Presentation)

2009-12-29T19:14:00.000+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
As my eight grade students have learned about the ‘preposition of place,’ teaching about ‘giving and asking for direction’ gets one step easier. This time, I provide the subject of learning in the forms of listening and speaking competences.

Here is the procedures I have used to teach ‘giving and asking for direction’ to the eight grade students of mine.

A.    Aims
Students are able to:
-    Understand how to ask for direction in English
-    Understand how to give direction in English
-    Make note by listening to a conversation on ‘giving and asking for direction’
-    Ask for direction in English
-    Give direction in English

B.    Activities
-    Powerpoint presentation on ‘giving and asking for direction’
-    Role play
-    Writing specific information gained by listening to conversations performed by students

C.    Procedures (90 minutes)
-    Warming up
I started the lesson by telling my personal experience of how I could get to the school where I am working now.

“The first time I came here, I didn’t even know where SMPN I Karangdowo is. Then, I met with a pedicab peddler in Surakarta, then asked him, ‘Where is SMPN I Karangdowo?’”

Stopping at that question, I asked the students, “What will the man answer?” Using the name of street, students will answer, “SMPN I Karangdowo is on Solo-Karangdowo Street.”

Then, I asked them more, “Do you think that I can reach SMPN I Karangdowo only by knowing the name of the street? So what will I ask later?”

Some students got confused while some other understood what to ask: that is about asking for direction. So, I began the powerpoint presentation as included herein. (You may download it free, indeed).

-    Explanation – Presentation Stage
The powerpoint presentation begins with an flashback explanation on Preposition of Place. I did include the explanation on when to use “in/on/at” and four more preposition of place that may be used to explain a direction.

The next slide displays three sentences asking for certain addresses with red-lighted words can be replaced with other destinations. I did as such to help students recognising a new language system of asking for address in foreign language, in this case English.

Next, the powerpoint asks, “How if someone asks you more...?” This is a situation as what I have experienced and told in the warming up stage. Then I provides four varieties of question on asking for direction.

The last page slide displays a set of sentence patterns on giving direction. I wrote them in boxes functioning as template and helping the students recognising that new language systems. The boxes lighted in yellow are the destinations that can be replace with destinations the students would ask in the next stages; that is, practice and production stages.

-    Practice Stage
Now, the students have been introduced with some new language patterns as shown by the powerpoint presentation. Then, I tried to ask four students, “What is your address?” and “Can you tell me how to get there?”

Keep the last page powerpoint on the screen, let the students look at the slide and use that template to answer my questions. Do the same for three students until they have 50% understand.

-    Production Stage
Then, I got two students to perform a role play. They were boy and girl students.

The context of situation was that I was falling in love to the girl but I was not brave enough to ask her address. So, I get the boy to ask for the girl’s address and how to get there.

After that, the boy should report it to me and the other students must make note on how to get to the girl’s home. After performing the simulated conversation, the boy student may go back to his seat while appoint another boy to perform the conversation. The same procedure also implies for the girl students.

Make this simulated conversation for about ten couples. At the end of the class, students have to submit their notes for evaluation on their listening skills.

Download Powerpoint Presentation for Teaching Giving and ASking for Direction to Eight Graders

When 'Certified' Teacher Doesn't Mean 'Qualified' Teachings

2009-12-22T09:00:00.000+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
Being a teacher in Indonesia did not guarantee somebody for save financial needs in the past. But the current progress on Indonesian education gets improved fast and is a good news for those grappling with it.

Therefore, being a teacher is no longer a nightmare, but a dream for so many Indonesian youths who want to get ‘save financial needs’ through teaching.

It is because those ‘certified teachers’ would get higher salary from the government that has boosted up the National Budget for Education Sector – up to 20 per cent from total National Budget – since 2008.

To those who have been familiar in watching news on Indonesian education, they would see that there are so many Indonesian teachers are now enrolling themselves for certification.

This can be a good news for students – with hope that students would get more quality education – but sometimes, still there are some ‘fraud’ teachers who want to have the mere higher salary with no quality improvement at all.

Such an assessment came out as the current research finding of Indonesia’s PGRI (Teacher’s Association of the Republic of Indonesia) disclosed a fact that ‘certified teachers’ cannot produce the more qualified teacher.

Likewise, the above assessment was also based on my self-experience as a non-government-paid English teacher at a certain SMP (Junior High School) in Central Java, Indonesia.

The story began when I came to the school for the first time. I tried to asses their English ability through a placement test given to the third grade students, second grade students, and first grade students.

Perhaps, I can apologize to any dissatisfying results coming out of the first and second grades students, but how if the same dissatisfying results also emerged from those students at the third grade.

They don’t even understand how they must apply “simple present tense” on an assignment I have given to them later. Then one big question spurred out, “What have those teachers taught to these kids?”

This problem takes my serious concern as the third grade students would face the National Examination only in less than one year.

It means that their fate of being three-year students at the school will be decided only in three days.

If they mark less than ‘five’ (of range one to 10 of marking) at the National Examination, they would fail at all, and not able to succeed in further higher education – SMA (Senior High School).

One of the onsets for the above problem slightly appeared when the school where I am teaching at was being ‘monitored’ and ‘supervised’ by a team consisting of two supervisors from the Department of Education.

The supervision is a means of quality control from the Department of Education to those teachers who have passed the certification stage.

As well, it means that those ‘certified teachers’ would be asked to take another certification process if they fail to make any good impression in front of the supervisors.

That is why; four days before the supervision and monitoring, the headmaster asked those teachers who have ‘passed’ the certification process to make some unusual and extraordinary teaching materials, special for that day of supervision.

Some ‘certified teachers’ then arranged teaching materials that are far more attractive than usual. Some of them even browsed for the internet; in fact, they rarely did it before.

What a good mark, the school where I am working at, got a good mark over the supervision. All ‘certified’ teachers have passed the supervision, and doesn’t need to take another certification anymore.

From the above observation, I would conclude that the research finding of Indonesia’s PGRI does match to the real fact in the fields.

My personal experience also supports an argumentation saying that ‘certified teachers doesn’t guarantee for qualified teachings.’

Now, there is a need to raise awareness amongst those certified teachers that the higher salary paid to them is aimed at stimulating them to improve their quality of teachings.

That does not only mean for getting ‘save financial needs,’ but there more duties and responsibilities are waiting for them.

In the other words, they have had their rights but they have not made any advanced progress following the ‘stimulus’ taking the form of ‘higher salary.’

Once again, they should now realize that there are more duties and responsibilities over higher salary and title ‘certified’ they have received.

Definitions of Writing and Key Elements to be Tested in Writing

2009-12-09T05:40:00.001+07:00

A.    Formulation of Writing Theories
Writing is viewed by Kooser (2006: 118) as communication just quite the same as speaking. The argument gets supported by Barry Holstun Lopez – the author of River Notes and Arctic Dreams - (in Kooser, 2006 : 3) as stating that writing is ‘telling the best story’ we know. Likewise, an outstanding writer, Bil Gilbert, says that ‘writing is telling a story to a stranger’ (in Kooser, 2006: 63). Finally, writing as a communication allows the existence of ‘information transmission’ as stated by Collinge (1990: 312).

Highlighting ‘transmission’ on the above paragraph, there must be one or more meaning within a writing that is deliberately expressed by a writer. That is why; writing – according to Tierney and Pearson (in Collinge, 1990: 312) – is concerned with ‘creating meaning.’ Writing as a process is a ‘practice requiring iterative performances – including the embodiment of a complex set of knowledge and skills to achieve competence (Knapp and Watkins, 2005: 81). More specifically, Swales argues that writing ‘involves focus on ‘making meaning appropriately within its terms’ (in Chambers and Gregory, 2006: 150).

As writing tends to be permanent rather than any other language skill such as speaking and listening, writing demands ability to convert mental experience undergoes on human brain into words. Therefore, Kooser (2006: 11) states that writing is ‘transformative experience.’ It means that writing alone is a medium for people to ‘transform’ people’s ‘thoughts – information, knowledge, and wisdom— into words (Kooser, 2006: 111). In the other words, writing may also be said as an attempt at ‘recording spoken language through a conventionalized system of graphic signs’ (Bussmann, 1998: 1294).

Then, how do people cope with the number of information or knowledge when they have to make writing? At this stage, the abilities to ‘reject irrelevant information, to summarize relevant points, and to organize relevant information are needed (Matthews, Spratt, and Dangerfield, 1985: 71). Then, when all done, a writer is required to be capable of ‘using linguistic cohesion devices, expressing precise meaning in a variety of styles and registers, and using a variety of sentence patterns and constructions (Matthews, Spratt, and Dangerfield, 1985: 71).

B.    Construct
Writing is a means of communication (Kooser, 2006: 118), an attempt to transmit information (Collinge 1990: 312), a transformative effort to convert mental experience into words (Kooser, 2006: 111), and a work to create meaning to be transmitted (Swales in Chambers and Gregory, 2006: 150).

To achieve those goals, thus a writer should be able to exploit his/her grammatical, rhetorical, organizational and expressive skills all together. For that reason, there are four main points to be tested or measured in writing; that of one’s grammatical skill, rhetorical skill, organizational skill, and expressive skill.

References:
Aronoff, Mark and Rees-Miller, Jannie (Eds.), 2002. The Handbook of Linguistics. Blackwell Publishing: London.
Carter, Awena (Ed.), 2009. Why Writing Matters. Issues of access and identity in Writing Research and Pedagogy. John Benjamins Publishing Company: Philadelphia.
Chambers, Ellie and Gregory, Marshall, 2006. Teaching and Learning English Literature. Sage Publications: London.
Collinge, N.E., 1990. An Encyclopaedia of Language. Routledge: London.
Kooser, Ted and Cox, Steve, 2006. Writing brave and free: encouraging words for people who want to start writing. University of Nebraska Press: London.
Task, R.L., 1999. Key Concepts in Language and Linguistics. Routledge: London.
Williams, James Dale, 2003. Preparing to Teach Writing: Research, Theory, and Practice. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers: New Jersey.

Teaching Comparative/Superlative Adjectives (Classroom Activities and Powerpoint Presentation)

2009-12-07T18:26:00.003+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
As of three hours prior to the class began, I kept thinking what the best activity to teach “Comparative/Superlative Adjectives” to the ninth graders. All of sudden, the word “debate” struck my mind, and thus asked myself, “Why not?”

Teaching “Comparative/Superlative Adjectives” is about ‘educating’ students to compare hence there would be a debatable argument on any statement using these kinds of adjective. That is why, I put a great agenda that my students should be trained to think critically.

“Debate competition” I called this classroom activity. After explaining students what “comparative/superlative adjectives” are, I did conduct a small-scale debate amongst the students in my class. The emphasize of the debate is on the use of “comparative/superlative” in real communication.

Here is a complete procedures of “teaching comparative/superlative adjectives” to the ninth graders.

A.    Aims
Students are able to:
-    Understand what “comparative/superlative adjectives” are
-    Differentiate when to use “comparative adjectives” and when to use “superlative adjectives”
-    Use it in real communication
-    Think critically

B.    Activities
-    Mentioning kinds of kata sifat (adjectives) in Bahasa Indonesia and in English
-    Powerpoint presentation
-    Introducing the rules of the debate
-    Debate competition

C.    Procedures (80 minutes)
-    Warming Up (5 minutes)
I started the class by throwing some questions such as “Kenapa orang-oang barat cenderung lebih pintar daripada orang Indonesia?” (Why are Westerners considered smarter than Indonesians?).

“Bagaimana kita merubah pendapat tersebut sehingga semua orang akan berpikir bahwa orang Indonesia adalah manusia terpintar di dunia?” (How do we changed that opinion, thus people would admit that Indonesia is the smartest people on earth?)

Too much exaggerated I think but it’s OK as I was trying to boost up their motivation to study more and more. Since then, I did highlight the use of “lebih pintar” (smarter) and “paling pintar” (the smartest) then started the “Presentation Stage.”

(In another class I used questions like, “Who is the richest man in Indonesia?” and “Can you find someone richer than M. President?”)

-    Explanation – Presentation Stage (25 minutes)
I used the included herein Powerpoint to explain the students about “Comparative/Superlative Adjectives.” You may download it for free.

The first and second slides of the powerpoint read “Adjectives (kata sifat)” and “What is adjective?” As I have finished telling them the definition of adjective, I got each student to mention one adjective in Bahasa Indonesia. I gave them one point to those who can also mention adjectives in English.

There would be about 40 adjectives at the end of that stage. Since then, I continued explaining about “Positive Adjective,” “Comparative Adjective,” and “Superlative Adjectives.” Two table were displayed thus they could see how an adjective can change in such ways thus results in Comparative/ Superlative Adjectives.

The presentation stage is over, continued with introduction to the rules of a debate.

-    Practice Stage (10 minutes)
I began this stage by giving a statement, “I am the most handsome man in this room!” Spontaneously, students reacted in various ways – expressing that they disagreed to what I had just said.

Then, I asked them, “Do you agree with that statement?” and they loudly answered, “ No, we don’t.” If that so, I then introduced them to “I disagree with you,” or “I agree with you” to express an agreement or disagreement.

As they disagreed, I asked them once more, “What are you reasons?” They answered in various ways – unfortunately they did still use Bahasa Indonesia – and therefore I got them to compare me to the one who is “more handsome than” me. I wanted them to express the reason using “Comparative Adjectives.”

Since then, one of them said, “I am more handsome than you!” Once again, all of students laughed at the boy. Another student followed the debate while saying “I am more handsome than you (me) and him.”

-    Production Stage (35 minutes)
I did as such for three statements – or you may adjust to the situation – until the students have understand the rules of the debate. Since then, I wanted one student to deliver a statement using “Superlative Adjectives” and the others responded it in disagreement as saying “I disagree with....” and using “Comparative Adjectives.”

Scoring system was set for those who can deliver statement and responded to the statement appropriately. Two points for them.

Download Powerpoint Presentation of Teaching Comparative/Superlative Adjectives

Teaching Preposition of Place (Classroom Activity and Powerpoint Presentation)

2009-12-02T06:05:00.003+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
Teaching Preposition of Place to Indonesians, especially to those who are at the eighth grade (Sekolah Menengah Pertama/Junior High School), can be something hard to do. It is because the Indonesians do only recognise one preposition – that of “di ....” – while in English, we have three basic preposition of place – that of “in, on, and at.”

Below procedure is my experience of how to teach “Preposition of Place” to Indonesian students at the eight grade. The classroom activity will take about 80 minutes and be started by a powerpoint presentation as the file also included herein.

A.    Aims
Students are able to:
-    Understand the concept of preposition of place
-    Use preposition of place – in, on, at, next to, between, in front of, and behind – properly
-    Be familiar with English Preposition of Place and therefore use it in daily life.

B.    Activities
-    Powerpoint presentation on preposition of place
-    Where is X? X is in front of/ between/ next to/ behind.....

C.    Procedures (80 minutes)
-    Warming up (5 minutes)
At this session, teacher asks students, “Where are they?” in Bahasa Indonesia. Then, the teacher asks them, “Where is the painting?” in Bahasa Indonesia. As the students answered in Bahasa Indonesia, they would only use “di” for most of their answers. Since then, the teacher starts explaining the Preposition of Place through powerpoint presentation.

-    Explanation – Presentation Stage (25 minutes)
The powerpoint included herein is what I have used to explain preposition of place. You may download it freely.

-    Practice Stage (10 minutes)
At this stage, teacher asks students question like, “Where is someone?” and therefore will require four students to answer using either “in font of, behind, between, or next to.” (Please notice that I have 40 students within. They face one single screen and I face at them). Scoring is set by giving one point to those who can answer teacher’s question using preposition of place properly.

-    Production Stage (35 minutes)
As they have a little bit understood when to use either “in front of, behind, between, or next to” as well as “in, on, and at,” teacher gets students to carry the activity at “Practice Stage” by themselves.

One student delivers question asking where his/her classmate sits, and he/she must appoint four students to answer his/her question. Remember, the four students must use “in front of/ behind/ between/ next to.” Scoring system is set by one point for those who can propose the right answer and those who deliver questions.

As the class would get really active, you will find that this production stage will take a long time. More than that, it would get crowded if the students have really understood and comprehended the Preposition of Place in English as the teacher explains it clearly and understandably. However, it is all OK because the class is actually speaking class – not a sole grammar class.

Download Powerpoint Presentation of Teaching Preposition of Place

Reading Class is no Longer Boring If…

2009-11-19T05:13:00.001+07:00

By Irfan Nugroho
It is a common perception that reading can be a boring subject for a number of students. One pure and simple reason for this is that students are not interested in the text offered by teachers of reading.

The absence of relations between the information on the text and the students’ interests or the students’ personal background is the onset for such a lack of motivation. Hence, there should be consideration from teachers of reading to chase the negative perception of reading away.

Amongst the so many ways to reach that goal is to make relations, connections, and links between the text and the student’s interest or their local context. Implying Contextual Teaching and Learning approach to teach reading, thus the local context here means everything that relates to the factual condition of the students. This can be their social life, their parents’ occupation, their daily problem, and more importantly, their interests.

By making such connections, it is expected that students will be encouraged to read more because they are eager to gain more information that relates to their interests. At this point, the roles played by teachers of reading are significant to chase that negative perception away.

On a booklet of Educational Practices Series published by UNESCO’s International Academy of Education, it is stated that ‘teachers (of reading) need to be aware of their students’ learning needs.’ This means that teachers of reading are suggested to choose reading materials that suit to the students’ needs or interests.

Taking for example, students of mechanical engineering will get more interested in English reading class when they are offered with text that relates to their ‘world.’ They will be curious of reading texts telling them information about the latest advanced technology, thus they get motivated to read a lot.

On the other hands, when the students of mechanical engineering are offered with texts discussing linguistics matters, we might be sure that those students will pay no attention at all. One logic consequence of this is that they will have no motivation to read more and more. In fact, the final goal of teacher of reading is ‘to develop a love for reading because is extends beyond academic successes.’

Therefore, when choosing books or any reading materials, it is important to consider the students’ interests. At this point, teachers of reading do not only play a role as mere teachers, but also as motivators for students to pump up the students’ reading habit. When it is reached, reading would be no longer a boring subject for students.

Photo: WinningSpirit.com

Guestbook for Irfan TEFL

2009-09-23T05:22:00.001+07:00

Welcome to http://idiomdaily.blogspot.com and http://irfantefl.blogspot.com

The two blogs are currently managed by one single person who is now working as a TEFL teacher at a Junior High School in Klaten District, Central Java Province, Indonesia. This page is aimed at making me easy to trace you back, and therefore I can make a return visit to your blogs too. Just leave your comments about these blogs or whatever sayings on the box below. Spamming is ethically forbidden in the blogging world.