Teaching Speaking Skills in the Young Learners’ Classroom

Teaching Speaking Skills in the Young Learners’ Classroom

Moh. Nur Arifin

Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten State Islamic University
[e-mail]


Teach your children by what you are, not just by what you say"
- Jane Revell & Susan Norman


Introduction
It is interesting news from the survey of PISA (Program for International Students Assessment) conducted by OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Of the 510.000 students of 15 to 16 years old who represent 28 million kids of 65 countries of PISA members, it is surprising that Indonesia gets the highest of the members in the field of ‘students feel happy at school’ and ‘students make friends easily at school’. PISA assesses what student ‘knows’ and ‘able’ in mathematics, reading, and science. PISA assess the quality of education of a certain country based on students of 15 to 16-year-old’s skill in the three fields. Angel Gurria, OECD Secretary-General, says that ‘more and more countries are looking beyond their own borders for evidence of the most successful and efficient policies and practices. Indeed, in a global economy, success is no longer measured against national standards alone, but against the best-performing and most rapidly improving education systems. (PISA 2012:1). He shows that the education system is the first page of national development that should be recognized.
But, Indonesia student's achievement reported by PISA is not definitely followed by their competency in mathematics, language, and science. According to PISA, of the 65 countries, Indonesia is the lowest score before Peru. Surprisingly, PISA reported that Shanghai-China is the highest, followed by Singapore, Hongkong-China and China Taipei. Based on the PISA 2012 it can be concluded that today’s Indonesia education system is still far from the targeted goals. In addition, the survey shows, first; school-based curriculum (KTSP) by which CTL/PAKEM used an approach of teaching is successfully conducted, proven by the fact that Indonesia’s student feels happier at school than that of many other countries. Countries with the high score in mathematics, language and science surprisingly get a lower score in the field of student feel happy at school, e.g. Shanghai-China places in rank order of 28, Singapore 12, Hongkong-China 21, and China Taipei 19. Second; the position of Indonesia vis-à-vis other countries of PISA members i.e. the lowest rank before Peru shows that on mathematics, language and science our students do not learn very well. CTL/PAKEM approach practically only resulted in students’ happiness and their easiness of making friends at school. Third; students who get the high score in mathematics, language and science really learn hard, strive for studying and ignore happiness and relaxed atmosphere at the school.
Today’ s curriculum of 2013 implies that English considered as local content, it is not meant that English is as second opinion or even erased. English for the elementary school is optional, some schools, if it is possible, can make it a local content or they may chose others such as ICT, cultures or life skills. When English is chosen as local content of school curriculum, teachers, learning media and other supporting facilities should be provided.
Before children or young learners learn to speak foreign language as the first of their output, young children listen to words, phrase or sentences as their first input. This is the first home of foreign words they come in and play in after their first language. Speaking i.e. pronouncing new words is the first skill of all young learners’ activities teachers should recognize.
There are some reasons why TEYL (Teaching English for Young Learner) at school is conducted. Children who have an early start develop and maintain some advantages in some areas of language e.g. listening comprehension mostly benefits from this early start, pronunciation also benefits in longer term. However, younger children learn the grammar of L2 more slowly than older learners, so that although starting earlier with language learning they make slower progress (Cameron, 2001) Furthermore, young learner find it easier to learn languages than older students. Though compared to adult learners, these young learners (YL) face obstacles that adult learners do not. They are still developing physically and intellectually; their emotional needs may be higher; and they are less able of take responsibility for their own learning (Graddol ,2006: 89). Both Cameron and Graddol are agree with the fact that teaching English to young learner (YL) is more effective than that of older learner. Learning english several years earlier will increase the total number of years to spent learning the language. In other words, young learner (YL) seem to have greater facility for understanding and imitating what they hear than secondary school pupils.