TAKE HOME MIDTERM EVALUATION

EFL METHODOLOGY

ANDRIAN PERMADI
1006928
Class A
Master Program on English Education
School of Postgraduate
Indonesia University of Education
2010

1. Based on your reading, explain the characteristics of Audiolingual Method. How this
method could effectively implemented in our classroom?

Answer:
The Audio-Lingual method is based on the theory that language learning is a question of
habit formation (Harmer, 2001). It has its origins in Skinner’s principles of behavior
theory. Since learning is thought to be a question of habit formation, errors are
considered to be bad and to be avoided.
Here is a summary of the key features of the Audio-lingual Method, taken from
Brown (1994:57) and adapted from Prator and Celce-Murcia (1979).
(1) New material is presented in dialog form.
(2) There is dependence on mimicry, memorization of set phrases, and over learning.
(3) Structures are sequenced by means of contrastive analysis and taught one at a time.
(4) Structural patterns are taught using repetitive drills.
(5) There is little or no grammatical explanation. Grammar is taught by inductive
analogy rather than deductive explanation.
(6) Vocabulary is strictly limited and learned in context.
(7) There is much use of tapes, language labs, and visual aids.
(8) Great importance is attached to pronunciation.
(9) Very little use of the mother tongue by teachers is permitted.

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 (10) Successful responses are immediately reinforced.
(11) There is great effort to get students to produce error-free utterances.
(12) There is a tendency to manipulate language and disregard content
In line with the characteristics of Audio-Lingual Method, I believe that to make
better use of this method in our EFL classroom, several steps need to be conducted.
First, the teacher controls the learners and prevents them from doing anything that
conflict with the theory. This is to assure that learners avoid mistakes and obtain
previously planned goals. Second, Learners are expected to interact with the language
system, embodied in controlled materials. The purpose is to drill students with correct
usage of English. Third, the teacher is expected to specify the language that learners are
to use in order to achieve specific goals. Lastly, teachers and learners need to cooperate
to overcome cultural boundaries related to teaching and learning processes and to gain
learning objectives.

2. Based on your experience and reading, explain the theories or principles underlying
Communicative Language Teaching. How the method can be effectively implemented in
our classroom.

Answer:
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is an approach to the teaching of second and
foreign languages that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of
learning a language. It is also referred to as “communicative approach to the teaching of
foreign languages” or simply the “Communicative Approach” (Galloway, 1993).
David Nunan (1991:279) lists five basic characteristics of Communicative Language
Teaching:
a) An emphasis on learning to communicate through interaction in the target language.
b) The introduction of authentic texts into the learning situation.
c) The provision of opportunities for learners to focus, not only on the language but
also on the learning process itself.

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 d) An enhancement of the learner’s own personal experiences as important contributing
elements to classroom learning.
e) An attempt to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the
classroom
I suggest several ways in order to implement CLT effectively in our EFL
classroom. Firstly, in CLT, dialogs, if used, center on communicative functions and are
not memorized. Secondly, Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life
situations that necessitate communication. The teacher sets up a situation that students
are likely to encounter in real life. Thirdly, the real-life simulations change from day to
day. Students’ motivation to learn comes from their desire to communicate in
meaningful ways about meaningful topics.

3. Teaching cannot be defined as part of learning. So, the way we define language teaching
should be based on how actually learners learn language (see, Brown, 2007). Looking
into this statement, how then do you define teaching and learning processes?

Answer:
Teaching and learning process is a practice of transferring and developing knowledge
that fulfill the conditions and needs of learner in the best possible way (Harmer, 2005).
However, it is not merely a concept of learning directly from a teacher or learning
through study or practices, but it is also a conscious language development which is
affected by learners’ characteristics, social contexts, and by the conditions of learning
(Stern, 1983). In conclusion, learners learn language by continuous development and
modification of the language and teachers guided the development and modification of
the language learning by considering students’ characteristics, conditions, and needs.

4. How do you define language? What classroom implication or connection that could be
drawn from the definition?

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 Answer:
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using
complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of
complex communication (Brown, 2007). In this matter, classroom activity or the
implementation of language teaching and learning in the classroom has become a media
for students to engage and use a language. This is in line with Harmer (2005) who states
that learning language in the classroom enables students to think, construct and develop
the language. Johnston (2009), further asserts that knowing "how to" is far more
important than knowing "about", and it is one of the important way for students in
learning a language in the classroom. Hence, in able for students to do the “how to”, an
exposure of the language is implemented in the classroom while the use of the language
itself is being directed by the teacher.

5. How do you define Genre-Based Approach? What are the principles underlying this
approach? How could we possibly implement this approach effectively in our EFL
classroom?

Answer:
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning has defined the genre
approach as “a framework for language instruction” (Byram, 2004, p. 234) But first,
what is a genre? Swales (1990) identified a genre as “a class of communicative events,
the members of which share some set of communicative purposes” (p. 58). His definition
offers the basic idea that there are certain conventions or rules which are generally
associated with a writer’s purpose. For example, personal letters tell us about private
stories, film reviews analyze movies for potential viewers, and police reports describe
what happened. Most genres use conventions related to communicative purposes; a
personal letter starts with a cordial question in a friendly mood because its purpose is to
maintain good relationships with friends, and an argument essay emphasizes its thesis
since it aims at making an argument. Looking at spoken genres, Byram (2004), citing

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 Martin (1984), defined a genre as a staged, goal-oriented, purposeful activity in which
speakers engage as members of their culture (p. 235). Each spoken genre has a specific
goal that people should achieve through several steps. Thus, the specific social goals
become main focuses when genre was discussed. In relation to our EFL classroom, the
Genre-Based Approach is implemented by the orientation of goal setting both for
teaching writing and speaking. It should consider and analyze the context of a situation
to anticipate what linguistic features are required. Hence, students should be encourage
to comprehend features in different Genre, so they would be able to perform different
task with specific goals.

6. How do you define competence and performance? What are possible implication of the
definition you have to known to EFL teaching?

Answer:
Competence is the ability to perform one's duties accurately, make correct judgments,
and interact appropriately with others. While performance is the act of performing; of
doing something successfully; using knowledge as distinguished from merely possessing
it (Keith, 2001). Nunn (2005) considers different types of competence in relation to the
teaching of EFL, arguing that linguistic competence has yet to be adequately addressed
in recent considerations of EFL. Both competence and performance play an important
part in EFL teaching, so it is closely related to both teachers and students, on how
teachers perform their duties well by making correct judgments and how they relate to
students. This is in line with the knowledge of the teachers and how they apply their
knowledge to students.

7. Research conducted by experts both in our setting and others (see Gardner and Lambert,
1972; sundayana, 1983) indicate that most students in Asian countries, such Indonesia
and Philippine tend to have instrumental motivation. What are the possible classroom
connections to the finding?

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Answer:
Gardner (1985) states that motivation to learn foreign language is influenced by group
related and context related attitudes, integrativeness and attitudes toward the learning
situation. This motivation is also addressed as instrumental motivation, a powerful
motivator that influences achievement. In line with Gardner, Harmer (2005) states that
instrumental motivation is classified as extrinsic motivation. It deals with goals, the
society, people around us and curiosity. In accordance with Indonesian and Philippine
classroom, students have strong instrumental motivations because they are set with goals
when they undergoing teaching learning processes. Students are faced with exams to
pass and also the expectation of being able to contribute to the society by having job and
profession. Another example of goal setting is from higher educational institutions that
demand students to fulfill the requirement of TOEFL. This situation causes many
students to learn English not because of the language but in order to pass the TOEFL test
as a basic requirement.

8. Functional linguist believe that language is a tool for social interaction. As the tool
for the interaction, a language is a subject to variation, at least according to setting,
topics, and role relationship of people involved in communication. What connection
does this statement indicate to teaching and learning of English as a foreign
language?

Answer:
Teachers faced have encountered a dilemma whether to focus on linguistic forms or
to the variation of language used by people in communication (Stern, 1983). I
believe that as the tool of social interaction, teachers should focus on the way human
use the language to communicate with others and taking into account that language
can have different features based on place/communities, styles, register, domain, and
code (Stern, 1983). From my experience in teaching General English, I have found

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 that most of my students are able to communicate well with others by using simple
expressions and daily use communication in English because they are accustomed to
learning different kind of variation of English for their daily life. They are also able
to communicate with native speakers and not bound with strict rules of the language.
In conclusion, language learning should focus on the user and not the language itself
and by doing so, those who learn the language would benefit themselves in their real
life and as a result increase their motivation to learn the target language (Brown,
2001).

9. International studies on literacy studies indicate that our learners have a low literacy
habit, placed at level 2 of the four literacy levels recognized. What are possible
factors that could influence this result if we viewed from the teaching of reading in
our schools?

Answer:
There are several factors of what I believe in line with low literacy habit of
Indonesian students. Firstly, it is cultural for Indonesian students to gain knowledge
or information by listening and memorizing an explanation, in this case a teacher,
and not by reading different kind of literatures (Alwasilah, 2001). This type of
learning has become somewhat a habit for students so they are accustomed to
listening to information, and not reading them, and unconsciously this situation is
being left unnoticed by many educational practitioners. Secondly, low literacy is also
in line with the incapability to write. A good writer is also a good reader and because
most Indonesian is not accustomed to reading different kind of literatures, they are
not able to produce a piece of writing (Alwasilah, 2001). Thirdly, the implementation
of Genre based Approach in Indonesian classroom has made students to read as a
form of analysis and not as a need. This is because GBA focuses on identifying parts
of each genre (Swales, 1990) and not trying to gain the gist of the text which can be

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 used by learners. Lastly, teachers are lacking of creativity in teaching reading and as
a result students feel bored and find reading as a boring activity.

10. There are many factors, both internal and external ones in the teaching and learning
of a language. Based upon your reading, mention the factors and explore their
influence in the effectiveness of language teaching and learning of English as foreign
language, particularly in our setting.

Answer:
Internal and external factors in teaching and learning a language are in line with
intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Harmer (2002) states that intrinsic factors come from
inside, in this matter, teachers and learners. It deals with competency, character,
performance and curiosity. These features are beneficial because human in nature
tends to have curiosity to know new things and for learners, it is good to have this
kind of feature because it will encourage them to gain more knowledge which
unconsciously. Extrinsic factors, on the other hand, deals with goals, the society, and
people around us. These factors are beneficial because learners are driven by reward
from the society and from goal they want to achieve.

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References

Alwasilah, Chaedar. (2001) Pokoknya Menulis. Pustaka Jaya: Bandung.

Byram, M. (2004). Genre and genre-based teaching. The Routledge Encyclopedia of

Language Teaching and Learning (pp. 234- 237). London: Routledge.

Harmer, Jeremy. 2002. The Practice of English Language Teaching. Malaysia: Pearson
Education Limited.

Johnston, Keith. 2001. An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching.

Edinburgh: Pearson Education Limited.

Nunan, D. (2005). Important tasks of English education: Asia-wide and beyond. In P.

Robertson, P. Dash & J. Jung (Eds.), English Language Learning in the Asian
Context (pp. 5-8). Pusan: The Asian EFL Journal Press. Retrieved November 27,
2010, from
http://faculty.uccb.ns.ca/pmacintyre/research_pages/journals/motivation_languag
e1991.pdf

Stern, H. H (1983). Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching. Oxford University Press:

Oxford

Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings.

Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

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