NEED FUN ENGLISH? (A Summary Of Interview With English Teacher)

Wherever the English teachers meet each other, they talk about their classic problems:
1. English development in their school, or
2. How can they motivate their students to be more loving English and being more active in the classroom.

There are so many ways to solve the problems above. And, maybe you (as English teacher) have found the strategies. Strategies to face your passive students or strategies to "lift" your students who feel lack of vocabularies. But, how if you still have student with different case? Maybe you will need to mix your strategies with another method. The tips and tricks below maybe will inspire you to make funnier class:
1. Start your lesson by changing your class' setting. Arrange your class as if it were conference room. Your headmaster will never accuse you as long as you return the class' setting as before, after the end of class. Then, start to motivate your students by these sentences:
- Make a mistake first!
- Don't be afraid!
- Ignore the structure or grammar!
- Ignore the people who mock you!
Or whatever, that you think can motivate them. Try to make "conducive climate" to practice their English. In short, make them to be more confident and brave. Don't say: "Tadi kamu salah.", but say: "Tadi sebaiknya kamu begini dan begitu. Itu akan lebih efektif, lho."

2. Active students need an active teacher. So, be a creative teacher and don't give any work while you sit. But, move around and help your students.
3. Give various materials. If it's possible, leave your handbook for a while. Arrange groups and tell a story or invite your students to discuss about interesting and up to date topics. Let your students choose the topic that they interested in. Remember, don't choose the topic for them. Let them choose the topic by themselves.
4. Use games or quiz to deliver your lesson. The most important thing: make them speak up!
5. Instrumental music such as Mozart can be used to accompany your students while they are completing a work.
6. Find out more various materials, find out new facts about the result of newest research, and give web site addresses that discuss about environment, social, economic, etc. Make your students active by asking and challenge them to present a material they get from a web site. It's time for your students to be more active. And it's not a time for you to keep making oration in front of the class! Besides your job is getting lighter, your students also get chance to improve their skill in English.
7. Give your students a chance to "teach" their friends through "peer to peer education". Make them being instructor for their friends in a game or quiz. Don't forget to give a reward. Maybe chocolate, funny ballpoint, or anything. Being successful, at least sometimes, is a great motivator.
8. Ensure that the materials you give have been adjusted with the general ability of your students. It will be nice if sometimes you give the easiest work too. Your students will be very happy. And, in the next meeting, increase the difficulty levels of the work. Don't start the beginning of a semester with a heavy topic and homework!
9. Make your students involve in a competition such as debating championship, retelling story, etc. But, in this time, they should not be the participant. Ask them to be the committee of the competition. Make a competition in your town!
10. Ensure that your school has "Pentas Seni" in the end of semester such as drama in English. Minimally, 1 class has 1 representative / team to show their ability on stage!

Yup, the most important thing in now is "that language is spoken". The result of teaching-learning process must be the students' ability in using their English. Start your fun class now!

INGGRIS IS HARUS!

People born without language skill. We don't know about what language we use. But, while time is running, we can use a language that we get from our environment. We understand about the language because we often listen to people who use that language and we practice it as our habit. If we live in a new environment, we feel strange with their language until we can adapt in the end.

That just the same as our skill in English. We will be able to understand about English if we often use it. Generally, we learn English only at school and rarely use it in the daily life. We think that learn English just to get good mark. Out from that, we don't need it. That is a wrong opinion that make our skill can't get betterment. In fact, if we take a look at international world, we are included as a kind of people with a low English skill. Sound terrible? That's right, but that's the fact!

The problem could be our culture. We are lazy, but we wish to get a lot. When we were at school we learnt English. We learnt about the meaning of every word, how to make sentence, how to choose the right word, etc. But, have we ever thought about when and for what we use English? That's all never been thought because we always think that English is not important, we don't need it, and it's difficult. But, if we think that English is important, we need it, and it's fun, of course we will be able to use English well. We just need more practice and not lazy. Make English as our habit, like try to say it, listen to the English song, read book with the English as the main language, and get talk with your friends in English. English is just the same as math. More practice make you better. Don't be afraid to try!

IMPROVING ENGLISH THROUGH GAMES

Like a living thing, an organization also grows. Some of them have a good progress while the others don't. SPEC (Student Practice English Club) is growing too. Growing in a condition that between good progress and not too good progress. Because, SPEC grows fully supported by all school components but not too much reliable human resources whom they should hold SPEC. But, whatever the situation, we recognize that "This Is A True Dedication For Our Beloved School".
To support the activities in the club, we often conduct so many games. So vary...

Games is a good media to stimulate your students to speak up or react.
1. Digging vocabularies.
Order your students to look for / write down / mention vocabularies they know without opening their dictionary. The instruction can be: find out / write down / mention words that started by letter A / B / C! or find out / write down / mention words that consist of 2 / 3 / 4 letters!

You can make a competition for your students. Make them to arrange a group, give the instruction, then they should write the vocabularies on the whiteboard, as much as possible. The winner will be the group with the plenty words / vocabularies.

2. Chain Words
It's an easy game. Order your students to make a "train" of word. Each new word started by last letter from previous word. Example:
- New --> Woman --> North --> Home --> Easy
- Young --> Grow --> Wonder --> Rain
Remember, write the example on the whiteboard after you explain the rule. Again, in English please. The instruction can be:
"Ok, now, please make a group that consist of 5 persons. We will play "chain words" game. The rule is: please mention words that started by last letter of previous words!"

3. Jumbled Words
Ok, just prepare some sentences that the structure have been modified. You are going to practice "Jumbled Words". Your students, in this case, should rearrange your jumbled words into a full and right sentences. The example is:
Favorite - Relax - My - Is - Place - For - Town square
Become: My favorite place for relax is town square

Don't write the example on the whiteboard! Just give the instruction orally. Remember, mention the words that they should rearrange, one by one. Order your students to write down the words on the paper. After they get the best arrangement, make them write it on the whiteboard.

4. Crypto quotes A = N
Crypto quotes means code or in Indonesian language called as "Sandi". It's commonly used by scouting boy / scouting girl or Pramuka. So, in this game your students must translate the code you give into a real sentence. Please mention the letters one by one.


Key:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Example:
V YBIR RATYVFU = I LOVE ENGLISH

5. Arranging Words From Words
Now, your job as an instructor is preparing a word or more. Each word should be arranged into new words. Each letter may be used more than once in one word. For example:
ENVIRONMENTAL ? Iron, Metal, Late, Tale, Ornament, Real, Later, Mental, Liar, Vote, Veil, Rival, River, Riot.....

6. Quick Quiz
Now, test your students' knowledge by this quick quiz. You only have to prepare questions and your students must answer quickly. For example:
- What the name of place for studying?
- How do you say "Kembar" in English?
- What is the 3rd planet in our solar system?
- Who is the 4th president of Indonesia?
- Where does The Great Wall exist (in what country)?
- What does the currency of Italy?
- Etc.

7. What Can I Say
Prepare some weird questions like samples below. Force your students to answer the questions. Because, by answering the questions means that they are trying to be active in speaking. Ensure that your students are be able to speak after join your class!
Samples of questions:
- You dreamt about living in the USA. Then, in the next day, when you wake up, you found that you couldn't speak in Indonesian anymore. What will you do / what will you say first?
- You trapped in year 3000 because of time machine. Tell the others about what you see there, as if you were really trapped in year 3000!
- You got a chance to go around the world in 5 days. Decide about who will accompany you, what stuffs will be brought, and where will you go to visit?
- Choose things that you hate them very much and you really want to throw away. Mention the reasons too!
- Etc. (make more criteria!)

ENGLISH FOR ALL

Everyday, people talk about the importance of English in communication. Everyone conscious that without English, it's impossible to follow globalization era, when all people communicate each other in different languages and from different places. In fact, to unity these differences, English as international language is absolutely needed. Because, only with mastering English we can do communication effectively while we can't speak Germany, Spain, etc. for examples.

Now, the problem is how to practice English while there's opinion that if we don't know the structure and grammar, we can't speak at all? Actually, this opinion is wrong! The people who emphasize on structure and grammar only, they will never be able to speak. But now, the important thing is our bravery to make mistakes when we practice our English. By making mistakes, we know which sentence isn't right. By making mistakes, other people will give the right solution. Don't be shy! Don't be afraid! And find out your partner to speak English everyday right now! The choice is in your hand. If you want to be able to speak in English, just be brave to practice about what you have known. Because, English is for all.

START TODAY

In October 14th, 2003, there were 8 students of our school that followed an English Debating Championship for senior high students in SMP 1 Purbalingga. After arrived from that event, they planned to build an English Club in order to organize their interest and as a place for their skill development. Getting direction from Mr. Tulus (now in Moscow, Rusia. As headmaster of Indonesian school in Indonesian embassy for Russia), Mr. Fembriarto, and Miss Istiana, that 8 students decided to build SPEC (Student Practice English Club) as an English club. Before they decided to use name “SPEC”, they discussed many names such as Chrisda English Club, Victory English Club, etc. But, finally they found SPEC as the best name. Then, a week later they held a recruitment session to look for members and got 21 students in the end.

Since SPEC established by Mr. Riyanto (headmaster in that time) in November 8th, 2003 SPEC members who is led by Yusni Setiarini as the first president, always take a part in every English event such as News Reading Competition, English Debating Championship, and Speech Contest. The first event that followed by SPEC members was LOC (Language Orientation Camp) in Baturaden, January 17th-18th, 2004. That event was held by Student English Forum (SEF), an English club from Jenderal Soedirman University. LOC was about motivating us in learning and practicing English.
Other events that ever followed by SPEC members were:

1. Jenderal Soedirman Debating Championship (JSDC), February 24th - 26th, 2005.
2. Ramadan Speech Contest in International College, 2005.
3. UMP Speech Contest, 2005.
4. English Debating Championship in SMK N 1 Purbalingga (3rd winner), April 18th,2005.
5. Representative of SMA N 1 Bukateja in Indonesian Debating Championship (runner up),2005.
6. English Composition Contest, August 2005.
7. English Debating Championship in SMK YPT 1-2, April 20th - 21th, 2007.

In the first existence, SPEC run without secretariat. All activities was centered in library. Organized by Yusni and friends, SPEC activities were focused in speaking skill. For 1 year, the activities were emphasize on speech and debate. But, after it, especially after SPEC has its own secretariat (now for scouting secretariat), SPEC members tried to publish a bulletin named "SPEC Bulletin" and they tried to practice about how to be an actor / actress through drama show.

This year, exactly in November 8th, 2008 SPEC will be 5 years old. It's a symbol of spirit and struggle, and a proof that SPEC could stay longer in this school. Moreover, SPEC members could bring the school's name in all English competition and prove to other schools that SMA N 1 Bukateja is one of the heaviest competitors in every debating championship.

SPEC also had a big event for welcoming the 18th school anniversary. That was English Night! It was a party where all school components were attending it to see drama, poem, games, and debate (students of SMA N 1 Bukateja vs. SEF), all night. The situation was fun because the attendants could see drama about Cinderella, Hunting Treasure, Mr. Universe, etc. All show was directed by students. What a great event! In fact, that time, the place for the show was our school's hall which was still in developing process and the floor was so dusty.

This event also attended by SEF (Student English Forum) from Jenderal Soedirman University, and had been succeed perfectly. Hopefully, this event could be realized in every year.