ENGLISH FOR EDUCATION
ARTICLE
Disusun
untuk memenuhi Tugas Mata Kuliah Kajian Bahasa Inggris
Dosen
Pengampu Arif Widagdo, S.Pd., M.Pd.
Disusun Oleh :
ROMBEL 12 - KELOMPOK 6
1. Ulfah Nurul Wahdah 1401414283
2. Hidayatun Ni’mah 1401414313
3. Mela Ferantika 1401414321
4. Maulana Alam 1401414322
Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan
Universitas Negeri Semarang
2014
The
Reason for the Movement to Introduce English Education and
Purposes
of English Education
in Japan
The Reason for the Movement to
Introduce English Education in Elementary School
There are three reasons
why this movement has developed. First, the movement was formed at the request
of the industrial world. Second is the people’s desire to speak English. Third
is the critical period, optimal for foreign language learning. Experts differ
on the precise beginning and end of this window. Studies indicate that it is
four to eight or nine years of age, or to the beginning of the teens. Others
suggest that around 10 years of age is the best time for language learning. In
any event, after that age, it becomes difficult to acquire a language.
We shall discuss these three reasons
in detail. First, the introduction of English education in elementary schools
has been strongly requested by the economic world for more than thirty years.
In addition to that, many Japanese have been exposed to rapid globalization in
recent years, and they have been forced to interact with foreign countries and non-native speakers
of Japanese in various fields. We are expected to thoroughly master practical
English in many areas of our daily lives.
Second, the people’s desire to speak
English is based on a psychological complex about English conversation. This
complex causes the problem that no one objects to an argument like our main English problem is that we can’t
speak it. Although the Education, Science, and Technology Ministry had
various reforms in English education, the average Japanese TOEFL score is the lowest
of all the Asian countries. However, no one says that the reforms are wrong.
The English learning plan in elementary schools comes and goes without
opposition.
Third, it is said that it is
impossible in Japan’s English system for students to use English even if they
graduate from a high school or a university because they start to learn English
from junior high school. Some people say it is too late, and the earlier
students start to learn a language, the better they can acquire it.
Purpose
of English Education
The purpose of English
education in elementary schools is to develop practical English ability so that
students acquire a sense of English-speaking culture and grow
accustomed to the English language. But this purpose seems to be different from
the reason for the movement to introduce English education in elementary
schools. According to the Elementary Course of Study each elementary school can
conduct English conversation activities within the studies for international
understanding in order to build up learning ability, thinking ability, and zest
for living within the Period for Integrated Study. Based on the Elementary
Course of Study mentioned above, we shall consider the need to expose
elementary students to foreign language.
The question of introducing foreign
language education in elementary schools has been a point of discussion in
education policy for a long time. Because there has been a request that we
learn to speak English and in order to do that, we had better begin to learn it
in childhood, the Education, Science, and Technology Ministry examined the
specialists’ opinions and the results of the research about learning English in
the pilot schools (n=66) and finally decided to introduce English conversation
within the area of international understanding starting from 2002. This
international understanding aims at
understandingcross-culture, having cross-cultural communication,
and co-existing with other countries’ peoples. From this point of
view, elementary schools need to conduct experiential studying so that students
can develop willing attitudes toward studying English, comfortable mentalities
when speaking English, and practical abilities for using English.
The reason why learning a foreign
language is introduced in elementary schools is to deal with globalization. It
is not only required in society but also thought of as a chance to establish
our identity through communication with foreigners. Moreover, elementary school
students are extremely interested in new things and are at a stage where they
can naturally absorb other cultures through language. In addition to that,
those, whose activation of theright-brain is strong, are sensitive and can
catch things intuitively. As a result, childhood is considered the best time for
foreign language learning.
In other words, the class aims
retaining Japanese identity as a people who have an international awareness
through the understanding of cultures by learning languages and through
familiarity with English rather than enhancing their English practical use
ability. But this purpose is different from the reason for the movement to
introduce English in elementary schools.
The Importance of English
in an Elementary School Education
English has an important role in the world as an international
language. English is like a window to the world because by English you can
learn about the world and you can get more information from the world. If you
want to be a knowledgeable person, English is important to be learned. Having
ability in English also will help the students to study because what he or she
learned is not limited to the one in their country but also in the world. When
we know the importance of English for life, we also know when the better time
to learn English. English has several advantages when it has been taught since
in an elementary school, three of which are elementary school age is a
brilliant time to learn a second language, preparation English in the junior
high school, and preparation to face the globalization era.
The first advantage is an elementary school age is a brilliant time
to learn a second language. 6-13 years of age is the right age to learn a
second language beside the mother language because at that age children have a
good brain condition to receive something new. According to brain imaging
technological research conducted in California, Los Angeles, children aged 6-13
years old who are commonly known as in critical periods, states that areas of
the brain that organize a language skill has the most rapid growth. Giving them
a second language needs some stages along with their ability. In grade 1 of an
elementary school, we can tell them vocabulary that is near with their activity
or environment with the pictures. For example, the teacher gives them a pictorial
dictionary. In grade 2, we tell them a simple song in English and ask them to
sing together. For example, the teacher asks children to sing a song
twinkle-twinkle little star. In grade 3, we give them a simple game to guess
something in English. For example, the teacher points a table then the teacher
asks the students to guess what the name of that thing is. In grade 4, we tell
them to write and read words in English correctly with the simple way. For
example, the teacher shows the right spelling of word and tells how to
pronounciate it. In grade 5, we teach them to make a simple sentence about what
they doing are. For example, the teacher asks the students to make a simple
sentence such as ‘I bring a book’. In grade 6, we teach them to speak English a
little bit such as telling their family, hobby, and etcetera. For example, the
teacher asks the students to tell about their hobby such as ‘My hobby is
singing’.
The second advantage is preparation to face English in a junior high
school. When the students have graduated from an elementary school, then they
enroll to a junior high school, English is not strange anymore to them because
they ever got an English lesson in the elementary school. In a junior high
school, an English lesson is a compulsory subject and English is a foreign
language so the student should learn it since in an elementary school to avoid
difficulties. The most important thing of learning English is time. Students
need a long time to understand the second language deeply so if they learn English
in junior high school for the first time, it will be difficult for them. For
example, a student needs a long time to comprehend the grammatical structures
because he or she still does not have a basic ability related to those
structures. The second prominent thing is patience. Students need to practice
English everyday so they can master it well. For instance, a student will have
a difficulty to speak English fluently if he or she does not practice every
day. The last precious thing is that students must have a strong will to learn
English. It is because the students who have a strong will they will not give
up easily. For example, while the students are learning English, they are going
to make a lot of mistakes so that they need a strong will to learn it.
The third advantage is preparation to face the globalization era. In
this globalization era everyone is supposed to be competent and improve his or
her quality in order to face the challenges of life. Learning English since
elementary school has many good effects for the globalization era, one effect
is they will be easy get a job because one of the requirements of every good
job is have a skill in English. For example, someone who wants to apply in a
big company he or she should have a good ability in English. Another effect is
they will not become outdated because as the time goes by, science and
technology will evolve and of course need English to learn. For example, if
someone wants to get more information from internet, they need a skill in English
most of the information in the internet is written in English. Another
effect is they will be readier to compete with others in the world as English
is an international language. As we all know that the competition to get the
better life in this world is not easy so that we need a special ability such as
an English skill. For example, if someone wants to work in developed countries
with higher salary he or she needs to have an English skill.
In brief, English as an international language is important for
human’s life because it becomes a bridge between countries in the world to
interact so that in this modern era we are supposed to learn English in order
to face the challenges of life. Therefore, English is important in an
elementary school education because the better time to learn a second language
is at the age of elementary school. We can get the advantages of learning
English since in an elementary school to get the better and easier life because
English has become a crucial tool for continuing education, employment and
social status.
Jakarta
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar