PART I
INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, some schools or colleges or universities have
teachers or lecturers who are coming from native English speaking country, such
as United State, United Kingdom, Australia and so on. It will be very usefull
to help students to improve their English skill. The presence of native speaker
are able to help students to master a foreign language easily, especially
English. But, there is a problem that some students cannot understand overall every
sentences that said by that teachers or lecturers or they cannot understand
details. They do not really know what are their teacher talking about. Some of
them can get what is the teacher talking about, some of them only get the main
point, but some of them really do not get anything. It will be a big problem
faced by students. By this paper, the writer will try to find out the solve of
this problem.
The presence of native speaker in education field is considered more effective then the local teachers. Why did the writer say it because native speakers have a teaching method that allow the students make a good conversation. Students have opportunities to meet directly with native speakers and practice to make a good conversation directly.
To make a good conversation, will be understood if the
listener can understand what the speaker said. To increase the understanding,
there are many things to be concerned, such improving listening skill, pronunciation,
and so on. In this paper, the writer will try to focus on two skills, speaking
and listening skill. The most important thing to improve if we want a good
understanding is to increase listening skill. It will be a core of a
conversation. Although the other skills are important too. But before discuss
how to improving listening skill in understanding native speaker, the writer
will try to explain what native speaker is.
Native speaker is a speaker who is using English as a
first language or as mother tongue. According to Davies, native speaker is the
first language that human being learns to speak (qouted in Lee, P.3). Some may
state that native speaker is human being are identified by a language
community. Hence native English speaker is human being are identified by
English community. There are too many differences between native and nonnative
speaker. It can see by natural pronunciation, correctness of language form,
idiomatic expressions and etc.
In this paper, the writer will try to explain to the
reader how important to understand native speakers as teachers or lecturers in a
learning process. The students will be helped to increase their English easily
if they are taught by native speaker’s teachers directly.
PART II
BODY
As the writer explain before, native speakers are people
who is speaking English as a first language, using English to communicate in
their daily life. According to Bloomfield, native speaker is defined as the
very first language that one learns how to speak in a very young age (1933).
Paikeday stated that native speaker stated native speaker has a mother tongue
or first language and a second defenition based on competence in that language
where one is both compotent and able to use the language idiomatically (1985). An
individual is not a native speaker of a language unless the individual acquired
it in childhood.
Studying English with native speakers directly give more
advantages to the students. Not only makes students easy to understand and feel
fun, but also gives some things that can be obtained by the student. The
students will be helped to speak as well as native speakers do. Besides that,
the students will study authentic to know more about their teachers' culture.
Students will know language culture of native speakers and they are able to
speak or make a conversation directly with a real and regular conversation that
native speakers use every day. In addition, studying with a native speakers’
teacher make students know how to pronounce a letter or a word correctly than if
they taught by local speakers' teacher. There are too many things that can be
gotten by students. However, all of these advantages can not be obtained if
there is a misunderstanding between students and teachers, native speakers.
In learning process, understanding native speakers speak
is not easy. Some students faced a problem that understanding native speaker
will be an obstacle for them. Some difficulties are faced, such difficult to
know what are the native speakers talking about because the pronounce is not
clear, native speakers say a strange word, etc. But this problem is not only
comes from the native, but also from the students too. Maybe, the students have
a problem with their listening skill and others.
The writer will try to solve that problems. Some ways
will be explained to help students to solve the problems, so good interaction
will be created and misunderstanding will be avoided.
1)
Enrich vocabulary
In English, the most important element is vocabulary. In
Oxford dictionary, “vocabulary is the total number of words in a language; all
the words known to a person or used in a particular book, subject, etc; a list
of words with their meanings”. Based on Kridalaksana, vocabulary is a component
of language containing a personal meaning and using of language; a list of
words arranged like a dictionary with short and practical explanation. Soedjito
stated that vocabulary is all of words in a language; a speaker’s word riches;
words using in a field of science; a list of words arranged like a dictionary
with short and practical explanation. Based on statements above, the writer can
say that vocabulary is a group of words as a core component of language and
used in a field of science. All of words used in a language called vocabulary.
The more vocabularies we know, the more easy to
understand what are the native English speakers (teachers) talking about. Hence,
the students have to enrich their vocabularies. There are some ways may used by
students to enrich vocabularies.
a.
Love Words
Mastering something means that loving something. To know
more or to enrich vocabularies, it is important to love words. It will help
students to enrich their vocabularies. They will enjoy to memorize some words
if they are happy to do that. Enrich vocabularies does not mean only
memorizing, but also understanding the
meaning of the words.
b.
Read more
Read more equals know more. Read all of genres of book
such fiction and non- fiction. It is very useful to increase the vocabularies.
There are many new words, strange words, and unfamiliar words will be found. If
the students do not know the meaning of the word, the students have to try to
figure out what it means from the context.
c.
Playing games
Studying vocabulary through games is very effective. The
students feel enjoy to do this activity. It make them memorizing a group of
words easily. This activity is the most impression activity to memorize. Not
only for entertains the students but also helps students to learn. There are
many vocubalaries games, such scrabble, boggle, catch- phrase, knoword and so
on.
2)
Speaking Practice
One way to understand native English speakers’ speaking
is try to speak like native. In Oxford Advanced Dictionary the defenition of
speaking is to express or communicate opinions, feelings, ideas, etc, by or as
talking it involves the activities in the part of the speaker as pshycological,
phsysiological (articulator) and physical (accoustic) stages. According to
Chaney, speaking is the process of building and sharing meaning through the use
of verbal and non- verbal symbols, in a variety of context. Theodore Huebner
states that speaking is a skill used by someone in daily life communication
whether at school or outside. The skill is acquired by much repetition and it
primarily a neuromuscular and not an intellectual process. It consists of
competence in sending and receiving messages.
Hence speaking is a way to sending and receiving messages,
the students have to able to speak like a native speaker, so the students can
get information and message by native’s speaking. The students have to practice
speaking and pay attention on fluency and pronunciation. Two terms are
important to know, because native speakers always watch the terms while
speaking.
a.
Fluency
Fluency means being able to communicate the
ideas without having to stop and think too much about what it is saying.
Based on Webster dictionary in Armawana (2004), fluency
is ready and expressive in the use of language. In speaking ability, fluency
always is a problem. It causes by some factors, such self confidence,
motivation, vocabulary, interest and grammar.
Billows in Armawana (2004) stated that, to speak language
with confidence the students must have the opportunity of hearing in spoken
correctly and fluently in a significant way, so that they can more rapidly more
in the language without reflection on the individuals words on their position in
the sentence. Related to native speaker, the students also must have the
opportunities of hearing when the native speaks correctly and fluently. It will
be a good example for students.
Fluency in English is accuracy with pronounce, not speed.
Before start to speak, the students have to listen native speaker. The student
have to understand before being able to speak fluently. In this step, the
students have to immerse theirself completely. But there are some problems faced
by students to speak fluently like native speaker. Those problems are:
-
Stuttering factor
Stuttering is a problem with the timing of speech. People
who stutter have difficulty moving from one sound to the next sound in a word,
or having difficulty to get sound started after it has stopped. People who
stutter actually know what they want to say and how to say it, but cannot get
the word out smoothly. This problem is a natural problem. People who stutter
cannot be speaking fluently like a native speaker totally.
-
Cluttering
Cluttering is another problem that makes a person's speech
difficult to understand. Like stuttering, cluttering affects the fluency, or
flow, of a person's speech. However, the difference is that cluttering is a
language disorder, while stuttering is a speech disorder. A person who stutters
has trouble getting out what they want to say, and a person who clutters says
what they are thinking, but it becomes disorganized while actually speaking.
Because of this disorganization, someone who clutters may speak in bursts or pause
in unexpected places. The rhythm of cluttered speech may sound jerky, rather
than smooth, and the speaker is often unaware of the problem.
-
Fear and hesitate
The most often problems faced by students are scare and hesitate to speak.
The students always think about mistake, and it makes feel nervous, worried and
afraid of appearing foolish. Speaking fluently without mistake is the main
goal, so the students scare to try to speak and become uncertain with their
ability. For this case, the solve for this problems is self confidence. The
students have to build and develop their self- confidence. Trying to believe to
own ability that the students can speak fluently as well as native speaker. It
will be the most important thing to know. If the students do not have self
confidence to speak as well as native speaker, the student will be hard to
understand what native speaker talk about.
There are some efficient
tips that can help students to speak fluently.
·
Focus on actually conversing rather than just memorizing grammatical rules.
To speak good English, students need to focus on conversing in English as much
as possible.
·
Look out for people who speak English. Converse with them. Don’t be afraid
of making mistakes. Ask friends or relatives or teachers, who know better
English, to correct the mistakes. In this way students will learn correct
English.
·
Think in English. If students want to speak English fluently, students need
to think in English rather than thinking in mother tongue. If the students do
that, it will slow down their speaking process and the students will not be
able to speak fluently if you constantly translate from their native language
to English.
·
It is also good to hear how native speakers are pronouncing words in
English. You can listen to conversations on the internet, radios, TV, movies
and from general people.
·
Access gold mine of English reading materials like online English learning
sites, books, English learning kits, English distance learning programs,
English learning blogs, forums etc.
·
Be confident in speaking English. Speaking English confidently will improve
student’s approach and communication skills. So, do not only concentrate on the
language itself, but also on their confidence, because if the students are not
confident, they cannot speak fluently.
b.
Pronunciation
Probably, pronunciation is one of the hardest skill
in English to leran, especially in English speaking. It takes a lot of time and
effort to improve the students pronunciation. Based on Webster dictionary, pronunciation
is not an instrinsict component of dictionary. Pronunciation refers to
production of sounds of a language that used to make meaning. In addition,
perfect pronunciation of all sounds is not neccessary in order to communicate.
It is quite common to communicate well with someone who has noticeable accent.
The goal should, be the ability to talk successfully with a native, not to have
a native accent.
One of
the most difficult problems facing non-native speakers is pronunciation. It is
usually the largest obstacle to overcome when trying to achieve fluency. Many
non-native speakers have studied grammar for many years but are unable to speak
like native speakers due to their inability to pronounce the sounds of words
properly.
Understanding native speaker by their pronounciation is very difficult
activity. Some of the words produced are not clear. A fluence of people
speaking can be know by their pronunciation. The students have to know how to
pronounce a word like a native speakers produced. By this way, it is easy for
students to know what native speaker talked while teaching process.
There are some tips for students about pronunciation:
-
The
most important thing to remember is practice. Learning English takes time but
if students practice often, students will soon improve and be able to pronounce words like
a native speaker.
-
Practice
pronunciation in front of a mirror. Students have
to train their mouth
to move in new ways in order to make new sounds.
Think about each word before saying it. Try to imagine the position of mouth needs to be in to produce the sound.
Think about each word before saying it. Try to imagine the position of mouth needs to be in to produce the sound.
-
What students see is not always what students get. Remember that the spelling of words and
their pronunciation are often different.
-
Recognize
that the English language has many different dialects depending on the country
and the different regions within a particular country.
3)
Find a native speaker tutor
Another way to improve English skill is practice it
directly with native speaker. It also helps students to increase their ability
in understanding native speaker well. Facing with native speaker will be an
easy way to act like a native and will give a chance for students to understand
well. There are too many ways to face with native, such faces directly in a
place, by phone, by social networking, by chat, and so on. Students can get
many information by this activities.
4)
Knowing Accents and Dialect of Native Speakers
Accent is a way of
pronunciation by a speaker with shared characteristic of a certain locality
within the community. An accent is a way that a person or large group of people
(generally grouped by a nationality or specific area) speak. Despite the
language, there may be some variation in how that group speaks. Those could be
through long / short vowels, speed of talking, intonation, diction, stress
syllables, formality when speaking to others, pitch, and slang. Also,
accents such a mode of pronounciation recognized as being a foreign. There is a
wide range of accent in this world. The English spoken
in England, Australia or Canada is different than the English spoken in the United
States. So, to make easy in understanding native speaker,
students have to know the accent of the native, or where the native come from.
In the United States, accents and dialects vary from
region to region and state to state. An accent is defined as the phonetic
traits of an individual’s native language carried over into a second non-native
language. A dialect is a variation of a language spoken in a given geographical
region. The largest dialect of standard English is known as “Black Vernacular English"
(BVE). BVE was originated in the African-American Population, but is also
spoken by persons of other races. BVE follows its own rules for grammar, articulation
and morphemes. BVE is the topic of many debates, as African, Americans
recognize it as a cultural language, while many educators believe that it is
sub-standard English. BVE is common in New York, Newark, the Southern States,
St. Louis and Chicago.
5)
Watching Western Film
Film, as stated in Microsoft Encarta (2006), in Retno Ayu
Muwarni Puspitasari (2007:21) is a series of images that are projected into a
screen to create an illusion of motion. Furthermore, motion pictures are also
called movies, film or cinema, are one of the most popular forms of
entertainment, that have people to immerse themselves in an imaginary world for
a short period of time.
But movies or film can also teach people about history,
science, human behavior, and any other subjects. Some films combine entertainment
with instruction, makes the learning process more enjoyable. In all its forms,
cinema is an art as well as a business, and those who make motion picture take
great pride in their creation.
There are some types of films, those are:
a.
Documentary film
b.
Fictional film
c.
Animated film
d.
Experimental or avant- grade film
What
is more, according to Hu (2006), movies provide both audio and visual materials
that help the students understand the language more easily. When watching a
film, students not only listen to the characters, but also watch their
movements. In addition, the scenes, the props and other aspects make the
communication so real that, by watching the film, students seem to almost
interact with the activities in the movies. Furthermore, in a film class they
tend to learn in a natural way so they pick up the language spontaneously.
Wu
(2002) stated that the goals of learning through movies are to strengthen
listening, speaking, interpretation skills, and understanding foreign people,
their customs, their behaviors, their values, their beliefs, their hopes and
their dreams. So by that knowledge,
hopefully students will know to act or interact like a native speaker.
Xu
and Guo (2007) stated that, for many students movies are much more attractive,
interesting, and impressive than common material printed in books or audible
material in tape, because of the visual nature and immediacy of the medium. It
could greatly increase a student’s enthusiasm and imagination.
An original movie can be
very motivating and interesting. In this way language learning will become more
enjoyable. In addition, audio-visual English movies can best mobilize a
student’s enthusiasm to visual listening, speaking and other senses, and
greatly inspire the student’s curiosity. Movies make learning English a natural
and efficient expansion of human knowledge, and improve English communication
skills.
By watching western films, students will get more
information and knowledge how native speakers interact with the others, how the
native pronunce a word, how the native speak fluently. So, students will study
or learn to be a native speaker by their own self.
PART III
CONCLUSION
Native speakers is people who using English as their
language since they were born, people who use English as their first language.
Understanding native speakers as a teachers is not not easy for foreign students
in teaching process. Some students felt hard to get what the native talked about. One way to resolve this
problem is the students have to try to act or interact like native speakers.
They have to know how to speak as well as native speakers do, so they can
understand well while the native is talking and there will be no
misunderstanding between students and the native. Hence, the students will get
the lesson from the native easy. There some ways for students to know so they
can act like native speaker, such:
-
Enrich vocabularies
Vocabularies is main core of language. students have to
mastering many vocabularies so they will understand or know what is the meaning
of the word that their teacher mention.
-
Practicing speaking
The students have to practice speaking whenever and
wherever they are. The students some elements in speaking so they can speak as
well as a native.
-
Find a native speaker tutor
This activity will help students to practice speak well.
They will meet with native that wil help to improve their skill. The students
will speak directly with native, and they will know more about native habitual
in speaking.
-
Knowing accent and dialect of native
It is important for students to know accent and dialect
of native.
-
Watching a western film or movies
By watching movies, the students can improve their skill
because they can increase their vocabularies, knowing pronunciation of some
words, and etc.
References
Armawana. (2004). Improving Oral Communication Skill
of the Second Year Students of SMAN 1 Sinjai through Peer Interview.
Thesis. Makassar: FBS UNM.
Bloomfield, L. (1933). Language. New York and
Chicago: hold, Rinehart, and Winstoon.
Paikeday, T.M. (1985). The Native Speaker is dead!.
Toronto and New York: Paikeday.
Rahmi, A. (2012). Improving the Students’s Speaking
Ability Using Authentic Video at the Second Year of MTs Yapis Palemba. Thesis.
Makassar: Fakultas Tarbiyah UIN.
Hu,
S. F. (2006) On teaching non-English majors listening and speaking through
videos. China English Language Education Association Journal, 29(2),42-48.
Xu,
B., & Guo, H. M. (2007). English through movies. Beijing, CHN:
Beijing Institute of Technology Press
WU,
S. Q. (2002). American movies. Harbin, CHN: Harbin Engineering
University Press.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar