Answer

a. Some points to question from the materials:

1) One of teaching procedures along Grammar Translation Method (GTM) is a

concept stated that language learning is a mental training. What does it
mean and how the concept is realized though the teaching procedure?

2) Another teaching procedure of GTM is focusing the translation exercises on

short sentences. Yet, another point stated that difficult classical texts are
given early. How can this be done as it looks contradictive?

3) The teaching of Direct Method (DM) was developed due to the need of
industry and international trade and travel. Those sector surely involved
various and rather difficult object to present through class room. How the
English Language teaching based on DM can be done as it uses an
association of objects commonly found and used in environment of our daily
life?

4) The Reading Method (RM) postponed the training of speech as well as

writing. Regarding the point, how the target language can be introduced
orally through teaching procedures if it says facilitating pronunciation aid
inner speech as an important aid in reading comprehension?

5) The Structural Approach (SA) involved many exclusive teaching features

such as language laboratory, perhaps a native speaker teacher, a trained
linguist and fitted to small class. Can the teaching be done without
completing those features?

6) SA uses language labs much of the time as it says helping the learner and
teacher along the teaching. Yet, the focus of language learning is speech
presented in dialogues. How the teaching procedures are accomplished well?

b. 1) Junior High School

I had my Junior High School in Selong, a small town in eastern part of Lombok
Island. The school is located in rural areas which majority of the people is belong
to middle low society. It affected the teaching of English as a Foreign Language.
Though the town was growing up, English still considered as great problem for
many students even for the teacher. My school had only one English teacher.
The only learning source is the government textbook, which students borrowed
from school’s library. Most of the books were in poor condition and surely old
fashion. No innovative from the teacher at all! It’s all about the textbook.

Talking about the teaching technique, my teacher mainly used technique based
on Grammar Translation Method. The teaching is not purely conducted due to
the principal of the Method, but rather than a modified technique adjusted to
the classroom condition. Some features to note that the focus was study of
grammatical rules which is done in mother tongue and translation exercises. It
seems that my teacher lowered the level of his technique that he did not push
us to memorize grammatical rules and give more examples about the
grammatical rules being studied.

2) Senior High School

Passing the Junior High, I entered Senior Economic Vocational School (SMEA). I
took tourism department. One factor triggered me to take the choice was the
booming of tourism in Lombok. The school is located in Mataram, the main city
in Lombok Island. The students have various backgrounds, yet mainly the
students have low interest and ability due to the low rank of admission test. The
department chosen obliged all students at least have low level of English
proficiency especially English in specific purpose (tourism). English subject in
my department was handled by three English teachers. They had some
experience in tourism, even a teacher was an active tour guide as well.
Sometimes he had to leave the class when he had a tour program! Other
teachers were quite busy with their own business. The teaching was dull and
disestablished!

To talk about the teaching technique, I can say that my teachers tried to apply
the modified Structural Approach. Some features I can note that they always
encouraged us to talk in English as much as possible. Sometimes we used a
language laboratory. The class emphasizes on certain practice technique about
strict vocabulary, mainly about tourism terms. The lack was no new dialog
presentation, no structural pattern by using drill, and no emphasis on
pronunciation.

c. Based on my own experience, some ideas of a Method are more appropriate

than others in learning language components such as:
i) Some ideas of Grammar Translation Method and Structural Approach
help me to understand grammatical rules easier. For example
statement of grammatical rules which is delivered through mother
tongue as rules are concepts (GTM). For me and my students an
abstract concept is easily understood by giving them in mother
tongue. The teaching of grammar should be done with the form
through pattern drills (SA). Though some ideas from The Rationalist
Approach (RA) seem making it easy for me to study grammar for the
 approach intends to internalize the rules by creativity.
ii) Direct Method improves my comprehension of the oral and written
texts. The method involves various exercises by using target
language which focuses on the meaning. The method also includes
reading aloud to practice pronunciation as well as reading practice.
(iv)
iv) Communicative Approach develops my speaking skills as the
approach applies various activities based on particular
communicative context. The focus of the approach is communication
both in spoken as well as in written form. (v)