INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU

KAMPUS DARULAMAN
06000 JITRA KEDAH

PRACTICUM JOURNAL

Students Name

:Mohamad Furqhan Bin Muhammad Zulparmi

Course and intake

: TESL January 2012 intake

Duration of practicum

: 12 weeks

Major

: TESL

Supervisor (Teacher)

: Puan Nizawati Binti Abd Hamid

Supervisor (Lecturer)

: Puan Mimi Rita @ Aishah Binti Tajuddin

Week

: (2)

Date

: 1st February 2015 till 05th February 2015

Title

: THE USAGE OF TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH

Problem/Issue/Event focused
The problem that I encountered this week is the amount of translation needed to enable
the pupils in understanding what have been taught in the English lesson and the pupils
difficulties in understanding and using the English language. I could see that they
depend a lot on translation to understand what they have learnt during the English
lesson. Moreover, I realized that the pupils are not confident and comfortable in trying to
use and communicate using the English language.

Analyse problem/issue/event
The problem of the excessive usage of translation in the English lesson and the pupils
difficulties in understanding and using the English language is due to their attitude and
perception towards learning and using the English language. Based on my experience
of teaching my pupils, I realized that they preferred to learn and understand what have
been taught when it is translated into their mother tongue. This might be caused
because they were already used to the teaching method which was Grammar
Translation Method. The English language teachers used this method for lower and
higher primary in order to enable the pupils to learn and understand the English
language more effectively. The teachers might use this method to enable the pupils to
make connection of their learning of the English language with their daily life and their
background knowledge of the content. Based on my experience of teaching my pupils,
there was no attempt in speaking and using the English language. The pupils were
comfortable in giving response and ideas using their mother tongue which is Malay.
Even when I guide them to give their answers using the English language, they
hesitated but they did because I managed to pursue them. Some of the pupils had a
mindset that they cannot speak the target language because they are not good at it.
Some of them are shy and unconfident in using English language because they are
afraid of making grammatical mistakes. There are other factors that lead their mindset
of their inability of using the target language such as lack of knowledge, lack of
vocabularies, lack of effort and fear of being laugh at when they made mistakes.
Alderman (2004), states to the students poor performance of language learning are
affected from a lack of effort, lack of effective learning strategies, whereas a good
language learner is a highly motivated students and a successful user of a large number
of different strategies (Trawiski, 2005).
As an English language teacher trainee in this school, I will apply suitable teaching
strategies and help the pupils to improve their attitudes towards their learning the target

language and implement suitable language learning strategies in order to enhance their
abilities in the English language
Ways to achieved/overcome
With reference to the problem stated above, there are several suggestions and actions
that I have made to solve the problem.
a) Discussion with my cooperating teacher and other English language teachers in
attaining their opinions on ways to minimize the usage of translation and
encourage the pupils to use the English language.
b) Implement Grammar Translation Method when there is no other way to deliver
the content of the lesson.
c) Creating various opportunities for classroom success in using spoken English
(Oxford, 1999).
d) Making the classroom environment a non-threatening place to learn and use the
English language. The Affective Filter Hypothesis, where Krashen claims that
foreign language acquisition will happen in environments where anxiety is low
and defensiveness absent (Brown 2000: 279).
.Follow up
I will seek for opinions and ideas from those who are experience in this field. For
example, my supervisor, head of panel for English language, my cooperating teacher
and seniors who have done their practicum in teaching English language on the
appropriate amount of translation used in the English lesson and ways to motivate the
pupils in using the target language. Moreover, I will do more reading on methods and
ways to encourage ESL pupils in using the English language
Conclusion
As an English language teacher trainee in this school, I need to make sure that I
minimize the usage of translations in order to provide a maximum learning of the
English language to the pupils. It is also a necessity for me to provide opportunities for
the pupils to use the target language as well as foster awareness within them on the
importance of English language in the life of mankind.

Suggestions/comment from advisor (teacher)

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Suggestions/comment from advisor (lecturer)

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