Encounter: Volume 3 ,No.

2, 2012 | 67

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND

LEARNING FOR AUTISTIC STUDENTS

Anik Wulandari
( IAIN Walisongo Semarang )

Abstract
Teaching autistic students is not as easy as teaching
normal students. The teacher needs more patience and various
creativities. This study is aimed to investigate the English
Language Teaching Learning for autistic students at the eighth
grade of SMPLB Negeri Semarang in terms the English
teaching material, teaching method, and learning assessment.
This study uses qualitative approach because the data are
described in written and spoken form. The data were collected
by three techniques; observation, interview, and documentation.
This research focused on teaching materials which consist of
teaching materials, textbooks, and teaching sources; teaching
methods with particular reference on the teaching method and
teaching media; and learning assessments which cover the
technique of learning assessment and feedback. The result of
this study showed that the curriculum used in English
language teaching and learning process at eighth grade of
SMPLB Negeri Semarang is PPI (Proses Pembelajaran
Individu/Individual Learning Process) curriculum. There have
been certain syllabus and Lesson Plan arranged in the previous
year. Language materials and topics covered in English course

68 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

for autistic students at eighth grade are arranged based on PPI
curriculum which consist of three themes for each semester.
Several teaching and learning methods are Audio Lingual
Method, Total Physical Response, and Direct Method. The
English learning assessment is very limited which forms oral
test and written test. The oral tests include the stimulating
questions while written tests forms multiple choice type and
short answer task.
Key words: Autistic, teaching materials, method,
learning assessment.
Introduction
Autistic child is an integral part of extraordinary
children. According to Sutadi in Abdul Hadis as cited at
Agustinis thesis, autistic child is a child who experiences
high development interference which influents the way
someone communicates and relates to other people
(Prihatini, 2009). Autistic children get difficulties in
communication because they have disorder in producing
language. Meanwhile language is the main medium in
communication. Nowadays many autistic childrens
parents try to improve their speech ability through
speaking training. But actually the case is that speaking
training is not always appropriate. It means that speaking
training only coaches one of communication aspects. By
demanding autistic children be able to speak fluently
makes them tight and stress obstructs them to think
freely (Imandala, 2008).

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 69

Teaching autistic students is not as easy as

teaching normal students. The teacher needs more
patience and various creativities. Besides that, the teacher
has to know the students characteristics. Autistic
children have no many vocabularies. They often get
difficulty to deliver their opinion in their mother tongue
moreover when they speak English, the foreign language.
It must be much more difficult. The teacher has to come
from physiology expert. He must know their
psychological condition, how to treat them, and how to
control them so that he can decide the best method to
teach the autistic student.
Not only the teacher has a big influence in
improving the autistic childs skill but also the parents
themselves. The parents have to motivate their children
to practice speaking continually. They play role as a
friend, teacher and guidance at home. Because the autistic
children spend almost their whole days at home, the
parents become the most influential aspect in their skill
development.
Based on the background above, the researcher is
interested to analyze English language teaching learning
for autistic students. The decision that the autistic
children will be the subject of this study is an exact
choice to research English teaching learning process in
different point of view. It will be very interesting to
describe how the autistic children study English and how
the teacher teaches them. Of course it is rather difficult
and needs extra efforts to get the goal of English teaching
learning itself.

70 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

Statement Of Problem
A. What are language materials and topics covered in
English course for autistic students at eighth grade of
SMPLB Negeri Semarang in The Academic Year of
2011/2012?
B. How does the teacher use several teaching and
learning methods for autistic students at eighth grade
of SMPLB Negeri Semarang in The Academic Year of
2011/2012?
C. How does the teacher assess the autistic students at
eighth grade of SMPLB Negeri Semarang in The
Academic Year of 2011/2012?
Review Of Related Literature
The term Autism firstly was known by Leo
Kanner in 1943. Kanner said that this interference is as an
inability to interact to other people, language interference
shown by postponed mastery of language, reversal
sentences, repetitive playing system, strong route
memory, and obsessive desire for defending orderliness in
environment (Razhiyah, 1959). The term autism itself
comes from the word auto that means alone. So the
autistic children live as if they live in their own world.
They are inclined to involve themselves from their
environment and enjoy playing by them (Geniofam,
2010). According to Pusponegoro, autism is a disorder of
growth child which includes in Pervasive Developmental
Disorder group (PDD) (Pusponegoro, 2007). Dr. Faisal
Yatim says that autism is a condition where children do
everything just as they like in mindset or behavior. This
condition has been appeared since they were childhood,

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 71

about 2-3 year old (Yatim, 2007). According to APA in

Abdul Hadis, autism is a disorder of growth child
pervasively. This development disorder occurs in
childhood or teenager clearly. Autism is a development
disorder which complex dealing with communication,
social interaction, and imagination activities (Hadis,
2006).
The autism cannot be only defined as children
who separate themselves out from the environment. That
condition has not been enough to determine someone is
included to autism categorize. The difficulties which
occur in autistic students actually are much bigger than
only the characteristic of inclining themselves. We need
clear determinate or certain characteristic to define who
the autistic children are. The autistic children as a part of
integral from children and the normal children commonly
need an education which is appropriate with their
intention, need, and ability. By an education which is
appropriate with their intention, need, and ability, the
autistic students can develop in communication, social
interaction, playing system, and attitude so that they can
live independently in family, school, and society
environment.
Autism is not like other illnesses which can be
diagnosed easily. Autism has not surely known its causes
yet. The indications of autism usually appear at one a
half to two years old. When the children grow up
normally, in the contrary autistic child does not have any
progress, moreover they are getting decrease. What are
the factors? Many researches are continually done to
answer that question. Many factors are estimated as the
factors of autism, such as poisonous pollution, the

72 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

ingredients which consist of mercury as a preservative
ingredient, and many kinds of allergy. But these are still
notion and need more research.
According to Prasetyono, here are some factors of
autism and other medical diagnosis (Prastyono, 2008).
The first is disorder of central nerve formation. The
expert found that there is anomaly in the central nerve
formation in autistic childs brain. There is decreasing of
purkinje cell in their brain. It results less serotonin
production and disturbs the process of information
connecting inter-brain. They also found that there is
anomaly structure in central emotion in autistic child
brain so that their emotion often gets trouble. Then,
disorder of metabolism system. There is relation between
the disorder of metabolism system and the indication of
autism. Secreting injection can help to decrease
metabolism disorder. Next is enteritis. The autistic child
generally has bad digestion and enteritis. It is presumed
that enteritis is distempered by a virus. It may come from
measles virus. Thats why many parents refuse MMR
immunization (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) because it is
presumed to become the factor of autism. And the last is
genetic factor. The most famous factor of autism is
genetic factor. There are several genes included autism.
But the indicator of autism can appear if there are many
genes combinations.
The
Autistic
Children
have
different
characteristics. To diagnose autism, the criteria used by
professional expert are criteria of Diagnostic and
Statistical of Manual Mental Disorder (DSM)
(Pusponegoro, 2007). These criteria explain some
disorders which can be found in autistic students by

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 73

Pusponegoro (2007): First, Communication disorder: the

autistic childrens language develop very slowly, they
seem like deaf mute, sometimes the word they use is not
appropriate, their language is not understandable,
speaking is not used as communication tool, they like
imitating what someone speaks, and some autistic
children can memorize many words and songs without
understanding the meaning. Furthermore, disorder in
social communication: the autistic children like isolating
themselves, there is no eyes contact, they avoid looking
into other people, if they are invited to play by their
friends, they will refuse it, there is no effort to do
interaction with other people, and they will not glance
toward if someone call them. Then, sensory disorder:
they are very sensitive of touch or contact, if they listen
to very load sound, they will close their ears, they like
kissing and licking everything included their toys, and the
autistic children are not sensitive feeling illness and
anxiety. Moreover, disorder in playing system: generally,
the autistic children do not know the way to play, if they
like a certain toy, they do not want to play others, they
prefer toys which have wheel such as fan and bicycle
wheel, mostly they are not creative and imaginative, and
they dislike play with their contemporary friends.
Likewise, disorder in behavior: the autistic children can be
hyperactive or hypoactive, they dislike any change, they
like showing strength behavior such as moving around,
flatting their hands like bird, beating around the bush,
getting closer their eyes to TV, and moving their body
continually. And, disorder in emotion: they often laugh,
cry, and angry without any clear reason, they will go wild
unrestrained, if they do not get what they want,
sometimes they attack and destroy everything they see,

74 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

they also hurt themselves, and they have no empathy or
do not care other people feeling.
Language Teaching And Learning For Autistic
Students
Autistic children are inclined stolid because they
have communication disorder. It generally can be divided
into two parts; verbal and non verbal communication
disorder. Verbal communication disorder is when children
can speak up but cannot communicate to other people.
For example, they only parrot and speak in wrong
situation. On the other hand, non verbal communication
disorder appears from simple thing such as less eyes
contact, less concept of body language, moreover cannot
speak at all (Widodo, 2003).
Seen from its causes, communication disorder first
can be brought on disorder in producing words. Then,
auditory disorders in which they cannot hear word even
less understand word meaning and associate a situation.
Also an environment does not support children to be
motivated and develop their ability (Widodo, 2003).
For the first cause, children should be given a
speech therapy through certain approach which seen
from childrens requirement. The approach includes
blowing or other oral therapy. While the second cause,
children should be inspected their auditory. Usually the
children who have auditory disorder would rather study
through visual learning style, then apply COMPIC or
PECS solve communication problem. Children who get
difficulties in understanding word meaning can be solved
by ABA therapy which is exposed in various expressive

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 75

programs. Environment is the last factor but includes all

previous factors. It can be settled through functional
communication approach which is set up its situation
and done by parents (Widodo, 2003).
Communication problem belonged to autistic
children in learning simple words in repetition or
parroting. They always repeat what they hear without
understanding its meaning. Thats why speech therapy
must be a crucial thing in their daily activity in order to
be able to communicate and interact among society.
Recognizing object, event, and people around their
environment is more important than abstract object such
as value, self-esteem, and divinity. They will be easier to
memorize obvious object because they see it directly
(Damayanti, 2010).
Firstly, a language enters to autistic children
through eyes contact; they need to focus on someone
who speaks to them. From eyes contact, we can know
their attention to learn a language in sequence of
meaningful words. The next step is physic contact
through touch. They introduce an object and its names,
situation, place, moreover everything around them.
Physic touch and pronouncing word directly abridge
them to memorize and increase their understanding.
Language learning to autistic children cannot learn
a complete sentence directly. They need several steps in
developing language. A language development step is
begun with a simple sentence which reflects on
conceptual relation. In writing aspect, language learning
is started from introduction of alphabet then continuing
to syllable of both vocal and consonant and finally
recognizing word and punctuation. After finishing one

76 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

step, previous steps should be involved so they will not
forget them. This method is continually learned to know
the language learning progress.
A success of language learning for autistic children
depends on their concentration level. The hardest training
is maintaining their concentration. Good concentration
can be built by making them aware of what they should
learn and achieve. A therapist must call them over and
over with loud voice when they begin losing
concentration or pay attention to other object, show
them toys they like, even force them.
Generally the language teaching learning can be
viewed as a process. Seen as a process, language teaching
learning turns out to have a beginning and the end, and
to be promoted and impelled by particular elements.
According to Peter Strevens, there are twelve essential
elements of language teaching learning process. The
elements are as follow: policy and aims; administration
and organization; relevant professional disciplines; choice
of language teaching learning types; teaching training;
approach; pedagogy, methodology, instruction, teaching;
syllabus design; materials construction; constraints on
language teaching learning achievement; the learner; and
evaluation (Streverns, 1977). Based on Delphie, learning
activity for autistic students is an individual learning
program. The learning program was initiated by Samuel
Gridley Howe in 1871. This learning is focused on a final
result. That is an independence of learners. This final
result is conceptually directed to the autistic students
thus they are able to interact and communicate to their
environment (Delphie, 2006).

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 77

In teaching and learning process, a teaching media

is significant. The word media comes from Latin.
Etymologically it means middle, mediator, or
companion. Hamidjojo in Media Pembelajaran gives a
limitation media as all of companions used by people to
convey and deliver an idea, concept, or opinion to
accepter or audition. Through media, the main goal of
learning can be reached easily. Teaching media used for
autistic students are adjusted to the level of education
and material given. Several media used for autistic
students as follow: toys, cards, mirror, and spoon
(Arsyad, 2004). According to Prasetyono (2008), the
teaching aids for autistic students should not endanger
and hurt their physic, such as things with acute angled,
sharp surface, flaking, nipping, flammable, and
metalliferous. The teacher can use log carrier, ball, rope,
paper, crayon, puzzles, flash cards, etc (Arsyad, 2004).
Research Method
This study uses a descriptive qualitative
approach. This study is conducted in SLB Negeri
Semarang, exactly at eighth grade of SMPLB Negeri
Semarang in academic year 2011/2012. The researcher
will exploit all of data sources that can be used, such as
learning materials, classroom process, students
achievement, teachers perspectives, working sheets,
paper based learning, syllabus, lesson plan, textbook, etc.
Those data sources will be analyzed to answer three
research questions above dealing with teaching methods,
teaching and learning materials, and learning assessment.
In collecting the data, the researcher needs some
instruments to get information for this research. The

78 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

researcher uses three instruments for collecting the data.
They are observation, interview, and document. The
analysis of qualitative data can be done trough some
stages. The researcher begins with collecting and
comparing the data, coding the then begins to organize
ideas which emerge from the data. For the next stage, the
researcher moves from description of what is the case to
an explanation of why is the case, is the case (Hitchcock,
1995).
Finding And Discussion
a. English Language Materials and Topics Covered
in English Course for Autistic Students at Eighth
Grade of SMPLB Negeri Semarang in The
Academic Year of 2011/2012
The main purpose of education process for autistic
students at eighth grade of SMPLB Negeri Semarang is to
give the provision of self building in order they can be
independent children, have a special skill, and be able to
socialize in their community. To achieve the goal of
teaching and learning process, SMPLB Negeri Semarang
uses special curriculum. It addresses to the students with
autism in order to adapt to students condition which is
various and different. This special curriculum is wellknown as PPI (Proses Pembelajaran Individu/Individual
Learning Process).
Considering that autistic students come from
different types, they would better get different treatment
to maximize their comprehension. In Individual Learning
Process, teacher begins explaining lesson classically, then
it is going to be divided based on students

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 79

comprehension. Teacher has to know clearly the

students condition. High level students will get extensive
explanation; on the contrary low level students learn
general things.
Language Materials and Topics Covered in English
Course for Autistic Students at Eighth Grade of SMPLB
Negeri Semarang in the Academic Year of 2011/2012 is
arranged thematically. A semester consists of three
themes. Each theme will be developed into several
selected topics. Language Materials and Topics Covered
in English Course for Autistic Students at Eighth Grade of
SMPLB Negeri Semarang are of course not as difficult as
at eighth grade of Junior High School commonly. The
teacher still gives priority to master vocabulary, then play
it up to speaking, reading, conversation and grammar.
The materials are put on a par to seventh grade of general
Junior High School and mixed with materials of sixth
grade of elementary school. For first semester, there are
three themes; daily activity, events, and environment.
Also, in second semester, students will get environment,
experience, and event. Each theme will be played up into
several topics which are appropriate for autistic students.
In the last semester, students learnt daily
activities. The teacher introduced them several verbs of
daily activities such as get up, take a bath, go to school,
study, watch TV, listen to music, go to bed, etc. It was
expected that students could identify names of their
activities which are done every day. English language
teaching and learning process did not only focus on
vocabulary, but also grammar. Students learnt simple
present tense then to tell their daily activities. The next
theme was events. Students learnt days of week, date,

80 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

seasons and weather. It is important to analyze time of
events, when an event occurs exactly. This material could
be developed into understanding of date. The autistic
students with high comprehension also learnt about
seasons and weather as an enrichment. In the other hand,
the autistic students with low comprehension did not
learn it because they could not get many materials in a
short time. They needed to process what they had already
learnt slowly in order to understand it well. The third
theme was environment. In the previous theme, students
had already learnt ordinal number to read a date of event,
then it was continued to learn cardinal number. In our
environment, we can see or meet many things. By
learning cardinal number, the students were expected to
be able to account thing they looked at such as
accounting animals or people; nine ducks, three ponies,
six kittens, etc.
Besides learning many vocabularies, the students
also learnt several common expressions of asking,
ordering, imperative sentences and offering in the last
theme. List of vocabularies are useful for their stock of
insight and knowledge. Memorizing many vocabularies
will help them to learn English because it is a foundation
to create a conversation. But it is not enough to make a
conversation. Thats why the students also learnt several
common expressions as a daily conversation. In this
occasion, they learnt how to ask someone through yes or
no question, WH questions, and how to respond it. Then,
the students learnt how to order something which
consists of positive and negative orders. Offering
something was also an important part of materials. The
students learnt how to offer something such as; would

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 81

you like a cup of tea? Also they learnt how to respond it

such as okay, no thanks, etc.
b. Teaching and Learning Methods for The Autistic
Student at Eighth Grade of SMPLB Negeri
Semarang in The Academic Year of 2011/2012
The method selection in teaching and learning
process influences the success of learning objective. Based
on the interview with Mr. Bagus as the English teacher of
eighth grade of SMPLB Negeri Semarang, there are
generally three methods in English language teaching and
learning process. They are Audio Lingual Method, Total
Physical Response, and Communicative Language
Teaching.
Audio Lingual Method is one of suitable method
for autistic students. In this method, the teacher likes
presenting a new dialog then asks the students to repeat
it. He expects the students eventually can pronounce it
well and understand the meaning. Moreover they are able
to memorize the dialog the teacher has introduced.
Sometimes he uses actions to introduce the meaning of
words or sentences. This repetition is done continually so
that the students use to practice it automatically. For
example: Through this step-by-step procedure, the
students can note of where each word or phrase begins
and ends in the sentence.
Then Total Physical Response, it is believed in the
effective of giving the students enjoy and relax their
experience in learning English. This method can reduce
the students stress and boredom. Remembering that
several autistic students have less concentration, teacher

82 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

needs to make the teaching and learning more relax but
serious. Besides reducing students stress, Total Physical
Response allows them to speak when they are ready.
Forcing them to speak before then will only create
anxiety. When an autistic student has felt anxiety, their
learning intention is getting weak. Then finally they can
be uncontrolled and leave their learning activities. Total
Physical Response is very effective to overcome the
students boredom. In this method, vocabulary and
grammatical structures are emphasized over other areas.
It is embedded within imperative. It can be single word or
multi-word. One reason of the use imperative is their
frequency of occurrence in daily conversation. The point
is that the students can practice speaking freely without
any force. By enjoying the teaching and learning process,
the teacher expects the students get much progress.
And Direct Method also gives good effect in
English language teaching and learning process of autistic
students. It includes communicative activities such as
games, role play and problem solving. The students role
is less passive. The teacher and the students are more like
partners in teaching and learning process. The teacher
introduced a new target language word or phrase. He
demonstrated the lesson through the use of realia,
pictures, flash card.
To create conducive English teaching and learning
process, the teacher not only needs good methods but
also an interesting teaching aids. Teaching media for
autistic students is not so different from normal students
because generally they like playing. Several teaching aids
are flash card, picture, mirror, rope, ball, and everything
in environment or classroom. It adjusts the condition and

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 83

topic. For example, the topic is animal. The teacher can

use picture or flash card. The teaching aid can came from
both the teacher and the students. When the teacher does
not prepare any teaching aid, he can exploit things in the
classroom. The point is that the teacher would better use
media to help students understand the lesson. Each
student of course has different learning style; teacher
should pay attention on it and use suitable teaching aids.
The English learning assessment of autistic
student of SMPLB Negeri Semarang is very finite. It only
covers daily or weekly test, mid test and final test. Daily
test is usually done every the end of learning. The teacher
always gives exercise when one topic has been finished
completely. It can measure the students comprehension.
Mostly the students do not have any big problem in
understanding teachers explanation. But teacher needs
more time to ensure that students do understand it well.
Assessment can form oral test and written test. The
teacher gives a short answer task to assess the students
writing comprehension. Writing is not easy for the
autistic students, moreover writing English. Teacher
holds mid test in the middle of semester while final test is
held in the end of semester. There are three forms of test;
written test, oral test, and practice test. If the students
fault in mid or final test, they can get a remedial test.
Then the result of assessment is written in a rapport
which will be given to each student. So their parents are
going to know their childrens progress during learning at
SMPLB Negeri Semarang.
Considering the results above, type of assessments
at English teaching and learning are less variety. The
teacher only gives old types of assessment and does not

84 | English Language Teachinh[Anik Wulandari]

try to look for other innovation. The students needs more
experience to learn English more what they have got from
the teacher at the time. Although the students stand with
their weakness, they need to know various assessments
to measure if they are able to do those types of
assessment or not. Moreover several autistic students of
SMPLB Negeri Semarang have high intelligence such as
Kharisma, Willy, and Andreas. The reseacher believes
they can get more that what the teacher gives.
Conclusion
1. Language Materials and Topics Covered in English
Course for Autistic Students at Eighth Grade of
SMPLB Negeri Semarang in the Academic Year of
2011/2012 are arranged thematically based on PPI
curriculum. A semester consists of three themes. Each
theme will be developed into several selected topics.
2. Several teaching and learning methods for autistic
students at eighth grade of SMPLB Negeri Semarang in
The Academic Year of 2011/2012 are Audio Lingual
Method, Total Physical Response, and Direct Method.
Then those methods are supported by several teaching
media: flash card, picture, mirror, rope, ball, and
everything in environment or classroom.
3. The English learning assessment of autistic student of
SMPLB Negeri Semarang is very finite. It only covers
daily or weekly test, mid test and final test. Daily test
which forms oral test and written test is usually done
every the end of learning. The oral tests include the
stimulating questions and daily conversations. While
written tests form multiple choices type and short
answer task.

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 85

Reference
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Damanyati, Dewi. Perkembangan Bahasa pada Anak Autis
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Delphie. B. 2006, Pembelajaran Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus,
Bandung: PT. Refika Aditama.
Geniofam, 2010. Mengasuh dan Mensukseskan Anak
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Hadis, Abdul, 2006. Pendidikan Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus,
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Hitchcock. Graham and David Hughes, 1995. Research
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Prastyono, Dwi Sunar. 2008. Biarkan Anakmu Bermain,

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Pusponegoro, Hardiono D. 2007. Apakah Anak Kita Autis?
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Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 87

THE USE OF
PRONUNCIATION SOFTWARE TO
IMPROVE STUDENTS PRONUNCIATION

Faizul Muna
( IAIN Walisongo Semarang )

Abstract
The pronunciation software is medium to improve
students pronunciation that provides fun and interesting
activity. The study is aimed to find out the implementation of
teaching pronunciation using pronunciation software and the
improvement of students pronunciation after being taught
through using pronunciation software is. This study is
Classroom action research with the subject of 39 students of
SMA Islam Al- Hikmah Mayong Jepara in the academic year
of 2011/2012, 12 boys and 27 girls. The researcher collected
the data from the observation and tests. There are three cycles;
teacher gives different treatment in every cycle. The result
shows that there was a significant difference of the students'
achievement between the results scoring in every cycle was
increasing. It was found that teaching pronunciation using
pronunciation software is effective and helpful in improving
students ability of pronunciation skill. As the result in the tests
that the students improvement during the treatment through
pronunciation software, the average of the tests scores increased
from 69.1025 in the pre cycle, it was becoming 77.5641 in the

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 157

hierarchy of intervening variables. Crookall and Oxford

(cited in Worde, 2003) states that serious language
anxiety may cause other related problems with selfesteem, self-confidence, and risk-taking ability and
ultimately hampers proficiency in the second language.
Because the destructive result of anxiety, some
researchers have conducted studies in this area. Marwan
(2008: 119), the previous researcher from Indonesia
suggests that most of learners have experienced a certain
degree of anxiety in their foreign language learning and
there are 3 factors which learners believe to have
contributed to their foreign language anxiety. The factors
are lack of preparation, lack of confidence and fear of
failing the class. Worde (2003) finds out that 73 % of the
sample of 15 participants would be considered anxious
learners with 34 % of these considered highly anxious.
Worde suggests that awareness of foreign language
anxiety be heightened and taken seriously by teachers
and students alike. Worde states that more than half of
foreign language learners experience some kinds of
anxiety in their learning. It is not an unusual matter and
in fact, most learners have experienced some kinds of
anxiety in their learning.
According to Pennycook (2001: 151) women do
not have power which will be reflected in their language
or their silences. Then, according to Lakoff (1990: p. 205)
that womens language developed as a way of surviving
and even flourishing without control over economic,
physical or social reality. In other word Pennycook (2001:
151) states that women are stereotyped as talkative while
at the same time they are frequently silenced or ignored;
many languages have a range of derogatory terms for

158 | The Anxiety Of Female Studemts[Nadiah Mamun]

women; women are relegated to the private rather than
public language dominants; womens use language
frequently bears signs of lower social status; womens
ways of talking are not accorded respect; language
systems themselves encode basic gender inequalities.
Language Anxiety
There are three approaches in learning anxiety.
They are trait, state, and situation specific perspectives
(Maclntyre and Gardner, 1991). Trait requires behavioral
observation, whereas state includes such physiological
assessment as heart rates or blood pressure test. The
situation specific perspectives are (as cited in Zheng,
2008), inds of participants self-reports, in which
internal feelings and reactions are measured (Casado &
Dereshiwsky: Daly). This last approach is utilized most
often in examining the anxiety phenomenon in
educational studies.
Anxiety has become a central discussion among
researchers. Some of them are noted by Von Worde
(2003). They are Aida, 1994; Baley, 1983; Crookal and
Oxford, 1991; Ely, 1986; Horwitz & Cope, 1986, Horwitz
& Young, 1991; Ganschow & Sparks, 1996; Krashen,
1985; Maclntyre, 1995; Maclntyre & Gardner, 1988, 1989,
1991,; 1994; Muchnick & Wolfe, 1982 Price, 1988, 1991;
Schlesinger, 1995; Trylong, 1987; Von Worde, 1998;
Young, 1990,1991, 1992) has consistently revealed that
anxiety can impede foreign language production and
achievement. Indeed, Campbell & Critiz (1991) report
perhaps one-half of all language students experience a
starting level of anxiety. Language anxiety is experienced

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 159

by learners of both foreign and second language and

process potential problems because it can interfere with
acquisition, retention and production of the new
language (Maclntyre & Gardner, 1991. P:86)
A studied by Marwan, language anxiety is
experienced by many language learners in the world,
especially Indonesian learners. Because of the destructive
result of anxiety, some researchers have conducted
studies in this area. Marwan (2008: 119), the previous
researcher from Indonesia suggests that most of learners
have experienced a certain degree of anxiety in their
foreign language learning and there are 3 factors which
learners believe to have contributed to their foreign
language anxiety. The factors are lack of preparation, lack
of confidence and fear of failing the class. Worde (2003)
finds out that 73 % of the sample of 15 participants
would be considered anxious learners with 34 % of these
considered highly anxious. Worde suggests that
awareness of foreign language anxiety be heightened and
taken seriously by teachers and students alike. Worde
states that more than half of foreign language learners
experience some kinds of anxiety in their learning. It is
not unusual matter and in fact, most learners have
experienced some kind of anxiety in their learning.
And language anxiety has been studied in many
language learning contexts, including oral language use
(Horwitz, 1986; Philips, 1992), reading (Horwitz &
Garza, 1999), writing (Cheng, Horwitz & Schallert, 1999)
and listening (Vogely, 1998). While most of these studies
involved foreign language learners, language anxiety has
also studied among ESL, students of Asia (Zhang, 2001)
and secondary students in Singapore (Han, 2003). On the

160 | The Anxiety Of Female Studemts[Nadiah Mamun]

whole, these studies how a strong relationship between
language proficiency, self-confidence and language
anxiety.

The Second Language Acquisition Theory

There are 2 points that explained in Second
Language Acquisition Theory. The first is about Five
Hypotheses about Second Language Acquisition and the
second is The Causative Variable in SLA. One of the Five
Hypotheses about Second Language is Affective Filter
Hypothesis.
The Affective Hypothesis states that how
Affective Factors relate to Second Language Acquisition
process. Firstly is proposed by Dulay and Burt in 1977,
this concept was discussed and developed by Krashen
(1987) who mentioned that the researchers have found
out that these affective factors contribute to the success
in language learning and acquisition.
Krashen (1987: 31) states that there are three
affective factors that can be responsible to the learning
and acquisition success which include motivation, selfconfidence, and anxiety. Motivation is important for
someone to be a successful person. It makes the learners
have some planning to do something. Learners who have
a high motivation usually become the successful ones in
foreign language. And for the learners who have a high
self-confidence, they will become the successful ones in
language learning. Meanwhile, the learners with low
anxiety appear to experience similar success.

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 161

The Anxiety in Language Learning

As we know that at different time of our lives we
experience anxiety. Its contains include feelings of
tension (stressful situation) state, of apprehension
(comprehension), nervousness and worry, as well as
physical signs such as breaking out in cold sweat and
nausea (boring). It has been argued by Arnold in Kathleen
(2004: 190) that anxiety is possible the affective factor
that most pervasively obstructs the learning process. In
the world, Brown in Kathleen (2004: 191) suggests that
anxiety is intricately intertwined with other affects such
as self-esteem, inhibition, risk-taking, and it plays an
important role in second language acquisition.
The Factors of Anxiety
According to Spielberger in Kathleen (2004: 191)
that Anxiety can be found/separated in two forms: trait
anxiety and state or situation-specific anxieties. Trait
anxiety is defined as a persons possibility (likelihood) of
becoming anxious in a wide range of situations; it is a
stable personality characteristic. In other word, Horwitz
in Kathleen (2004: 191) states that Situation-specific
anxiety is anxiety that is triggered of by being in a
particular situation; it is the type of anxiety that
language learning researchers focus on. Such kinds of
anxiety, commonly referred to as language anxiety, are a
composite of self-perceptions, beliefs, feeling and
behaviors related to the learning process and arising from
the unique situation in the language classroom.
According to Han (2003) that in a questionnaire
and Interview study among 56 secondary 3 students in a

162 | The Anxiety Of Female Studemts[Nadiah Mamun]

Singapore government school, it was found that most of
them experienced moderate levels of language anxiety,
with one in ten experiencing high anxiety. The most
anxiety-arousing aspect of English language learning was
writing, followed by grammar, speaking, listening, and
reading. On the whole, English language learning anxiety
is mainly of the personal and interpersonal type. Five
most common reasons cited were fear of negative social
evaluation, fear of failure, self-perceived proficiency,
communication apprehension and competitiveness.
The examples of five common reasons can be seen
follows: the first reason, fear of negative social evaluation
can happen when someone feels upset of being laughed at
in class for poor performance. The second reason, fear of
failure is reflected in some moments such as Failing or not
performing well in the written and oral examinations and
feel afraid at the thought of sitting for examinations. The
third reason, negative perceptions of own proficiency
occurs when someone is worried about having to use
English or cant use English fluently or afraid. The fourth
reason, communication apprehension is realized in several
conditions, such as: not being able to catch what others
say, cant use English fluently, and cannot express oneself
clearly, afraid to talk to students who speak a different
mother tongue and worried about group discussions in
class/worry in delivering argument in discussion in class.
And the last reason, competitiveness is usually felt when
a person cannot communication as well as their peers,
when she cannot doing as well as their classmates in
examinations/have low achievement & ability as good as
their friends and when she has full short of an idealized
self-image.

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 163

The Symptoms of Anxiety

I have assumed that during my observation there
are many sign symptoms of anxiety. However, those
symptoms of anxiety are realized in physical and
psychological responses. It is line with the statement I get
from an article which says that the symptoms of anxiety
may include physical and psychological ones. The
physical symptoms can appear as the faster heart beating
or having stomachache. The psychological symptoms can
be
the
forms
of
panic
and
frighten
(http://www.chinesemadeedeeasier.com/anxiety.html).
Anxiety often happens when someone does a task.
When she is very anxious, they develop negative
emotional reactions which can have adverse effect on
their learning. So what are the characteristics of anxious
language learners and what cause their anxieties? Anxious
learners are individuals who perceive second language as
an uncomfortable experience. They tend to withdraw
from voluntary participation, feel social pressures not to
make mistakes and are less willing to try uncertain or
novel linguistic forms. Anxious learners focus so narrowly
on the task at hand and the way they are dealing with it
that their reactions to it often excessive self-evaluation,
worry over potential failure and concern over opinions of
other (Maclntyre, Noels & Clement, 1997). Such preoccupations make information, process it and retrieve it
when required. Sources of their anxiety are both internal
and external, relating to beliefs about themselves, what
other people (peers and teachers) think, the language
learning and assessment process and classroom
procedures (Young, 1991).

164 | The Anxiety Of Female Studemts[Nadiah Mamun]

The Effects of Anxiety
The effect of anxiety is reported to cause defective
in the learners language learning. Krashen (cited in von
Worde) notes that anxiety inhibits the learners ability
to process incoming language and short-circuits the
process of acquisition. Crookal and Oxford (cited in von
Worde, 2003) mention that can result in serious problems
with self-esteem, self confidence, and risk-taking ability.
This might lead to the decrease in language proficiency.
Hence, anxiety many influence the process of learning
language as well as the achievement.
Conclusion
It can be explained that cause anxiety, it is the
factors believed to cause of anxiety that can be
experienced in various activities, such as: speaking
activity, lack of preparation (in ability to comprehend),
lack self-confidence, negative classroom experience (fear
of evolution) and methodology and the teacher
themselves, instructional practice (oral, testing, or
listeners exercises), error correction, native speaker, etc.
there are also some factors that reduce anxiety. It is the
factors believed to reduce anxiety. It can be anticipated
by role of the teacher, makes a sense of community
between each students and the teacher themselves, and
pedagogical
practice
and
interesting
classroom
environment. There are some factors that manifest
anxiety. It is the factor believed to manifest anxiety,
there are physical symptoms: headaches, clammy hands,
stomachache, cold finger, pounding heart, sweaty,
avoidance, and internal & functional. And the last, there

Encounter: Volume 3 ,No. 2, 2012 | 165

are some students awareness anxiety. It is the factor of

awareness anxiety, the students are uncomfortable or
even distressed in class is hampered by any number of
administration & time constraints about the class. As a
good teachers/lectures must understand especially female
students who sometimes feel nervous or uncomfortable
in teaching-learning English process . He/she should
motivate them all the time to reduce their anxiety in
order teaching-learning of English process will run well.

166 | The Anxiety Of Female Studemts[Nadiah Mamun]

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