INTRODUCTION

A. The Background of the Report

This is a report about the result of my interview that I have done with one of
the Elementary English teacher in Panam. But before I present the result, it is better to
know the meaning of Teaching English for young learners and other related
components.
Teaching English for young learners is different to adults. Young learners learn
English with fun way. Because, they are easily to get bored and feel difficult if the
material is too hard. That is why we as teachers have to make the classroom condition
more alive and fun to achieve the goal. The English teachers are not only able to teach
well, but also know the things which are related to teach English for young learners.
Therefore, the English materials for young learners are not clearly divided base on the
skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing, but they are integrated into one subject
which is named as English lesson. In other words, for the English materials, young
learners can learn and practice the whole skills in one meeting. Even so, in this report,
I choose to focus on one subject skill which is listening.
There are four basic language skills listening, speaking, reading and writing
- but from all, listening creates basis for the other skills. Hearing the language is the
first thing when we get in touch with it, not just with foreign languages but also with
our mother tongue. As we are not in an English speaking country, most of the time we
meet English by hearing it on the TV, radio or in the school. Acquisition of the mother
tongue can be an example for proving this statement. Young children babies acquire
language through listening- they listen to our instructions (Look! Come here!) -then,
they physically respond to it. By time, they give us the instructions. The method of
TPR (Total Physical Respond) is also based on this theory that children pick up the
language at first through commands. Therefore, usually young learners at age 3-6
years old (very young learner) and at age 7-9 years old cannot analyze language yet.
Because the characteristics of very young learners are love talking, but problems in
sharing, have short memories (learn slowly and forget easily), and low concentration,
but easily excited. The point is that listening of a language is the first step towards it
which makes it is important in learning language. This is the reason why I choose
listening skill as the focus on my report.

CONTENT
A. Discussion
On May, 26th 2016, I had done an interview with one of the English teacher,
Miss Rini Mayasari at SDN 37 Panam. Precisely located in Garuda Sakti Street.
Writer also interviewed her two students, Aini (the first student) and Alini Fadillah
(the second student) from class V.C elementary school. The following are the result of
the interview:
1. The result of the interview with the teacher
a. Principles and Teaching Approaches, Methods, and Techniques Implemented
in the School
Before discussing the result findings about teaching approaches, methods, and
techniques implemented in the school, let writer defines some terms:
a) Approach is different theories about the nature of language and how languages
are learnt.
b) Method is way of teaching.
c) Technique is classroom activities.
When we use the word approach we meant that an idea or theory is being applied;
that whatever the teacher does; certain theoretical principles are always borne in
his/her mind; for example, the communicative approach, oral-oral approach. And a
method is asset of procedures or a collection of techniques used in systematic way
which is hoped to result in effective learning; e.g: The audio-lingual method, the
Direct Method, etc.
When we talk about technique we mean the procedures used in the classroom;
flashcards, classroom management, etc.
From the above explanation, writer found that Miss Rini used some methods
and techniques in her teaching English for her students (young learner). She says:
For class 3, 4 and 5 she tried to be creative by giving her students some songs
related to the materials. And this becomes one of her techniques to teach
English.
Base on this statement, writer found that Miss Rini does not want to teach English,
such vocabulary and grammar, in traditional way means find the meaning of the
words and look for in dictionary. This activity is bored and hard to students. That is
way she used songs as her techniques to attract students attention. She made the song
2

as the materials. From a song, she could teach vocabulary, pronunciation and
grammar also. This is appropriate with one of the experts theories about teaching
English, listening, for young learner as argued by Sharpe (2001), by singing songs
pupils gradually internalize the structures and patterns of the foreign language as well
as the specific language items that the teacher wants them to learn. In addition, as
stated by Caroline (2005, p.25) listening comprehension skill can prepare children to
develop reading skill.
When regarding with the methods, writer analyzes that Miss Rini used some
methods here, such as:
1. Cognitive Approach: This approach introduced the four principle language
skills for the first time: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Oral
communicative competence became the focus. Comprehensible auditory input
became important and speaking in the target language began to occur.
Learning about the language was overemphasized.
2. Direct Method: This method allows students to perceive meaning directly
through the target language, because no translation is allowed. Visual aids and
pantomime are used to clarify the meaning of vocabulary items and concepts.
Students speak and communicate as if in real situations. Reading and writing
are taught from the beginning. Grammar is learned inductively.
3. Audio-lingual Method (AL): Language learning is the acquisition of a set of
correct language habits. The learner repeats patterns until he is able to produce
them. The teacher directs and controls students behavior, provides a model,
and reinforces correct responses.
Discussing about principles implemented in the school, writer interprets that this
school, SDN 37 Panam, wants all of students
b. Students Learning Activity Provided by the Teacher
The activities that provided by the teacher are media such as song, picture and
also games. She used those activities to teach vocabulary and grammar to her students
in fun way. Thus, made all of her students felt enthusiastic, interested and excited with
these activities. She said sometimes her students asked her to continue the lesson even
the time already up.

Talking about activity in listening for young learners, using music is a good
way to create a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom. Songs can also be used as
sources of language learning activities. Students like to work with songs. Its a change
from normal activities and can involve them in a subject most young people are
interested in. Songs contain a lot of useful language and can be used to highlight
grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. They are good for prompting discussions and
even as a tool for introducing new language.
Many teachers find using song as activity for listening is good for introducing
English to young learner and improve their skills. Kirsch (2008) states that listening
activities should be based on meaningful, appropriate, and authentic texts (e.g., a
story, song, or poem) that assist listening and remembering and that match the
language and grade level of pupils.
c. Problems faced by the English Teacher and Her Solution
There many problems that she faced while teaching English in the classroom.
For instance, her students often difficult in translating the English word into Bahasa.
Even so Miss Rini would not help the students to say the meaning of the difficult
words but asked the students to bring dictionary and find the meaning in dictionary
personally. To her, directly tell the meaning of the difficult word to students will make
them lazy. So, it is not effective. If the students do not bring the dictionary, she asked
the students to write those difficult words on the students book and discussed later
together.
Another problem is students sometimes did not do their homework. How to
solve it? At the beginning of lesson, first meeting, both teacher and students made an
agreement. Students will pay IDR 1000-3000 as DENDA to their punishment. But not
in form of money conversely in form of tools, School stationeries: pencils, erasers,
etc. This agreement, Miss Rini did not force the students to follow it at first. Since,
however, students agreed with this, then it become valid in the class.
d. Teachers Communication with Parents
In this point, the teacher did not do communication intensely with the
students parents. Because she is a regular teacher who teach English lesson, not the
class teacher, also known as Wali Kelas. However, sometimes, the students parents
4

called her by phone and asked about their childs progression in the school. Therefore,
if one of her students got problem in the school, she would have told to the class
teacher first. Thus, the class teacher contacted the parents and did discussion with the
students parents about his/her child. In this case, if between parents and the class
teacher could not find the solution, sometimes, she involved and helped them by
giving suggestion. That was she told to the writer in the interview.
Dealing with this, writer analyzes that Miss Rini has do communication with
parents but not as much as class teacher (Wali Kelas) had did.
2. The result of the interview with the two students
There are a lot of activities that teacher and students done in the classroom.
For example, games: puzzle, sing a song, do presentation, etc. According to her
students they often played game and sang a song in the classroom to learn English
words or vocabularies. Usually they did those activities at the beginning of the lesson
also at the end of the lesson. For students who success to answer the question from the
game will get reward from the teacher.
From above explanation, writer analyze that teacher gave this kind of activities
in order to make students connect to the material first and increase their motivation. In
other words, they did brainstorming activity and pay attention to study. Teacher tried
connecting students background knowledge to the materials. Are the students already
know about the materials or not?. In other words, this is a good activity to start the
lesson.
According to Aini and Alini, the way Miss Rini taught them about English is
fun and clear. So, they can understand the material in fun way and make them wants
to do more games.
In line with students homework assigned by the teacher, the students got it
from the tests in their LKS book, students worksheet and asked to memorize some
vocabularies at home and discussed together in school later.
a. What Students like and Dislike during Learning English
These two students like English. Why? Because they think English is fun and
it is different from their own language (Bahasa Indonesia). These two students did not
tell the specific part of English they like. And what they do not like about English is
5

translation. They said it is difficult to find the meaning of the words and to look for
the meaning in dictionary. This point can also include as students problem during
learning English and their solutions to solve it.
b. Parents Support for Students Learning
These two students have different opinions for this point. The first student said
that her parents would help her answered her English homework. The second student
said that the homework were not that difficult so she did not need to call for help from
her parents. It means that she did her homework by herself. At this point, writer
analyze that both of students parents supported their English learning by helping
them answering their homework and buying them a dictionary.

CLOSING
A. Conclusion
From the findings that writer found after did interview with the English
Teacher, Miss Rini Mayasari, and both of her students, Aini and Alini Fadillah, Miss
Rini has really understand how to teach English for young learners. It can be found
from her approaches, methods and techniques that she used in teaching English in
classroom. Most of her activities that she gave to her students successfully can
influence the students motivation and increase their interest in learning English. Miss
Rini said that their students, most of them, always happy and excited with her
activities: games sing a song, puzzle, etc. and also they active to participate during the
lesson. In addition, according to Aini and Alini, the way Miss Rini taught them about
English is fun and clear. So, they can understand the material in fun way and make
them wants to do more games related to English lesson. With this, writer concludes
that students can solve their problems in learning English and things they like and
dislike will disappear as long as the time if the process of learning can stay long in
this form.

PHOTOS