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Enriching Quality and Providing Affordable Education through New Academia | 175 communication stick to people’s life, as if it was air for the lung, water for the river and sea, and soil for plants. Communication for people’s everyday life is thightly connected, and it’s undebatable.
Communication, and it’s development from time to time is also influenced by social changes in people’s life. In prehistorical era, communication is only needed to be used as coordination device, when Homo Sapiens need to go haunting, for instance. It only hold very basic and simple function to convey messages between two individuals. Preceeding to the next era, a modern Homo Sapiens use symbols they paint on their cave’s wall, sign they carve on trees, for communication. Next, Ancient Egypt create heiroglyph as a form of orthographic writing system, to communicate each other. In Ancient Chinesse, communication was aimed to develop knowledge, which was then followed by it’s neighboring countries such as Japan and Korea. In Greek, Rome, Spain and England, communication was aimed to support their goals to conquer other areas, which is notorious with the spirit of “Gold, Glory and Gospel”.
Furthermore, in revolution era such as World War I and World War II, communication got some shift in it’s function. People in that era was in a competition to create more and more codes, morse and secret anagram. It is compulsory since they need to send messages to the enemy area or battle field, in secret. Encouraged by the need to find special language and alphabet (as communication tools), they create morse in several forms, like radio morse, whistle morse etc. They created it in a way that they are the only one who know and be able to interpret the languange and alphabet.
That kind of communication development explained above, is actually still considered as basic function of communication, yet it has an unordinary form, since people are getting more develop in creating new form of communication media. Later on, the principal of sending messages across distance getting developed well, days by days. The basic science of communicating through long distance then support the invention of telephone. From the simple designed telephone which can only make call and messaging goes to a sophisticated yet handy mobile phone. Beside, basic science of communicating through letters then shifted into communicating though the virtual letter, which than called as electronic mail or email.
Communication and technology expert keep on doing research, until they find one form of the “new and utopis” cyber world called internet. Since that day, people tend to chose indirect communication more, than direct communication. Just push several buttons, then you will be able to talk to your old friends, who live in a faraway town. No need to come there, having long and boring journey just to meet and having a nostalgia talk with them. Being homesick when you got to study abroad, missing your parents and sibling? No need to find tickets to fly to your hometown. You can “meet” them right away, just by a swipe of skype application button. Not only you can talk to your parents, but also seeing their face smiling directly from your smartphone or laptop screen, is very easy. Wife of an army whose husband is in duty abroad, do not need to feel lonely anymore since she still can feel her husband’s presence through voice call. It can be said that communication has gone through long stages until recently it come here, to an era when people be able to communicate directly with someone in front of them, yet still be able to connect to someone faraway there, in indirect communication.
Discussion
The discussion part will be explained in three details, the first is how curriculum for English subject in Indonesia developed through ages. What was it focused on, and what was the content. The second is explanation about digital based communication, how was the history of all communication platform used in digital based communication, the corpora of new terms which isn’t exist yet in the previous era, but now are commonly spoken and written by the netizen, along with it’s meaning and application platform which commonly use them.
Enriching Quality and Providing Affordable Education through New Academia | 176 The Changing of English Curriculum
In the early era, in fact it is not English, the first foreign language thought at school. As known by the world that it is Dutch which was thought at school since Nederland is the country which colonized Indonesia at that time. The learning of English in Indonesia is actually started informally, beginning from the tourism field. When lots of foreigner came to Indonesia to see it’s beautiful places, people near the tourism side felt that they need to be able to communicate with the foreigners. It is of course caused by economic reason. If they capable in communicating with the foreigners well, they will also be able to sell something to them, not only selling goods such as handicraft but also selling service like transportation and so on.
The learning of English in Indonesia started since the proclamation of Indonesian independence in 1945. Since then, there are many policies issued for the sake of English learning in Indonesia. Policy, as stated by Tilaar and Nugroho (2008: 140) is a concept of noun, result of deliberation towards behaviour from someone, or board of experts about rules of act from a person or institution to achieve a certain objective. The other definition is, policy or public policy is whatever government choose to do or not to do. The intention is, any act chosen to be done or not to be done by the government (Dye in Munadi and Barnawi.
2011: 17).
It is Mr. Wachendorf, from English Teaching Center (Pusat Pengajaran Bahasa Inggris) in Education Department , the one who state that English is compulsory to be thought at school in the aim of preparing students with “the working knowledge of English”, empower by Education and Culture Minister’s decision number.096/1967. (Omi Komaria, 1998, History of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, https://lib.atmajaya.ac.id/ default.aspx?tablD=
61&src=k&id=75038, acessed in October 27th 2016).
There were several changes made in curriculum in the relation of English learning in Indonesia. Among others are the changes of the focus, the early settlement of English learning curriculum until 1993 curriculum the focus and the priority of English learning curriculum are reading, hearing, writing and speaking (membaca, mendengar, menulis dan berbicara).
Whereas in 1994 curriculum, the focus and priority had few changes become reading, listening, writing and speaking (membaca, menyimak, menulis dan berbicara). Several methods used in that era are also varied, from the Grammar Translation Method to Direct Method, to Aural Oral Approach and last, to Communicative Approach.
It is also stated by Purwaningsih (2013:21) that English learning in Indonesia in the era of 1963 until 1975 also adopted the behaviorist thought. This thought percieve the process of language learning occur through habitual formation. The learning attitude happen in two factors below:
1. Stimulus played role as language attitude inisiator.
2. Reinforcement which signed wether a respond is precise or not precise and be able to support those respons in the future (Richard& Rogers: 56-7 and Brown: 34 in Purwaningsih: 21)
The other legal regulation which ruled the English learning in Indonesia is also in Education and Culture Department’s decision No. 0487/1992, chapter VIII: elementary school could suplement it’s subject in the curriculum as long as it is not in the contrary to the national education objectives. Moreover, it is also stated in Education and Culture minister’s Decision Letter (SK Mendikbud) No. 060/U/1993 date February 25th 2013 that English program is possibly thought as subject in local content (muatan lokal), and it can begin from the forth grade of elementary school. In addition, it is stated as well in National Education minister’s rule (Permendiknas) No:22 year 2006 about the time allotment for English subject in every level of education, and in every departments in the senior high school and also vocational school.
All those policies and rule expounded above has the same similarity, that is the focus.
Those policies and rules are likely only take into account on the conventional English learning. It only tend to consider that the English learning is simply teaching students the
Enriching Quality and Providing Affordable Education through New Academia | 177 language from the book, it’s focus is not real life usefullness. On the contrary, we know that communication, language and also English learning is not a stagnan matter. It extend and improved from time to time and influence greatly to the real life situation. Moreover since the appearance of digital based communication. Hence, several questions appear, how do the digital based communication improved then impact every day life? In addition, how do teacher fasilitate language learning using digital based communication as device? Those questions can be answered by the description in the next part.
Digital based Communication History through IM (Instant Messaging)
Digital based communication, or widely known as chatting had passed through a long journey. As the technology of email invented in the early 90’s, IT expert then developed a new way of sending written message to someone, which can be replied soon. In fact, though sending message through email is already satisfying enough in that time, the reciever often time do not know that they got message, as they can not always online and acessed their email account. It brought a bad effect, when the message is urgent and the sender need to read the reply soon, however the sender need to be patient. That’s what made IT expert develop the technology of instant messaging. A platform to send message, which can give sign and notification to the reciever, telling that they got mail. So that the reciever can read and reply it as soon as possible.
Since then, the instant messaging service mushrooming. As the avant garde of this service, Mirabilis corporation launched their instant messaging service called ICQ in November 1996. Followed by AOL corporation with it’s AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) in the late 1997. IT corporations seemed to be seriously competing, that time. It can be known from the launching of several well known IM services such as Yahoo Messager (which still be used untill the early 2000’s), Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, MSN (microsoft’s IM) and the last but not least, the fenomenal MIRC which was booming among the youngsters that time.
Afterwards, the more developed application which is way more sophisticated yet free of charge launched. In May 2009 the WhatsApp company owned by Brian Acton and J. Koum launced their self-titled application, and frequently gained good supports from their costumer all over the world. After that, In 2010 Beom So Kim, the CEO of Kakao Corporation from South Korea launched Kakao Talk, which was notorious with it’s endorsement from worlds public figure, to K-Pop heartrob such as boyband and girlband (BigBang was the first of all), to local rising star. In Indonesia it was Sherina Munaf which was trusted to be the endorsed singer.
Lastly, it is Line application, which was launched in June 23 2011, owned by NHN Corporation in collaboration with Naver, an IT start up company from the ginseng country South Korea.
(Stevan, Indra, 2013, Sejarah Lahirnya WA, Line dan Kakao Talk, https://www.bersosial.com/threads/sejarah_lahirnya_ WA_line_dan_kakao_talk/1565.html.
Acessed in October 26, 2016)
Fasilitating Language Learning Using Digital Based Communication as device
This part is aimed to answer the challenge questioned in the previous part. Regarding to the fact that communication and language change rapidly by the presence of digital based communication, so how do teacher as language agent and educator use that as a device to facilitate language learning. In order to explain the answer, the discussion will be devided into two parts, the first part is language learning before internet era, and the second is language learning on the internet era.
Language Learning Before the Internet Era
Before internet is widely used, language learning tend to be manual in every aspects.
It means that all the learning used concrete media. For instance, if the students need to look up the meaning of unfamiliar words, they need to open up packs of thick dictionaries. They need to bring along that printed dictionary everytime they attend English class. Another example is when teacher need to use teaching aids, when teacher wants to explain about
Enriching Quality and Providing Affordable Education through New Academia | 178 parts of the body, he/she should bring along torso (used in Biology class as well), or pictures of parts of the body. It is not so practical and user friendly, consuming lots of time, place and energy to bring it here and there. When teacher wants to hold a class discussion, out of school hours, he/she needs to settle time and place and then invite the students plus encourage them to come and participate in that discussion. For short, they need to meet up face to face in a particular place to hold a class discussion. Again, it seems like teacher waste his time and energy to do a single simple activity only.
Language Learning on the Internet Era
When the internet era came for the first time, to the language learning fields, it is such an enlightment. Matters that seemed to be so complicated and hard to do now becoming very easy thing. It’s no need for the students to bring along their thick dictionary anymore. Just a click on the e-dictionary application, they will find out what they look up for. It also happen when teacher need to explain about name of parts of body. Throw away that heavy and unpractical torso. Just download the 3 dimension image of parts of body, connect the computer to the in-focus/projector, then teacher will be easily show students, parts of body and tell them the names. Next, when teacher need to invite students to attend class discussion out of school hours. Asking them to come in person? Settle place of the discussion? No need to do that anymore. Just ask students’ instant messenger ID or their social media account, tell them the exact time, invite their account, then do the online discussion, do the talk virtualy.
Students will be so happy that they do not need to go to the school again out of the school hours. Just be prepare with their gadgets and the discussion can take place.
Using internet with its digital based communication, allow teachers to find learning sources easily. Enrich their basic knowledge and support them to present an enjoyable and fun language learning. Digital based communication also allows teachers to share information among his students or peer, seed up the flow of information, help teachers keep up with the up-dated news and new methods used in language learning, its also used for the sake of networking, building new relation and also as the entertaiment media for the students.
In the relation with language learning process, there are several suggested activity which teacher can do to facilitate it using digital based communication as device. Below are a few example:
1. Designing e-learning device which allows students to study anywhere anytime, without bringing lots of books and notes.
2. Use skype to stay connected to the students. Moreover when the teacher often got duty from school to go out of town, he/she can still teach, in front of his/her computer.
3. Teachers creativity is supported maximally with the support of the digital based communication, for instance if they want to design an interactive teaching media. Public service advertisement (iklan layanan masyarakat) or movie clip can be used as a realia to teach language, to teach students about pronunciation or to be used as retelling story activity.
4. Design a paperless assignment for the students. Recording video related to the lesson then upload it on the youtube, give assignment such as conversation through instant messaging application chat, then students need to screen shoot it then email it to the teacher’s email acount, as an authentic proof that they have practiced writing conversation.
5. After all this time, saving students work is becoming teachers frequent problem. With those paperless assignment for students, teachers no longer need to provide space or particular place or data bank to save their assignment. Teachers only need to provide digital saving media such as USB flashdisk or external harddisk and CDs.
Enriching Quality and Providing Affordable Education through New Academia | 179 Below are the strong points and weak points of all the suggested activities for teachers to be taken into consideration:
No. Activity Strong points Weak points
1. Designing e-learning
activity Practical, saving time, acroos time and place boundaries.
Teachers should make sure that all students own the tools needed such as the gadget and the internet connection.
2. Skype for long distance teaching.
Practical, saving time, acroos time and place boundaries.
It lessen the bounding and rapport building between teacher and students since they are not interact directly.
3. The use of interactive media.
It serves students an enjoyable and fun learning.
To design interactive media, it needs teacher’s skill in IT. So they need to learn it first, and it’s not always an easy thing to do 4. Give students paperless
assignment. Eco friendly and also more economic since students do not need to print it or write it on the paper.
Teachers should be aware of plagiarism act.
5. Providing digital saving media to keep students work.
It save space and portable, teachers can carry it anywhere and access it anytime they want.
Digital saving media is fragile and suspectible to be attacked by viruses.
Back up data is always needed.
Conclusion
English learning curriculum in Indonesia should be adjusted according to the changes in communication and language. The curriculum should accomodate not only the concreate matter but also the matter beyond that. It is not the time for language teacher to be strict, using textbook and workbook only, assessing students in written only, and presents material just the way it is, without using interesting means. To move and develop along with the society development (in this case especially communication changes) is the key.
Digital based communication as part of the society development, play an essential role in the language learning. Teachers can use all those instant messaging applications, those websites, and social media to maximalize the language teaching in their class. Once students become interested in the learning process, so it’s just about time that they will be able to understand the learning material. Digital basic communication as a contemporer way of interacting, can draw students attention, so furthermore they will love the learning material and their knowledge will develop.
References
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(https://lib.atmajjaya.ac.id/default.aspx?tablD=61&src=k&id=75038)
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