LEARNING STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORE IN TOEIC USED BY STUDENTS OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA Learning Strategy To Achieve High Score In Toeic Used By Students Of Muhammadiyah University Surakarta In 2013/ 2014 Academic Year.

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LEARNING STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORE IN TOEIC USED BY STUDENTS OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA

2013/ 2014 ACADEMIC YEAR

PUBLICATION ARTICLE

Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Getting Master Degree of Education

in English Department

by:

ERMA NURHAYATI FIRDAUS S200 120 021

POST GRADUATED- ENGLISH DEPARTMENT MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA

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LEARNING STRA BY STUDENTS OF

First Consu

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APPROVAL

PUBLICATION ARTICLE

ATEGY TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORE IN T OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY SUR

Proposed by:

ERMA NURHAYATI FIRDAUS S200 120 021

Surakarta, June 2014 Approved to be Examined by:

sultant

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LEARNING STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORE IN TOEIC USED BY STUDENTS OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA

Erma Nurhayati Firdaus S200 120 021

Post Graduated- English Department Muhammadiyah University Of Surakarta

[email protected]

Abstract

This research focuses in three points; they are types of lerning strategies applied by Muhammadiyah students to achieve high score of TOEIC, Dominant learning strategies, and the reason of why the students applied such learning strategies. Therefore, the objective of this research are (1) to find out the types of learning strategies applied by Muhammadiyah University students to achieve high score of TOEIC, (2) the dominant learning strategies, and the last is their reason to use there to use those strategies. This research is a descriptive qualitative research with case study. The sampling technique used in this research is a total sampling techniques which analyze the types of learning strategies used by three students of Economy Faculty of Muhammadiyah University. This research applied two kinds of method of data collections: content analysis and interview by using open ended interview and questionnaire as the instrument of data analysis. The data were collected from the three students of Economy Faculty. The data were collected from the interview result and questionnaire. The data were analyzed based on O’Malley taxonomy of learning strategy.

The findings of the research shows that the three respondents have applied multiple strategies associated with O’Malley taxonomy of learning strategy. They are meta-cognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective. They use each type of strategy to increase their capability of learning L2 language (English). There were no significant dominant learning strategy used by them, but they have some similarity and differences of applying some strategy for listening comprehension part of TOEIC test. The three strategy of O’Malley called as meta-cognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective and their descriptions have power in influencing the quality of the respondent’s result test. The different strategy chosen by the respondent had given different score for their TOEIC test. It proves that the type of strategy of meta-cognitive, cognitive, and socio-affective has significant impact in the quality of learning L2.

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1 A. Introduction

According to Ellis (2000: 3) in Fauziati (2009: 75) “second language

acquisition is the way in which people speak a language other than their

mother tongue, inside or outside of a classroom; and second language

acquisition is the study of this”. Most of Indonesian learns English inside a

classroom. It can be seen from the number of education institution which

prefers to put English into their subject than their mother tongue.

Theoretically, many students can learn English as long as they are provided

well learning environment, a good time to learn, reinforce environment,

effective method of teaching learning process, the material in learning and

they have wise teachers that know what the students needed.

In conducting high quality of learning outcomes, students must provide

good learning habit. Foremost, learning is process of acquiring knowledge can

be viewed on a continuum from basic to complex (Dembo, 2004: 38).

According to Anderson and Krathwohl (2001: 65), there are two type of

learning; rote learning and meaningful learning. According to Mayer in

Anderson and Kartwohl (2001: 65), rote learning is consistent with the view

of learning as knowledge acquisition, in which students seek to add new

information to their memories. Meaningful learning is recognized as an

important educational goal. According to Brown in Anderson and Kartwohl

(2001: 65), meaningful learning requires that instructions go beyond the

simple presentation of factual knowledge and that assessment tasks require

more of students than simply recall or recognition of factual knowledge.

Meanwhile Ausubel in Fauziati (2009: 35) rote learning is a process in

which the material is learned arbitrarily and verbatim. In rote learning, the

students learn through repetition without trying to make sense of the material.

On the other hand, material learned in a meaningful way is acquired in a non-

arbitrary and a non verbatim fashion. The students in meaningful learning

attempt to make sense of the information so that it will be stored in LTM (long

term memory) and retrieved when it is needed. In language learning (ILL)

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individuals with needs and rights, who can develop and exercise responsibility

for their learning.

Learning English is one of the activities done in many teaching

learning processes. It is not easy for every people to learn and teach English

very well. There are many difficulties found in understanding English.

Learning English means studying a foreign language. According Brown

(1997: 7) learning is acquiring or getting knowledge of a subject or a skill by

studying, experience or instruction. Krasen (in Fauziati, 2002: 149) explains

clearly definition of learning. It is conscious process which results in separate

system of simple grammar rules, knowledge about the second language.

To learn English, students need strategies. According to Oxford (1990)

informs that ‘strategy’ comes from the Greek word ‘Strategia’ which means

generalship or the get of war. Strategy meant the management of the troops,

ships, or aircraft in a war situation. Oxford (1992: 18) strategies are tools for

the self-directed involvement necessary for developing communicative ability.

Chamot (2005: 112) strategies are the procedures making easier to learn

something, especially language learning. Gagne (in Brown: 2009) strategies

are one’s internal ability to think solve problems and make decisions. So,

strategies are tactics done by students to make more flexibility in thinking and

to develop their continue skills by using a good and correct language.

TOEIC is the test of English for international communication. The

TOEIC test is also a proficiency test for people whose native language is not

English, but it test proficiency at all levels from beginning to advance. The

TOEIC has been developed by linguist, language experts, and staff to evaluate

the English language skills of nonactive speakers of English in the field of

business. The aim of this test is to measure the ability English language such

as vocabulary and grammar.

TOEIC is used as the requirement to graduate from college and it is

important to find job in some companies. According to Barron (1990: 145)

TOEIC is used by government agencies, multinational corporations, and

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employees and prospective employees. TOEIC is a test of an individual's

ability to use and understand English in an academic setting designed and

administered by Educational Testing Service. Furthermore, there are two

sections on the TOEIC test, they are listening comprehension and reading

comprehension.

According in Lougheed (1964: 3), TOEIC has been used in

internationally as a standard assessment of English-language proficiency.

According to ETS (Educational Testing Service) (1989: 235) TOEIC test is to

evaluate the English language skills of nonnative speakers of English in the

field business. The scores are used as an independent measure of proficiency

and can be helpful in identifying personal capable of handling

language-specific responsibilities, in placing personnel in language-training programs,

and in promoting personnel to positions where reliable linguistic standards are

met. Language-training programs use the TOEIC to establish

language-training goals and to assess students’ progress in overall English ability.

To conduct this research, the writer focused on O’Malley taxonomy of

learning strategy. According O’Malley (1985: 582) language learning

strategies divided into three main subcategories, that is meta-cognitive,

cognitive, and socio-affective strategies.

1) Meta-cognitive Strategies

Its’ used in information-processing theory to indicate an “executive”

function. The strategies which involve planning for learning, thinking about

learning process as it is taking place, monitoring of one’s production or

comprehension, and evaluating learning after an activity is completed. It is

include advance organizers, directed attention, selective attention,

self-management, functional planning, self-monitoring, delayed production, and

self-evaluation.

a) Advance Organizers

It is making a general but comprehensive preview of the organizing

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4 b) Directed Attention

It is deciding in advance to attend in general to learning task to ignore

irrelevant distracters.

c) Selective Attention

It is deciding in advance to attend to specific aspects of language input

or situational details that will cue the retention of language input.

d) Self-Management

It is the understanding conditions that can help one learn and

arranging for the presence of those conditions

e) Functional Planning

It is planning for and rehearsing linguistic components necessary to

carry out an upcoming language task.

f) Self-Monitoring

It is correcting one’s speech for accuracy in pronunciation, grammar,

vocabulary, or for appropriateness related to the setting or the people who

are present.

g) Delayed Production

It is consciously deciding to postpone speaking in order to learn

initially through listening comprehension.

h) Self-Evaluation

It is checking the outcomes of one’s own language learning against

an internal measure of completeness and accuracy.

2) Cognitive

Its’ limited to specific learning tasks and they involve more direct

manipulation of the learning material itself. It is contain repetition,

resourcing, translation, grouping, note taking, deduction, recombination,

imagery, auditory representation, key word, contextualization, elaboration,

and inference.

a) Repetition

It is imitating a language model; include overt practice and silent

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b) Resourcing

It is using target language reference materials.

c) Translation

It is using the first language as a base for understanding and/or producing

the second language.

d) Grouping

It is reordering or reclassifying, and perhaps labeling, the material to be

learned based on common attributes.

e) Note Taking

It is writing down the main idea, important points, the outline, or

summary of information presented orally or in writing.

f) Deduction

It is consciously applying rules to produce or understand the second

language.

g) Recombination

It is constructing a meaningful sentence or larger language sequence by

combining known elements in a new way.

h) Imagery

It is relating new information to visual concepts in memory via familiar,

easily retrievable visualizations, phrases, or locations.

i) Auditory Representation

It is retention of the sound or a similar sound for a word, phrases, or

longer language sequence.

j) Key Word

It is remembering a new word in the second language by identifying a

familiar word in the first language that sounds like or otherwise

resembles the new word. Generating easily recalled images of some

relationship between the new word and the familiar word.

k) Contextualization

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l) Elaboration

It is relating new information to other concepts in memory.

m) Transfer

It is using previously acquired linguistic and/or conceptual knowledge to

facilitate a new language learning task.

n) Inference

It is using available information to guess meanings of new items, predict

outcomes, or fill in missing information.

3) Socio-affective

Its’ have to do with social mediating activities and interacting with

others. The main socio-affective are cooperation and question for

clarification.

a) Cooperation

It is working with one or more peers to obtain feedback, pool information,

or model a language activity.

b) Question of Clarification

It is asking a teacher or other native speaker for repetition, paraphrasing,

explanation, and/or examples.

B. Research Method

In this research, the writer is carrying out a qualitative research.

According Rossman (1997: 7) qualitative research is conducted in natural

settings rather than controlled ones; it assumes that humans use what they see

and hear and fell to make meaning of social phenomena.

This study was conducted at Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta.

It is focused on the students of economy faculty. The subject of this research

was three subjects who have high score of TOEIC. The students who get the

highest score of TOEIC test are Bagus Teguh Nugroho, Catur Budi Setiyawan

and Nurin Hidayat. Both subjects are in different gender, the two subjects are

male subjects and female subject which have different strategies to solve the

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Object of study refers to the analysis interpretation and the objective

of the research. The objects of the research are as follows: (1) the types of

learning strategies used by the Economy students of Muhammadiyah

University of Surakarta to achieve high score of TOEIC test, (2)the dominant

learning strategy used by Economy students Muhammadiyah University of

Surakarta to achieve high score of TOEIC test, (3) the reason for the

Economy students of Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta to use the

strategy to achieve high score of TOEIC test, (4) The pedagogical implication

of the dominant learning strategy being applied in TOEIC test by the

Economy students of Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta.

The data of the research were TOEIC score and information derived

from the interview about students’ behavior and field notes got from the

interview. The information in this research was obtained from the LC and

students who have high score in TOEIC test.

The data in this research are analyzed by using case study. The writer

provides description of phenomena that occur naturally without the

intervention of an experiment and artificially contrived treatment.

C. Research Findings and Discussion

The writer gets some research finding in analyzing The learning

strategy used by the three students of Economy Faculty. Each finding has

some cases to be discussed. After they have examined, all of components will

get back together in a schematic manner in the discussion.

1. Findings

Based on the research findings, it was gain information about the

types of learning strategy, dominant learning strategy, and the reason for

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a. Types of learning strategy by respondent 1

Primary Strategy Classification Example Of Strategy 1) Metacognitive :

a) Advance Organizer Planning for organizational

learning by making schedule of learning

b) Directed Attention he is deciding in advance to attend

in general to learning task to ignore irrelevant distracters

c) Selective Attention He directly pay attention to the

specific area of problem in the test by reading the answer at first time before answering the test.

He is focus to understand the main point of the question and the

e) Functional planning He pays attention to introduction

and first part of dialogue

He learns the type of the test and catches the point of the question Study the grammatical and context of situation

f) Self Monitoring Focuses on the conjuction and

preposition

Study the functional expression necessary for the test.

g) Delayed Production Pay attention on the meaning producing the second language He is reordering or reclassifying, and perhaps labeling, the material to be learned based on common attributes

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9 2) Cognitive:

a) Repetition he is consciously applying rules to

produce or understand the second language

b) Resourcing he practice and study the

simulation test for several times he check his answer for several times

c) Translation he uses the several TOEIC books,

such as Longman and Cambridge

d) Grouping He guess the meaning of the

source language to the target language based ion context

He finds the meaning of the text

e) Note taking He classify the test model

f) Deducation He classify the genre, words,

i) Auditory Representation he pays attention on the question

word

j) key word study the tenses

Guessing the photographs or the picture meaning

k) Contextualization Trying o catch the image point

l) Elaboration Listen carefully to the speaker

conversation and dialogue

Listen carefully to the order of the speaker

m) Transfer Remembering the new words of

the target language

n) Inferencing Applying the functional

expression

Understanding the second

language meaning in context 3) Socio – affective:

a) Cooperative It is relating new information to

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It is using previously acquired linguistic and / or conceptual knowledge to facilitate a new language learning task

b) Question of clarification it is using available information to

guess meanings of new items, predict outcomes, or fill in missing the question

b. Types of learning strategy by respondent 2

a) Advance Organizer Planning for organizational

b) Directed Attention he is deciding in advance to attend

c) Selective Attention He directly pay attention to the

specific area of problem in the test by reading the answer at first time before answering the test.

e) Functional planning He pays attention to introduction

and first part of dialogue

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f) Self Monitoring Focuses on the conjuction and

preposition

Study the functional expression necessary for the test.

g) Delayed Production Pay attention on the meaning producing the second language He is reordering or reclassifying, and perhaps labeling, the material to be learned based on common attributes

He is writing down the main idea, important points, the outline, or summary of information presented orally or in writing

i) Cognitive:

a) Repetition he is consciously applying rules to

b) Resourcing he practice and study the

c) Translation he uses the several TOEIC books,

d) Grouping He guess the meaning of the

e) Note taking He classify the test model

f) Deducation He classify the genre, words,

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word

j) key word study the tenses

k) Contextualization Trying o catch the image point

l) Elaboration Listen carefully to the speaker

m) Transfer Remembering the new words of

the target language

n) Inferencing Applying the functional

expression

language meaning in context o) Socio – affective:

a) Cooperative It is relating new information to

order concepts in memory

b) Question of clarification it is using available information to

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c. Types of learning strategy by respondent 3

j) Advance Organizer Planning for organizational

k) Directed Attention he is deciding in advance to attend

l) Selective Attention He directly pay attention to the

specific area of problem in the test by reading the answer at first time before answering the test.

n) Functional planning He pays attention to introduction

and first part of dialogue

He learns the type of the test and catches the point of the question Study the grammatical and context of situation

o) Self Monitoring Focuses on the conjuction and

preposition

Study the functional expression necessary for the test.

p) Delayed Production Pay attention on the meaning producing the second language He is reordering or reclassifying, and perhaps labeling, the material to be learned based on common attributes

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14 r) Cognitive:

p) Repetition he is consciously applying rules to

q) Resourcing he practice and study the

r) Translation he uses the several TOEIC books,

s) Grouping He guess the meaning of the

t) Note taking He classify the test model

u) Deducation He classify the genre, words,

x) Auditory Representation he pays attention on the question

word

y) key word study the tenses

z) Contextualization Trying o catch the image point

aa)Elaboration Listen carefully to the speaker

bb)Transfer Remembering the new words of

the target language

cc)Inferencing Applying the functional

expression

language meaning in context dd)Socio – affective:

c) Cooperative It is relating new information to

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d) Question of clarification it is using available information to

guess meanings of new items, predict outcomes, or fill in missing the question

d. Dominant Learning Strategy No

i) Advance Organizer Planning for organizational learning by

making schedule of learning.

j) Directed Attention Deciding in advance to attend in of the question and the setting.

l) Self - Management Focusing on the choice of answer

before answering.

Focusing to listen the whole

conversation.

m) Functional planning Paying attention to introduction and first part of dialogue.

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16 of situation.

n) Self Monitoring Focusing on the conjunction and

preposition.

Studying the functional expression necessary for the test.

o) Delayed Production Paying attention on the meaning

pronunciation and sound.

Using the target language reference materials.

p) Self – Evaluation Studying the first language as a base for understanding and/ or producing the second language.

Reordering or reclassifying, and

perhaps labeling, the material to be learned based on common attributes. Writing down the main idea, important points, the outline, or summary of information presented orally or in writing.

Table 2.2. Cognitive Strategy No

a) Repetition consciously applying rules to produce

or understand the second language

b) Resourcing practicing and studying the simulation

test for several times

using the several TOEIC books, such as Longman and Cambridge of the question and the setting.

d) Grouping Focusing on the choice of answer

before answering.

Focusing to listen the whole

conversation.

e) Note taking Paying attention to introduction and

first part of dialogue.

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the point of the question.

Studying the grammatical and context of situation.

f) Deduction Focusing on the conjunction and

preposition.

Studying the functional expression necessary for the test.

g) Imagery Paying attention on the meaning

pronunciation and sound.

Using the target language reference materials.

h) Auditory

Representation

Studying the first language as a base for understanding and/ or producing the second language.

Reordering or reclassifying, and

perhaps labeling, the material to be learned based on common attributes. Writing down the main idea, important points, the outline, or summary of information presented orally or in writing.

i) key word Consciously applying rules to produce

or understand the second language.

j) Contextualization Practicing and studying the simulation test for several times.

Checking his answer for several times.

k) Elaboration Using the several TOEIC books, such

as Longman and Cambridge.

l) Transfer Guessing the meaning of the source

language to the target language based on context.

Finding the meaning of the text.

m) Recombination He writes new vocabularies and

expression during study.

Study the grammatical rules of English as the basic to understand sentences and text.

n) Inferencing Applying the functional expression.

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meaning in context.

Table 2.3. Socio - affective Strategy No

p) Cooperative relating new information to order

concepts in memory

using previously acquired linguistic and / or conceptual knowledge to facilitate a new language learning task

q) Question of

clarification

it is using available information to guess meanings of new items, predict outcomes, or fill in missing the question guessing the meaning of any important word to answer the questions

consulting the work to the professional mentor to check the mistake

consulting the right answer to the mentor

asking the final solution to the professional mentor

e. The Reason for the Respondent to use the strategy

Based on the analysis, the students choose the three strategy to

achieve high score of TOEIC in order to activate their linguistic knowledge

of the target language (English) previously learned or acquired rather than

recourse to the structure of their mother tongue. It occurs because they have

already got a considerable knowledge of the target language. In other words,

we can say that they attempted to build up hypothesis about the target

language (English) from the limited knowledge or experience of it in the

classroom.

2. Discussion

The findings of this research show that the three respondents taken

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apply three different learning strategy which are metacognitive, cognitive,

and socio affective to achieve the higher score of TOEIC. The strategy is

taken based on the theory of O’Malley learning strategy. This research

belongs to qualitative research which describes the type of the learning

strategy used by the students of Economy faculty of Muhammadiyah

University.

D. Conclusion

Based on the analysis of the data findings, the writer concludes that the

respondents taken from the students of Economy faculty of Muhammadiyah

University apply almost all of those strategies proposed by O’Malley and

Chamot; metacognitive strategy, cognitive strategy and socio-affective

strategy to improve their English skill for achieving high score of TOEIC test.

Although they use the same learning strategies, they have different in the

action and concentration on the use of the strategies especially the strategies

for preparing the listening comprehension section of the test.

The respondents use eight metacognitive strategies, namely advance

organizer, directed attention, selective attention, self management, functional

planning, self monitoring, delayed production, and self evaluation. Besides,

they use fourteen cognitive strategies; repetition, resourcing, imagery,

elaboration, translation, grouping, deduction, note-taking, recombination,

auditory representation, key word, contextualization, elaboration, transfer, and

inferencing. And two socio-affective strategies which are cooperation and

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