CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS, FINDING AND DISCUSSION
C. Discussion
From the present findings on the use of grammar learning strategies by the English department students of University of Bengkulu, it shows that the students more dominantly use the implicit grammar learning strategies which focused on forms among the three groups of grammar learning strategies.
This finding is similar to the research finding of Pawlak (2009) who investigated the grammar learning strategies of 142 English department
students of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland which shows that the highest frequency use of grammar learning strategies are the implicit learning strategies with focused on forms. From this, it can be inferred that the students do aware that the forms of grammar are needed to be learnt. They have an element of attention or noticing (low-awareness) on the function of forms in learning a language grammar. They never totally leave language grammar behind eventhough they have a great desire to master the English language in term of the communication function or the speaking.
Likewise, it can also be inferred that the English department students of University of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland have similar strategies with the students of the English department of University of Bengkulu in learning English grammar. This could be caused by the similar condition of English in Polandia and Indonesia that is as a foreign language.
In the implicit grammar learning strategies which focused on forms, there are two equal sub-strategies that dominantly used by the students, namely; noticing error and correction of erroneous and paying attention to how more proficient people say things and imitating. This finding indicates that the students have willingness to learn English grammar and want to have fluent English. When there is an error on the uses of the grammar either in writing or speaking, they search for the correct one through asking their classmates or the lecturers and checking their grammar books. Likewise, the students are also eager to learn English from the more proficient people than themselves which are available in their environment as the sources from whom they can learn the language grammar. They are their lecturers,
classmates, senior friends and their parents or sisters who are also English teachers whom they meet at campus or at home. The other proficient people are the native speakers which they can see on English television shows and films. This is because the students have very limited sources to learn English, as English is not used in communication on a daily basis. It is not the medium of instruction in schools in Indonesia either. It is just taught as a subject matter or compulsory subject beginning from secondary school to the first year of University level with limited time allotment (Priyono, 2004).
From the other perspective, the dominantly use of the sub-strategy of paying attention to how more proficient people say thing and imitating as mentioned above indicate that there is the eagerness of the students to have good speaking skill. This could probably be seen as the impact of the implementation of communicative language teaching in the last thirty years of teaching English in Indonesia. The English learners are focus more on speaking or communication. The communicative language teaching with its communicative approach may have been misinterpreted by many practitioners, for instance, the English teachers who are the front liner of the teaching and learning process of English language. They may have inherited the strong version of the communicative language teaching which eschews the focus on form or in support of communicative features (Littlewood in Nunan, 2004); Howard in Chung, 2005). In fact, the communicative approach in its theories is never ignored the important of language grammar especially in written communication because grammatical competence is a part of the four competences in language learning as mentioned by Savignon (2002) that
“communicative competence consisting of grammatical competence, discourse competence, socio-cultural competence and strategic competence”.
Meanwhile, in the explicit-deductive grammar learning strategies, the dominant sub-strategy used by the students is using and collecting English grammar books, dictionaries and exam preparation books. This can be seen as the indication that they aware of the limited sources of learning English so they utilize what available in their environment such as English grammar books, dictionaries and exam preparation books. This in line to Alip (2004) who states that “When Indonesians need guides for grammar and vocabulary, they always refer to grammar books and dictionaries published for standard English, both American and British and so are bilingual Indonesian-English dictionaries”. Moreover, it can be seen as the indication that the students think in a more practical way. They are conscious that at the end of their study they will need to take English proficiency test (TOEFL test) which is the standard of measurement for judging that someone has good English especially in academic society. They collect English grammar books, dictionaries and exam preparation book as the tools to achieve their need and satisfy their practical thinking.
In further, in the explicit-deductive grammar learning strategies, the dominant sub-strategy is trying to work out the patterns and rules of the English language. This can be an indication that the students have grammar consciousness and they apply the grammar knowledge they have known either in speaking or writing especially ones that related to English tenses. In addition, they even stick the rules and the pattern on their room walls in order
to learn the grammar. However the sub-strategy is preferably used by the students, in fact there is a quite interesting finding in this explicit-deductive grammar learning strategies that is there is a sub-strategy which is very rarely used by the students. It is the sub-strategy of “analyzing forms and meaning &
setting goals of learning English grammar”. This indicate that the student don’t like to analyze the sentence forms and meanings they found in their reading. If they do reading, they do not do it for learning grammar intentionally.
The discussion above is based on the findings from the questionnaire.
The data from the interview reveals the students strategies in learning English grammar in relation to ‘the aspect of English grammar that are similar to and different from the students’ L1’ and ‘grammatical structure that cause problem with meaning and communication’ are almost similar. The students’
strategies are studying English grammar books, memorizing the grammar pattern, doing the exercises in the grammar book, asking for friends and listening to the lecturer’s explanation in the classroom.
These findings from interview is in line with some parts of the theories of language learning strategies of Rubin, O’Malley and Chamot in Radjab (2002) and cognitive and social strategies of Oxford (1990). The theories of Rubin found used by the students are deductive reasoning, practice and create opportunity for practices. These are also there in O’Malley and Chamot in Radjab (2002) with different terms; organizing, deducing, cooperation and questioning for clarification. In addition, the findings also confirm the theories of language learning strategies of Oxford (1990), especially the cognitive
strategies such as repeating, formally practicing with writing system, reasoning deductively, analyzing contrastively, taking notes, summarizing;
and the social strategies such as asking question and cooperation with others.
The similarities found is making sense since the strategies in learning English grammar is basically extracted from the strategies of learning English language in general which was done by Oxford, Rang Lee and Park (2007).
Furthermore, from the interview data, it is also found that the students were not utilizing internet technology in learning English grammar yet. They used the internet technology only whenever there were tasks or assignments given by the lecturers of other courses that should be found in internet by hitting ‘google’. They also do not know the website to learn English grammar which provides online exercises which will give great benefit for the improvement of their English grammar. In fact, there are many websites that can be visited by the students to learn English grammar online as mention by Lee (2006) as the following; http://www.grammarstation.com, http://www.
hkedcity.net/english/,http://www.learnenglish.org.uk, http://easyenglish.com, http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/eslcafe.html,http://www.englishpage.com, http://ec.hku.hk/vec/brush/index.htm, http://www.learn4good.com/languages/
evrd_grammar/adjectives_prepos.htm
Last but not least, from the observation data, it can also be inferred that;
firstly, the students who were actively asking questions or involve in rule discovery discussion in the classroom are not many and they are usually the same students. This condition could also be as the indication of the students’
lack of confident in using the language because they are afraid of making
mistakes and embarrassing themselves. Secondly, the students have less motivation to learn English in the classroom. It can be seen from the condition found that the students only bring the course grammar book to the classroom.
The book is the one that are obliged by the teacher to bring, the “Cliff TOEFL Preparation Guide”, there is no other grammar books which they have as they mentioned in interview. These facts may also indicate that they more prefer to learn English grammar by themselves at home or from another people such as senior students or other people they consider to have better English grammar.