Muhammad Affan Ridho is English Teacher at Jalaluddin Ar-Rumi Islamic Boarding School. He  master candidate of English Education at Universitas Negeri Jember. His academic interest includes curriculum design, global Englishes policy  and teacher professional development. Email: affanridho31@gmail.com

 

Introduction

Nowadays, English is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, with billions of individuals speaking it in a variety of countries. This is the primary reason why English has become one of the languages required in schools or institutions. English proficiency is required, because it is a global language spoken by many people around the world (Andriyani:2015). English is taught as a foreign language in Indonesia, from elementary school to college.  In fact, article 33, paragraph 3, of Law Number 20 of 2003 states: "Foreign languages can be used as the language of instruction in certain educational units to support students' foreign language skills”.

As a result, as an international language, English plays a vital role for many people. Learning English is very important for students because mastery of the language means that they can use it orally and in writing. It also establishes English as a primary requirement for global communication.

Learning English involves four fundamental skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In contexts where English is taught as a foreign language, students often lack opportunities to practice these skills outside the classroom (Khajloo, 2013). Because of the broad and complex nature of English, which encompasses all four skills, it can be challenging for students to master the language within the limited time and resources of a typical classroom setting. Additionally, the curriculum undergoes frequent changes by the government, leaving teachers unsure about how best to implement their teaching methods. For students, English often feels unfamiliar and challenging, especially when it comes to pronunciation, sentence structure, and text composition. They may struggle with retaining English vocabulary due to its lack of familiarity, making this a significant issue that needs to be addressed.

Teachers use various methods to enhance students' speaking skills, with English vocabulary memorization being one effective approach. This method emphasizes students’ active participation, helping them become more comfortable and fluent in constructing sentences in English. In addition, teachers can foster an English-speaking environment to encourage students to make speaking English a habit. This immersive approach allows students to practice English both inside and outside the classroom, reinforcing the idea that fluency in speaking comes with consistent practice. These are key principles of the vocabulary memorization approach in teaching and developing speaking skills.
 

Lesson plan

Stage 1

At the beginning of a student's admission to a foreign language development institute, I encourage them to memorize five English vocabulary words and their pronunciation using a John M. Echols and Hassan Shadily dictionary written on a small whiteboard, which they then copy into a small book to memorize wherever they go around College.

Stage 2

In this phase, I ask students to add vocabulary and integrate words from the vocabulary they have memorized. After a student feels confident, they successfully submit the vocabulary list along with examples of long sentences, I putmy signature as a symbol of completion and appreciation that she has completed her obligation to submit vocabulary.

Stage 3 

In the final phase, I ask them to explain things in formal English, beginning with person, thing, and place, with the goal of assessing the extent to which they show up and implement the results of memorizing vocabulary for one week, as well as how they arrange words using good grammar and its work on progress, finally they can speak English fluently and feel confident. 

 

Reflection

In teaching a foreign language, we have to start by memorizing vocabulary and practicing it for twenty-four hours, either in a dormitory or an Islamic boarding school environment. Give them a chance to show up their ability event only speak in simple word. Vocabulary and dictionary are essential tools for developing their speaking, also the environment is a very supportive tool for developing a foreign language. I hope by this writing inspire English teacher to teach English as foreign language. On multiple times, I attempted to create learning videos and testimonial from students whom I taught in non-formal institutions at Jalaluddin Ar-Rumi Islamic boarding schools.

Here is a link where my students dare to speak English in front of their friend

https://youtu.be/uwJWNL_5NAA?si=AXf3q3ljvfnsRL3y

 

References

Hendra Heriansyah, Speaking Problems Faced by The English Department Students of Syiah Kuala University, journal, lingua didaktika, no. 1 (December 2012): 37.

Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia nomor 20 tahun 2003 tetang sistem pendidikan Nasional.

Thornbury,S. How to Teach Speaking, (Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Longman, 2005), 1.

Romaine 1991 in Hamzaa Alshenqeeti and Naif Alsaedi, Is Multilingualism A Problem? The effect of multilingualism at the societal level, an Article, Ta‟ibah University, ARECLS, Vol 9 (2012): 63.

Please check the Pilgrims f2f courses at Pilgrims website.