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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Teaching

According to Brown ( 2000 : 7 ) in his book “Principle of Language

learning and Teaching “,“ Teaching is showing or helping someone to learn

how to do something, giving instructions, guiding in the study of something,

providing with knowledge, causing to know or understand”. From the

definition above, it can be concluded that teaching is an activity done by

someone else to give new knowledge or to help the learner learning

something with facilitating them in learning process.

Meanwhile, a person teaching students in formal education is a

teacher. A good teacher should have ability to control the class through

appropriate ways, because he will face some problems in teaching and

learning activity. Moreover the teacher should have a good relationship with

the students, because if the teacher has good relationship with his students

he will be able to control the condition the class and doing teaching activity

well.

B. Learning.

Teaching cannot be separated from learning because they are one

activity related one each other where the successful teaching depends on the

successful learning activity. Jerome Brumer states that “ Learning is most

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often figuring out how to use what you already know in order to go beyond

what you currently think (1983a:183).

Meanwhile, in his book “Principle of Language Learning and

Teaching “, Douglas Brown states,

1. learning is acquisition or “ getting “

2. Learning is retention of information or skill

3. Learning involves active, conscious focus on and acting upon

event outside or inside the organism.

4. Learning involves some form of practice, perhaps reinforced

practice

5. Learning is a change in behavior

Meanwhile, learner is a person who learns to get information,

knowledge or skill. A learner should have high motivation and big

enthusiasm in his learning process to get the information, knowledge or

skill. Moreover learner should have the facilities toward subject.

From the definition above, it can be concluded that learning is an

activity done by the learner to get information or skill with practice or

guided through teaching activity in the classroom. In learning process, the

learners must have high motivation and good attitude toward their subject

learned.
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C. Teaching English to Young Learner

In his book “English For Yuung Learners”, Kasihani K,E. Suyanto

states that the young learners are students of elementary school between six

until twelve years old. They can be divided into two groups, they are

Younger Group (students between six until eight years old) and Older Group

(students between nine until twelve years old). From the levels of classes

they can be divided into two classes, they are called Lower Classes, they are

students grades 1, 2, and 3 and Upper Classes, they are students grades 4, 5,

and 6.

By learning language earlier, student will get more time to learn

English. In their book “Teaching English to Children”, Christopher Brumfit

and friends state that young children have more opportunities than adults.

They are learning all the time without having the worries and responsibilities

of adult; their parents, friends and teachers all help them in learning. In the

same book, Brumfit and friends also give some reasons for better learning in

children, they are

a. That the brain is more adaptable before puberty than after, and

that acquisition of languages is possible without self-

consciousness at an early age.

b. That the children have fewer negative attitudes to foreign

languages and cultures than adults and that consequently they are

better motivated than adults.

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c. That children’s language learning is more closely integrated with

real communication because it depends more on the immediate

phsycal environment than does adult language.

d. That children devote vast quantities of time to language learning,

compared with adults, and they are better because they do more

of it.

Teacher should have some good techniques to teach them and make

them fun and comfortable in learning activity in the class. Teacher also must

know the situation in the class when teach them to make them still have high

motivation to learn the lesson. Moreover, the characteristics of the student

must be known the teacher to create a good teaching.

In their book “ Teaching English to children “ Scott and Ytreberg (1990:3)

states that the characteristic of the young learner eight to ten years old are

1. Their basic concepts are formed. They have very decided views of the

world. They have to get a good teaching in the class, because their

characteristics are formed in early age so what the first think they get

will be remembered very well, moreover sometimes they more believe

to their teacher than their parents

2. They can tell the differences between fact and fiction. They can differ

what the teacher tell is fact or fiction. Teacher should teach the student

about fact or something that they done daily and avoid fiction story to

make them still have enthusiasm in learning

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3. They ask question all the time. Students like to hear a new think in his

activity. They will always ask to their teacher about a new think that

they learn or about the condition of the teacher in the class. In this

case, a teacher should be patient to answer the question correctly and

wears a good clothes to avoid questions that are unimportant and not

have relation with the lesson that they learn

4. They rely on the spoken word as well as the physical world to convey

and understand meaning. They will understand better in what

the teacher say or what the teacher instruct than what the teacher write

in backboard. The teacher have to explain his material as clear as he

can to make the students understand than only giving them a duty in

the class

5. They are able to make some decisions about their own learning. The

students will do everything they like or want in the class. Moreover

they will not have a good attention to their teacher in learning process,

so teacher need to have an interesting lesson to make them still focus

in what they have to learn with high enthusiasm an enjoy the lesson.

6. They have definite views about what they like and do not like doing.

Students will do anything that they like and in other hand they will not

do something that they hate. Teacher should able to make them like

the lesson and the result they will learn well naturally.
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7. They have a developed sense of fairness about what happens in the

classroom and begin to question the teacher’s decision. Students have

understanding in what their teacher teach or say in learning process.

Teacher should give explanation clearly to make them understand and

give them a chance to ask if they do not understand clearly.

8. They are able to work with others and learn from others. Children like

playing something with their friends. It also happens in learning

activity. They will feel comfort to learn with their friends in classroom

teacher sometimes must make a group of them to learn the lesson,

because it makes them enjoyable and keep good relationship among

them.

Meanwhile, in their book “Teaching English to Children” Christopher

Brumfit and friends give some characteristics of young learners, they are

a. Young learners are only just beginning their schooling, so that teachers

have a major opportunity to mould their expectations of life in school.

b. As a group they are potentially more differentiated than secondary or

adult learners, for they are closer to their varied home cultures, and

new to the conformity increasingly imposed across cultural groupings

by the school

c. They tend to be keen and enthusiastic learners, without the inhibitions

which older children sometimes bring to their schooling.

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d. Their learning can be closely linked their development of ideas and

concepts, because it is so close to their initial experience of formal

schooling.

e. They need physical movement and activity as much as stimulation for

their thinking, and the closer together these can be, the better.

Teaching to young learner is not easy job. Mastering the material that will

be taught to young learner is not the only important things to teach them. Teacher

need to have some ability to teach young learner. Although the teacher has

competence in his subject, but if he cannot transfer his knowledge to the students,

the result is what he teach to his students is meaningless, because they cannot

learn well in teaching and learning activity.

D. Factors Affecting Learning Language Process

There are some factors in learning English for young learners,

Kasihani K.E. Suyanto in his book English For Young Learners gives five

factors affecting language process to young learner, they are

1. Mother Tongue

Instinct, characteristics, and skills formed in learning mother tongue

or first language are helping the children in learning new language, in this

case English. There are similarities between pattern of learning mother

tongue and foreign language, but it has some differences, especially in

spelling, pronunciation such as stress and intonation, structure, and

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vocabulary. The differences can affect learning foreign language process for

children. The first languages often can obstruct learning foreign language.

2. Teaching Material

Choosing teaching material with teaching technique suitable with the

children age and interest will make them fun in learning English. Children

have big attention to something that make them interest such as pets,

football, family, and hobby. In choosing book to the students, teacher should

consider many things.

Teaching material should make the students active in learning. The

aim should be clear and have meaning with clear instruction. Exercise, duty,

and learning activity must involve the students. Word choice and difficulty

level of language order should be arranged from the easiest to more difficult.

3. Social Interaction

Good communication between students and the teacher and among

the students will give safe feeling to the young learners and make them more

confident in learning new language. Social interaction help the children use

the language and make them learning each other.

The relation can be made through games, song, and learning activity

in pairs or groups. Communication with their friends in question and answer

activity can help the students to be brave using the language. Gap between

teacher and students can be decreased through simple and fun activities, so
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the interaction between the students will increase. If there is social

interaction, students are expected not shy to use the new language. First is

by imitating next answering and giving question. Furthermore, they can

deliver a message in English.

4. Learning Media

Learning English for young learners will be more effective if the

teacher use media to support teaching and learning activity, because children

like visual things. Using media formed real things, picture, puppets, and

miniature can make teaching and learning activity more interest and fun.

The teacher can prepare the tools taken from his collection such as

picture, photo, and real things like pen, watch, and bag or picture formed

flash cards.

5. Family Background

Family or social background can support or obstruct the successful

of children in learning English. Dictionary, book, and other facilities, and

support from the parents are factors affecting learning foreign language.

Things in children environment can add their vocabulary such as TV, sofa,

cupboard, student book, dictionary, and reading book bought their parents

will help the students to learn English.