Techniques in teaching English

1.   Mind Mapping

The Nature of Mind Mapping Technique

a.   Definition of Mind Mapping Technique

According to Safdar (2009) mind mapping is a wonderful tool for managing vocabulary, organizing your writing and working with your tutor. Next, Anton (2008) states that mind mapping is a method that learn a concept based on the way of the brain work in saving information. Moreover, Wikipedia (2009) says that mind mapping is a diagram used to present words, ideas, task or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea.

Based on some experts’ opinion above, it can be concluded that mind mapping techniques is a wonderful tool for managing vocabulary and learn a concept based on the way of the brain work in order to attract students’ attention, as a result, they will be more active in classroom.

In addition Harmer (2003: 235) mentions that mind mapping is an extremely engaging way of building up vocabulary knowledge as well as provoking students into retrieving and using what they know. Next, Ruiz (2009:1) says that mind mapping is a great tool for organizing and learning vocabulary, it can be drawn and created by own interest. It can be concluded that mind mapping is a great tool to involve students in classroom activity because the students can draw and create what they know by using their own interest.

b.  The Techniques of Mind Mapping

According to Edward (2009:65-71) in applying mind mapping, there are several steps that can be followed:

1.     Prepare a paper (folio or quarto size) and color pencil (minimal 3 colors, but many variations will be more attractive)

2.    Choose the position of the paper in landscape position, in order the paper will be more length.

3.    Ask the students to determine the center of mind (put it in the middle). It will be better if the center of mind is an interesting picture. The center of mind usually takes from the title of the topic or the main theme of that topic. The principle, the center of mind is a word (not a sentence) which represents the content of all the materials (common view) which is made by mind mapping.

4.    From that center of mind, ask the students to determine and make the main branch (Basic Ordering Ideas).

Basic Ordering Ideas (BOI) is the main branch of Mind Map which collects the information in one theme. BOI is usually the part of a topic learned by the students. In making a branch, it is good to use organic line.

Next, Tarerasi (2007: 20-21) mentions that there are some steps in applying Mind Mapping:

1.       Write down the main idea in the center of the paper and range it by using circle, square, triangle, etc, or based on the students’ interest.

2.      Add a branch which is out from the center for every main idea. The total of the branch will be variety according to the total of its part. Use the different color for every branch.

3.      Write down the key word for every branch which is developed for detail. The key word is a word which represents the main idea and someone’s memory.

4.      Add symbols and illustration to get the good memory.

In applying Mind Mapping technique in classroom, the researcher try to combine two theories above in order the technique can be applied effectively. The steps are:

1.     Giving the students a piece of paper with a picture (relate to the topic) in the center of the paper and three color pencils

2.    Determining the center of mind

-          Ask the students to think about the picture and write down the title of the topic based on the picture

-          Ask the students to guess the topic based on the picture which is seen

-          Give the students some questions to guide them to find the title of the topic

3.    Asking the students to determine and make the main branch (organic line) as a bridge of thought

-          Ask the students to use branch to link their idea from the picture

4.    Asking the students to add symbol or picture

-          Ask the students to draw the picture by using their imagination and based on their interest

-          Ask the students to use color pencil and write the keyword below their picture

5.    Giving freedom to the students to express their idea and use their own interest to do the task

Based on the two experts above, it can be concluded that Mind Mapping is easy to be applied. It just needs paper, color, and students’ creativity in adding picture to make it easy to be memorized and graphic which helps students’ visual memories and create any activity for the students in the classroom.

c.   The Advantages of Mind Mapping Technique

Mind mapping not only use just to be easy to save information into the brain, but also there are several advantages of mind mapping technique.

According to Fulford (2009) mind mapping will help:

1)    Generate the ideas

Mind mapping allows to starts quickly and generates more ideas in less time

2)   Make new connection

Mind mapping allows representing a tremendous amount of information in a relatively small space and mind mapping helps to see connections among things that may have seemed completely separate.

3)   Improve your memory

Mind mapping helps to remember material becomes much easier because it uses colors, images and key words.

4)   Use your whole brain

Mind mapping helps the strong analytical left brain by training to look for the most essential key words. Mind mapping also stimulates the right brain by encouraging using colors and images.

Next, Sylvia (2009:1) states that the advantages of mind mapping are it gives you a clearer idea of your thoughts, help you to set priorities, help you to stay focused on your goal and increase your learning capacity. In addition Herdian (2009) adds that mind mapping has several advantages; plan, communicative, creative, save the time, solve the problem, concentration, arranging and explaining thinking, better in memorize, fastest and efficient in learning. It can be concluded that mind mapping is the best technique that can be used to improve students’ activity because with mind mapping, the students can use their knowledge and their creativity to create it and also it is best technique to focus on the learning goal.

2. Mnemonics

The Nature of Mnemonics

a.   Definition of Mnemonics

Mnemonics technique is called the keyword technique. This involves devising an image that typically connects the pronunciation of the second language word with the meaning of a first language word. According to Likoff (1990:166) mnemonics is an effective technique to make an extra effort to remember the word. In this technique the learners create an unusual association between the word form and its meaning. Next, Thornbury (200:25) states that mnemonics is a trick to help retrieve items or rules that are stored in memory and that are not yet automatically retrievable.

In addition, Atkinson in Pillai (2009:2) mentions that mnemonics technique is one cognitive strategy that has proved to be effective in the memorization of vocabulary in which students connect the sound of a word they are learning to one they already know in either their first language or the target language.

From some definitions above, it can be concluded that mnemonics is a powerful tool for learning foreign vocabulary because there is strategy to help the students to connect the sound of a word they are learning to one they already know in either their first language or the target language.

b.  Principles of Using Mnemonics Technique

According to Sharon Juden et.al (2009:2) there are three fundamental principles underlying the use of mnemonics they are:

1.     Imagination: is used to create and strengthen the associations needed to create effective mnemonics. Imagination is used to create mnemonics that are potent for the learner. The more strongly imagine and visualize a situation, the more effectively it will stick in mind for later recall.

2.    Association: this is the method by which link a thing to be remembered to a way of remembering it.

3.    Location: gives two things: a coherent context into which can place information so that it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another.

Moreover, Readbud (2009:1) says that in mnemonics there are three principles as follows:

1.     Association

Association is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a method of remembering it.

2.    Imagination

Imagination in memory is used to create the links and associations needed to create effective memory techniques; imagination is the way in which you use your mind to create the links that have the most meaning for you.

3.    Location

Location provides you with two things: a coherent context, this means that you have a context into which information can be placed so that it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another.

From these principles, it can be seen that students’ vocabulary mastery can be improved by using Mnemonics technique that consist of association, imagination and location. These principles can be applied in the foreign language classroom.

c.   The Applications of Mnemonics Technique in Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners

According to Likoff (1990:166) in applying mnemonics technique there are several steps that can be followed:

1)    The learner thinks of a mother tongue word that similar with vocabulary given by the teacher.

2)   The learner imagines the vocabulary given by the teacher before and link it with the word attach it.

3)   The learner tries to link association between the vocabularies with its attached.

In addition, Klapp (2008:2) says that in applying mnemonics technique in the classroom the teacher can consider several steps bellow: First, the learner is given a keyword that acoustically similar to and that can be visualized as interacting with the item to be remembered. It means that, in learning vocabulary by using mnemonic technique, the students will be given a keyword that have the similar sound as the word that will be learned.

Second, the learner would form the visual image of the keyword and the target word interacting in some way. In this stage, the learners can correlate the visual image of the keyword with the target of the word learned by the learner.

The last, the learner might visualize the visual image have made before. The learner tried to imagine or visualize the combination of the keyword and the target word have made before.

In applying Mnemonics technique in classroom, the researcher try to combine two theories above in order the technique can be applied effectively. The steps are:

a)    The teacher will show the picture that related with the topic that will be taught. For example the teacher will teach about clothes. The teacher will show the picture that related with the topic like tie.

b)   The teacher will give the example about the keyword that can be visualized as interacting with the item to be remembered. In this case the teacher will show the picture of Patai as a keyword of tie.

c)    The teacher will ask the students to imagine that Patai becomes tie.

d)   The teacher will glue the picture in front of the class and ask the students to spell the letter of tie.

e)    The teacher will invite the students to write the spelling of word in front of the class.

f)    The teacher will ask the students to pronounce the word first and then she will correct it if they wrong in pronouncing it.

g)    The teacher will combine the word into the other word. For example tie becomes long tie/nice tie

Based on the two experts above, it can be concluded that Mnemonics technique is easy to be applied. It just needs some pictures that related with the topics that will be taught and linked it with the mother tongue word which have the similar sound.

d.  The Advantages of Mnemonics Technique

Mnemonics technique not only has important implications for teaching and learning, but also there are several advantages of mnemonics technique.

According to Pressley et al. in Likoff (1990:168) mnemonics can help:

1.     The keyword technique helps the learning of foreign vocabulary and is superior to other techniques, such as rote repetition, placing vocabulary in a meaningful sentence, and using pictures or synonyms.

2.    The use of the keyword technique is not restricted to concrete nouns but can be used with verbs, abstract nouns, and adjectives.

3.    The use of the keyword technique is not restricted to adults. It can be used with children as young as three years if they are helped a lot in using the technique

4.    It is still not clear if it is best for the teacher to provide the keywords or for learners to make their own

5.    The keyword technique does not slow down recall of the meaning of foreign words

6.    Very little experimentation has been done on the effect of the keyword technique on pronunciation and spelling. No negative effects have yet been found

7.    Most experiments with the keyword technique have looked at receptive vocabulary learning (being able to recall the meaning when the foreign word is supplied)

8.    One difficulty with the keyword technique is that it is often difficult to think of keywords that sound like the foreign word.

In addition Pillai (2009:6) states that mnemonics technique has several advantages; students are active participants in the learning process. It is proven apart from boosting their long term memory in learning and remembering vocabulary. Mnemonics technique also motivates students to be more creative and enjoy using their minds more productively. It can be concluded that mnemonics technique is the best technique that can be used to improve students’ vocabulary mastery because with mnemonics technique the students can use their imagination and their creativity to create it and also it is best technique to make students more active in learning English in the classroom.

3. Jigsaw Puzzle

a.   Definition

Jigsaw technique can be defined as: According to Gomleksiz (2007: 1) Jigsaw is cooperative learning model that involves small groups of 5-6 students teaching each other subject matter with success dependent upon student cooperation.

Slavin (2008: 4) also states that the jigsaw technique is a great technique to allow students to spend time analyzing one data set in depth and learn about others in less depth from a peer.

Meanwhile, Tewksbury (2010: 1) defined:

The jigsaw technique is a simple, well-structured cooperative learning structure that emphasizes both individual accountability and achievement of group goals, both of which are critical for improved student learning in cooperative. Students are divided into teams of 3-4 and look at a particular group of thin sections or samples. Once each team is done with its study, mixed groups form, and team members share what they have learned about their samples/sections. Groups then consider the implications of similarities and/or differences.

Based on the definition above, it can be concluded that jigsaw technique is a cooperative learning that involves small groups of 3-6 students teaching in analyzing one data set in depth and learn about others in less depth from a peer that emphasizes. It is both individual and achievement of group goals.

b.  Advantages of Jigsaw Technique

There are some advantages of jigsaw technique, Moras (2001: 7) states working in groups help fostering learning independence, and especially in vocabulary work, learners can exchange knowledge, asking others to explain unknown items. Brown (1994: 106) also adds group and pairs activities are excellent techniques as long as they are structured and very clearly defined with specific objectives.

Meanwhile Tewksbury (2008: 4), states the benefits of the Jigsaw Technique are: First, Students have the opportunity to teach themselves, instead of having material presented to them. The technique fosters depth of understanding. Second, each student has practice in self-teaching, which is the most valuable of all the skills we can help them learn. Third, students have practice in peer teaching, which requires that they understand the material at a deeper level than students typically do when simply asked to produce on an exam. Fourth, students “talk geology” and become more fluent in use of geological terminology. Fifth, each student has a chance to contribute meaningfully to a discussion, something that is difficult to achieve in large-group discussion. Each student develops an expertise and has something important to contribute. The last, asking each group to discuss a follow-up question after individual presentations fosters real discussion.

Based on experts’ opinion above, it can be concluded that jigsaw technique can make students learn and discuss in group works well together as a team. Students also can practice in peer teaching which requires that they understand the material at a deeper level, especially in vocabulary work.

c.   Jigsaw Puzzle Activity  in Teaching Vocabulary

The activities that can be done in classroom by using jigsaw technique are: According to Wena (2009: 193), there are eight common application of jigsaw model in classroom. They are: First, students are divided into some groups. Second, each member includes 5-6 students. They have different characteristics such as capability, sex, culture etc. Third, each group is given a part of topic. Fourth, in each group there is a member to form new group to discuss each topic that they are expert. Fifth, a member in new group is return to at the beginning group to explain what the part of topic that have they got in new group. Sixth, in teaching process, teachers have a role as facilitator and motivator. Seventh, every week or twice, the teacher does evaluation individual or group. At the last, for the students who get perfect are gave prize by teacher. 

Besides Tewksbury (2010: 1) defined:

In a jigsaw the class is divided into several teams, with each team preparing separate but related assignments. When all team members are prepared, the class is re-divided into mixed groups, with one member from each team in each group. Each person in the group teaches the rest of the group what he or she knows, and the group then tackles an assignment together that pulls all of the pieces together to form the full picture, hence the name picture.

Meanwhile Marcus (2009: 1) states that:

Jigsaw lessons are cooperative lessons in which each student is a member of two distinct groups; a base group and a work group. Students start the lesson in base groups, which are assigned a project with several distinct tasks. Each student then chooses, or is assigned, a task, and moves to a distinct work group where s/he studies and tries to master the task. Students then return to their base groups and, in turn, teach all of the other base group members what they have learned. At the end of the jigsaw lesson, each student in each base group has had the opportunity to learn each of the parts of the complete project.

This strategy will be adopted by the teacher in doing the action research at the class.

Moreover, Tewksbury (2010: 3) states that in jigsaw technique, students are also invited to make a complete picture. The name is jigsaw puzzle. Based on Mraz (2011: 1) Jigsaw puzzle is a puzzle that requires the assembly of numerous small pieces, and each piece has a small part of a picture on it. When all pieces are complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture

Based on the theories above, the researcher tried to combine it in applying the technique in the classroom and it based on the students needed. The steps are:

 (1) The teacher asked students to make four groups based on the mix characteristics.  One group consists of students with capability high, average and low.

 (2) The teacher distributed four envelops and four color papers to each group. The envelope is included some picture puzzles.

(3) The teacher asked students who got same color picture to make new group.

(4) The teacher asked each member of new group to open their envelope.

(5) The teacher asked each member of new group complete the picture puzzles to make  full picture and stick on to his/ her color paper

(6) The teacher also asked each member of new group to arrange the words puzzles to make a complete name of the picture and ask them to write down it on the color paper under the picture

(7) The teacher asked each new group to discuss together about how to pronounce the word and how to use it in the sentence.

(8) The teacher asked each member of new group returned to their first group. While bringing their color papers.

(9) The teacher asked them to explain their picture to his/ her others member group one by one. They showed the picture while mentioning the name and use it in the sentence.

(10) After all of members performed to their first group member. The teacher gave an envelope and a color paper to each first group.

(11)  The first group was asked to arrange the pictures puzzle and wrote the name based on the picture on a large paper. These activities are contested for each group. The group that arranged the picture puzzles, wrote well and more fast was the winner