An Analysis on K-13 of Seventh Grade Students

“When English Rings the Bell”

PAPER
Submitted to fulfill the requirements of Principle of Language Teaching
Mid-term & Final Exams

By

Name : Tantri Sundari

NIM : 147 835 098
Class : P2TK

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

POST GRADUATE PROGRAM
STATE UNIVERSITY OF SURABAYA
2014

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 An Analysis on K-13 of Seventh Grade Students

“When English Rings the Bell”

I. Introduction
English has been a mean of communication during nowadays. That is why the
English teaching has been a significant for education. In Indonesia English is
considered as a foreign language. There are two main kinds of motivation in foreign
language learning: as instrumental and integrative (Broughton, Brumfit, Flavell, Hill,
& Pincas, 1980, p. 5). When anyone learns a foreign language instrumentally, he
needs it for operational purposes to be able to read books in the new language, to
be able to communicate with other speakers of that language. When anyone
learns a foreign language for integrative purposes, he is trying to identify
much more closely with a speech community which uses that language variety; he
wants to feel at home in it, he tries to understand the attitudes and the world view of
that community.

English Language Teaching (ELT) textbook plays a very important role

in language classrooms. It has been more crucial when English is learnt as
foreign language like in Indonesia. As a language being learnt beside mother
tongue, English is likely to be learned by Indonesian learners only in the
classroom. Consequently, English textbook will potentially be the only student
access to language in the classroom. Most teachers often use textbook as a
primary resource book for ideas and instructional activities as well as giving
guides for what they do. Garinger (2002) points out, “A textbook can serve
different purposes for teachers: as a core resource, as a source of supplemental
material, as an inspiration for classroom activities, even as the curriculum itself.”. In
brief, as the main teaching materials, English textbook in English as foreign
language (EFL) classes play very important roles to facilitate language acquisition in
classrooms.

An English textbook entitled “Bahasa Inggris: When English Rings the Bell”
is a new English textbook prepared by the Ministry of Education and Culture
of Indonesia (MECI) in line with the implementation of new designed
curriculum, 2013 curriculum. This book is distributed for free to all schools in

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 Indonesia that have already applied 2013 curriculum and also available in the
website of Ministry of Education and Culture for free download. Additionally, all
schools in Indonesia are starting to implement the 2013 curriculum in the new
academic year (2014/2015) so that automatically this book will be used by all
junior high schools in Indonesia. Because of these facts, the use of this English
textbook is automatically widespread. As a new textbook in which the use is
widespread, English teachers need see inside the material on textbook in order to take
more control over its use. McDonough, C., and Masuhara (2013, p. 52) comment,
“No textbook or set of materials is likely to be perfect, and there does not seem as yet
an agreed set of criteria or procedures for evaluation.” Because of the
imperfection of textbook, it is essential to know the nature of the material
explicitly and implicitly for the effectiveness of the use of this book by doing
ananalysis

Douglas Brown (2000, p. 226) says that one major source of error in learning
second language is context of learning. “Context” refers, for example, to the
classroom with its teacher and its materials in the case of school learning or the social
situation in the case of untutored second language learning. Students often make
errors because of a misleading explanation from the teacher, faulty presentation of a
structure or word in textbook, or even because pattern that was rotely memorized in a
drill but improperly contextualized. Stenson (1974, p. 94) introduced the term induced
error for this source of error. One of the induced errors is material induced errors in
which errors made by language learner are caused by inappropriate language usage in
textbook.

The English student book for grade 7 of Junior High School When English
Rings a Bell as one major source of learning is believed to have some weaknesses.
This paper will further examine and analyze the weaknesses of the book as the source
of students‟ errors in learning English as the second language.

II. Discussion
The textbook grade 7th of Junior High School When English Rings a Bell is
subdivided into eight chapters, each normally covering a standardized number of
pages within the learner's durable materials and each intended to provide

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sufficient classroom work for standardized amounts of time. Each chapter has each
theme. Hence, the subdivision of the learner‟s materials is subdivided with a clear
section/chapter based on themes and standardized amount of time for classroom work.
Every subsection in the chapter is specified by the topics and followed by the activity
which is different in each chapter based on the theme of the chapter. In the last part of
the chapter, the subsection named “I know now” contains the summary of the
material/what have learners learn and this is same for all chapters. At the end of
each chapter, all chapters contain the project task or games. As claimed by
McDonough et al. (2013, p. 217) that project work which entails integrated skills
can provide a relevant way of giving learners an effective place in which to develop
their integrated skills. To sum up, the project works or games at the end of subsection
will help learners to develop their integrated skills. The topics are based on the
theme of the chapter so that this creates storylines with the materials. The
activities are ended with the review of what learners have learnt and project/games
about the material. This provides learners the opportunities for revision. Learners can
look back at the subsection of “I know now” if they forgot what they have learnt in a
chapter. As (McGrath, 2002) point out that one of benefits of textbook is to provide
learners the opportunities for revision. Consequently, the review of what learners have
learnt can provide continuity. Moreover, on each chapter, the material provided the
syllabus/objectives. A syllabus also provides continuity. In brief, there are a lot of
components in this textbook that provide continuity of learning.
The book is designed for Indonesian students. It contains what Indonesian
students would normally find in their life. There are no „out of context‟ material in the
book. Everything is very Indonesian. The pictures and contents strongly represent the
culture of Indonesia. Having said this, it would be much better if the students are
given a chance to know how students in other countries are living, so they will
understand about the culture of other country. Most of the topic and context are
provided in Indonesian culture. There is almost no process of acquiring culture of the
second language. This would bring bad impact to the learners since the learning
second language implies some degree of learning a second culture. It is important to
understand the process of culture learning (Douglas Brown, 2000, p. 182). The
purpose of learning English is that our students can communicate with the target
language. They also have to adjust the used of language through it function. But it
seem difficult since there is not such a thing like adapting the culture of the target

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language. Carter (1997, p. 12) claim that language always relates to specific texts and
contexts and usually to a context determined by social and sociocultural factors.
Robinson-Stuart and Nocon (1996, p. 434) synthesized some of the perspectives on
culture learning that we have seen in recent decades. They observed that the notion
that culture learning is a “magic carpet ride to another culture,” achieved an automatic
by product of language instruction, is a misconception. Many students in foreign
language classrooms learn the language with little or no sense of the depth of cultural
norms and patterns of the people who speak the language. Another perspective was
the notion that language curriculum could present culture as „a list of facts to be
cognitively consumed”.
Target language should be used in a real context (Ahmad, 2014). The
textbook grade 7th of Junior High School When English Rings a Bell does not include
anything about the English culture. When non-native speakers interact in a second
language (L2), they tend to transfer L1 pragmatic rules into the L2 without realizing
the negative impact they may have (Fujimori & Houck, 2004). So it is not surprising
that non-native speakers offer unsolicited advice when advice would normally be
avoided, or downplayed, in English.The culture shock may happen as well. There will
be misunderstanding and miscommunication between speakers which means that the
students are fault in using and acquiring English as their second language. For
example, when students learn about asking age, there should be additional explanation
about the culture of asking age in English speaking country. The question of “how old
are you?” or mentioning “someone‟s age” are consider as rude in English speaking
country. But, in Indonesian term it is fine to ask age to everyone. This explanation is
not mention in the textbook, that‟s why teacher should explain it based on their
experience, or teacher can use their own media. In the The textbook grade 7th of
Junior High School When English Rings a Bell page 45 and 66.

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 We find that the book provide the sources of input and the sources of exercise
which are set in a systematic arrangement starting from the level of word moving two
simple sentences and finally coming to a text. As shown in chapter one up to chapter
five the examples provided are in form of simple word only (pp. 4, 5, 16, 26, 28, 29,
42, 77, 79, 81, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 89, 95, and 103). Then when we look at
chapter six we find that the examples are in form of two simple descriptive sentences
(pp. 128 and 130) and finally at chapter seven the examples are in form of three
simple sentences forming a simple descriptive text (147, 148, 152, 149, 156, 159 and
160). By looking at those examples, then we may say that the book is constructed
based to Krashen‟s natural order hypothesis. Krashen has claimed that we acquire
language rules in a predictable or natural order (Brown, 2000). Those natural orders
states that children acquire language starting from pivot word (simple, chapter one to
chapter five) moving to open word (complex, chapter six to chapter eight), starting
from pivot grammar moving to the complex grammar rule. This order is predicted. It
means that children will not move to the next level of acquisition before they acquire
the previous level.

First the students learn the easy one

After that they learn the more complex one

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 Stern (1970) summarized some common arguments that cropped up from time
to time to recommend a second language teaching method or procedure on the basis
of first language acquisition. One of his arguments says that a small child simply uses
of language. He does not learn formal grammar. We don‟t have to tell him about
verbs and nouns. Yet, he learns the language perfectly. It is equally unnecessary to
use grammatical conceptualization in teaching a foreign language. Stern points out
that the grammar teaching is not important in the process of learning second language.
The English students‟ book for grade 7 clearly follows Stern‟s argument. There is no
grammar rules explained in the book. Students are forced to learn the grammar
automatically from the limited context given in the book. For learners from Indonesia,
this method is not quite effective since students are lack in English exposure. The
only English lesson they get is from school. Indonesia is not an English speaking
country and it has hundreds of language spoken by the society. The limited English
time they get at school is not enough to make them acquire the grammar
automatically.

There is no tense in Bahasa Indonesia so it would be more confusing for the

students to learn English without knowing the grammar rules. The knowledge of
grammar will be very necessary for the successful of acquiring English as the second
language especially in written form. Ausubel (1964) issued the argument that adults
learning a foreign language could, with their full cognitive capacities, benefit from
deductive presentations of grammar. Wrong understanding of grammar rules may lead
the students to produce fossilized errors. However, the explanation of grammar rules
is very important to be inserted in the students‟ textbook so the students may learn and
memorize it themselves at home. The following figure is example of materials in
students textbook which exclude grammar in its learning process. The materials are
taken from English students‟ textbook page 172.

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 According to the Krashen (1982, p. 18), input plays significant role in
acquiring language. In his term, “comprehensible input”, Krashen believes that
language materials should be a little bit beyond the learner‟s current level. In other
word, the input must be neither too difficult to understand nor too easy. If it only
covers what the learner has learnt, the material is of no significance for language
acquisition. Similarly, if the input is too advanced (highly beyond the learner‟s current
level) for the learner to understand, acquisition will not take place either. In the
chapter where above pictures belongs, the main focus learning is about telling time,
name of days, months. However, the material is not simply as providing those names
of days, time, or months. Instead, the pictures are given to the students related to their
daily activities. This is what Krashen believes as comprehensible input. The input
given is neither easy nor difficult. The exercise in the picture also allows the student
to use it in communication instead of learning it. Besides, in the picture, the students
do not realize while they are learning about times, but they are acquiring the simple
present tense because the exercises provided require the students to put time in their
daily activity. This is another example of Krashen‟s theory that the input should be a
little bit beyond learner‟s current level. Also, the learners can truly understand the
input by the use of pictures. The use of picture is a way to make input
comprehensible. Besides, the learners are encouraged to focus on meaning rather than
only knowing the terms of time, months or days, for example, the exercise given are
merely communicatively oriented exercise.

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 The study of literature in English language learning is central. It can practice
students‟ skill in reading, writing and interpreting meaning. The English student book
for grade 7 unfortunately doesn‟t provide its readers with sufficient literary texts.
There are very limited texts inserted in the book. Various kinds of texts ought to be
given to enrich students‟ vocabulary and practice their reading and writing skills.
Although the grade7 students are early learner, the various kinds of simple reading
texts supposed to be given. If they are familiar with reading English texts, it will be
easier for them to interpret meaning not only in written but also spoken discourse.
Furthermore, it can minimize the production of errors.
Imitation is a main process in acquiring language. Douglas Brown (2000)
wrote that behaviorists assume one type of imitation, but a deeper level of imitation is
far more important in the process of language acquisition. Stern (1970)argued that
language learning is mainly a matter of imitation. Lightbown and Spada (1993)
claimed that language is learned mainly through imitation. In the classroom, students
commonly imitate teachers in the process of language learning. Problem appears
when teacher is not a native speaker. Teacher should be very careful in pronunciation,
intonation and spelling of the spoken language so students will not make errors
because of following the wrong use of language by teacher. Teacher should have good
knowledge of the second language.
To minimize the error made by the models or teachers, some English text
books usually completed with audio or multimedia file showing some expressions
modeled by native speaker so students can learn how to pronounce the expressions
correctly and learn the accent of the native speaker. Again, one of the weaknesses of
the English students‟ book for grade 7 is to fully rely the process of imitation of the
second language on teachers as seen, for example, on activity 6 (page 8), activity 17
(page 19), activity 1 (page 25), and activity 14 (page 38).

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 Krashen‟s fifth hypothesis claims that the best acquisition will occur in
environments where anxiety is low and defensiveness absent, or, the “affective filter”
is low Douglas Brown (2000). It means that children/students are given much
opportunity to expose the language but they are being set free from any obligation or
requirement to produce language. This hypothesis is undeniable by teachers. Teachers
must provide low anxiety for the students so that they can acquire the language freely.
The book “When English rings the bell” is also constructed on the bases of
Krashen‟s affective filter hypothesis. We can find that the most exercises are
constructed in form of mini research (completing table by finding informations
around them, pp. 6, 9, 12, 18, 31, 45, 600, 69, 71, 94, 129, 131, 134, and 140) which
allow them to interrelate to the sources without any interference from the teacher or
others (it indicating the level of anxiety they may have). In addition, those exercises
are set for the children to find the sources which are near and located around them.
Nearby situation and location of sources makes the students feel more comfortable to
do the exercises.

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 The book “When English Rings the Bell” is not only fit to Krashen‟s
hypothesis, but also fit to McLaughlin‟s theory of cognitive processing mechanism.
McLaughlin claims that children or adult acquire language through processing
mechanism (controlled and automatic) in their cognitive consciously. Controlled
processing mechanism is “capacity limited and temporary” of human in learning
brand new skill which only a very elements of the skill can be retained. Automatic
processing mechanism on the other hand, refer to processing in a more complex skill,
where the brain can manage hundreds and thousands of information simultaneously
(Brown, 2000). This hypothesis believes that children are not better in acquisition
than adults are. Language can be acquired through the conscious process of cognitive.
Several parts of exercise in the book “When English Rings the Bell” can be
judged following McLaughlin‟s hypothesis of Attention-processing model. The
exercises are always set in hierarchy level. Starting from simple exercises (finding
words or utterances for situation given) which can be considered as the process of
controlled processing mechanism move to the automatic processing mechanism
exercises (need more accomplished skill). For example we can find in chapter one
page 16, the exercises is considered to be the controlled processing mechanism
because it only need answers in form of “greeting expression” (given information of
indicator). While on pages 20 and 21, the exercises need answers in form “greeting”
also, but the exercises limit the possibility of the proper greeting expression by giving
additional information (the response). Therefore, it needs more advanced skill to do
the exercises in pages 20 and 21 than to do the exercises on page 16.

Starting from a simple greeting

Practice greeting with additional information

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 At the end of every chapter, the students will do mini projects in which they
have to work in group. This kind of activity encourage the students‟ ability to work
with others. While this kind of activity strongly encourage students‟ involvement in
the learning process, it might be not very good for a low motivated students. Every
subsection in the chapter is specified by the topics and followed by the activity which
is different in each chapter based on the theme of the chapter. In the last part of the
chapter, the subsection named “I know now” contains the summary of the
material/what have learners learn and this is same for all chapters. At the end of
each chapter, all chapters contain the project task or games. As claimed by
McDonough et al. (2013, p. 217) that project work which entails integrated skills
can provide a relevant way of giving learners an effective place in which to develop
their integrated skills. To sum up, the project works or games at the end of subsection
will help learners to develop their integrated skills.

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III. CONCLUSION

English students‟ book for grade 7 When English Rings A Bell is used in the
whole part of Indonesia. It is a compulsory for English teachers to use the book in the
classroom to help them applying the new curriculum 2013. As a main source in
teaching and learning process, the book is supposed to provide good content which
fulfill the needs of information and materials for supporting students‟ second
language learning process. Materials provided in the book “When English Rings the
Bell” have met the theories proposed by Stephen Krashen in form of comprehensible
input hypothesis, natural order hypothesis and affective filter hypothesis. They have
also followed the theory of McLaughlin in controlled and automatic hypothesis.
However, the book still has many weaknesses; the book doesn‟t include the study of
second language culture, the book provides the reader a very limited context, there is
no grammar rules explained in the book, the book doesn‟t provide its readers with
sufficient literary texts and rely the process of imitating the second language on
teachers.

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