Abstract

The objectives of this research were to describe teaching Speaking English strategies used by the instructor for Indonesian labors, to investigate the instructor’s obstacles in teaching Speaking English, to know the instructor’s efforts in overcoming the obstacles, and to know the Indonesian labors’ respons in learning Speaking English at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. The research method was qualitative descriptive. The data sources were from the instructor and Indonesian labors. There were three ways to collect the data namely oberservation, interview, and documentation. The result of the research showed that there were six teaching strategies of Speaking English used by the instructor namely grammar translation method, communicative approach, audio-lingual method, role play method, demonstration method, and lecturing method. While the obstacles usually faced by the instructor in teaching Speaking English were the differences of Indonesian labors background, Indonesian labors difficulty in memorizing materials, arrangement of time allotment, indisciplinary of Indonesian labors, and Indonesian labors had low spirit in learning Speaking English. From these obstacles, the instructor overcame them by adapting her teaching strategy appropriately with games and songs, giving drilling in conversation section, giving interesting medias, collaborating other strategies in teaching Speaking English, and giving reward and pedagogy punishment. 

Introduction

Learning English is very complex because the second language learners must master four English skills namely reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Speaking English skill is very important. So, most people learn it either in the informal or nonformal educational in order to they can communicate by using English well. Learning speaking English is not easy for them because they must be brave to practice it in their daily life. By having good speaking English skill, they can communicate their ideas to their partners and especially to native speakers. They can also make good relationship to each other. According to Ur if people master a language intuitively, so they can speak with language itself (Ur, 1996). The statement explicitly indicates that speaking skill signs them knowing a language because it correlates with pronounciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening skill, etc.

In this global era, English is not something new because English is as an international language. Learning speaking English is also taught by an English instructor for Indonesian labors at a company of job training such as at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. it is one of private company name that serves departure and placement of Indonesian labors to aboard such as Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Brunei, and Singapore. In reality, most Indonesian want to seek a job at aboard because they can get high salary rather than in their country like in Indonesia. Every year, number of Indonesian labors is always rise because they have enough great opportunity to get a job at aboard. Beside that, they can get salary which is relatively high rather than their country. It becomes fascination for them to work at aboard although they live in the long distance with their family. They also do not care about the sad stories that came from the previous Indonesian labors such as employer violences, mistreatment, violation, murder, etc. They still have great spirit and great motivation to work at aboard. From the previous research that was done by Nurmala Sari with the title “The Indonesian Labors Problems in Working As House Keeper at Aboard”. In her research findings, she stated that the main problem faced by Indonesian labors in working aboard was undercommunication of speaking English mastery for Indonesian labors either in working or in speaking English at the place where they work. So that, It caused miscommunication between employee and employer. That is why, many companies consider as most important regulation for Indonesian labors recruit to be able to speak English or they should have an English certificate based on the standard score decided by the company (Sari, 2004).

Furthermore, Learning speaking English is taught by an English instructor for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. They must master speaking English materials before they go to Singapore to work as a house keeper. Actually, it is heavy duty for the instructor in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors because they come from different background such as age, education, characteristic, etc. Based on the differences of their background, so it will brings some impacts in the teaching learning process of speaking English. Therefore, the instructor must be selective to select the appropriate teaching speaking English strategies for them. According to Orlich, the appropriate teaching strategy can make the learners comprehend the instructional materials easily and the teaching learning process runs successfully (Orlich, 1998). In line with the statement, certainly the teaching learning process of speaking English sometimes does not accord with the instructor’s expectation. Sometimes there are some obstacles faced by the instructor in the teaching speaking English for them. It usually happens in the situation of teaching learning process in the classroom.

Based on the phenomenon above, the researcher would like to conduct a research with under title “Teaching Speaking English Strategies For Indonesian Labors” because the reseracher wants to know deeply the teaching speaking English strategies used by instructor for Indonesian labors, to investigate the instructor’s obstacles in teaching Speaking English, to know the instructor’s efforts in overcoming the obstacles, and to know the Indonesian labors’ respons in learning Speaking English at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya.

Research methods

This research was descriptive qualitative because the discussing of the problems will produce descriptive data and after that it will be presented in the report form. According to Bogdan and Taylor cited by Lexy J. Moloeng that qualitative method is a research procedure that obtains descriptive data in written or spoken form from the people and their behavior which is being observed (Moleong, 2010). This approach is purposed to seek the understanding of a phenomenon or other certain problem by focusing on the total picture rather than breaking it down into variables. Here, the descriptive data which was collected by reseacher in this qualitative research mostly was in the form of words and pictures rather than numericals data. So, the purpose of qualitative research was to describe the real phenomenons deeply about teaching strategies of speaking English for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya.

Meanwhile, the data sources of this research were the instructor and the Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. In this case, speaking English was taught by the instructor for Indonesian labors who want to go to Singapore only. They were prepared to work at Singapore to be a house keeper. They were taught Speaking English by an instructor at the company. There were eight Indonesian labors at the company for Singapore destination. Their ages were about 17 up to 40 years old. Although they came from different background but they were taught the same material in speaking English.

Furthermore, the data collection procedure in this research was obtain by observation, interview, and documentation. In observation, the researcher was as a passive observer. It means that the researcher only observed the teaching learning process of speaking English without took a part in the teaching process. She observed the teaching strategies used by the instructor in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors. She conducted the observation by using observation-sheet. She conducted twice observation. In interview, the researcher interviewed the instructor and the Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. Moleong stated that interview is the process to conduct a conversation which is done by the interviewer and interviewee with a certain purpose (Moleong, 2010). In this case, the researcher was an interviewer while instructor and Indonesian labors were as interviewees. She interviewed the instructor first at the end of teaching activities. She used the structure interviewed. Arikunto (2000) stated that structured interview is the interview that is done by using an interview guideline which consists of issues and questions to be asked. By doing this, she got information about the teaching strategies of speaking English used by the instructor, knowing the instructor obstacles in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors, and knowing the instructor’s efforts to overcome these obstacles. Here, she used unstructured interviewed type because she would like to get the information as accurate as possible. Beside that, she also interviewed the Indonesian labors. She interviewed them in different day with the instructor’s interview section because of limited time. She interviewed them in order to know the Indonesian labors’ respons in learning speaking English. Finally, she collected the data from documentation. According to Creswell documentation is documents which consist of public and private records that obtained from documents that can be written and pictured by someone such as newspapers, personal journals, letters, magazines, books, photos, etc (Creswell, 2012). The documentation of this research was obtained from observation-sheet, documentation guideline, interview-sheet for an Instructor, interview-sheet for the Indonesian labors, the Indonesian labors names list, and the photos of the teaching learning process of speaking English.

Findings And Discussion

In this section, the researcher will discuss and describe the result of research findings based on four cases. They are (1) teaching Speaking English strategies used by the instructor for Indonesian labors, (2) the instructor’s obstacles in teaching Speaking English for Indonesian labors, (3) the instructor’s efforts in overcoming the obstacles, and (4) the Indonesian labors’ respons in learning Speaking English at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. The researcher will discuss them one by one clearly as follow:

In research findings, the researcher will discuss the result of research about teaching speaking English strategies for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. It based on the teaching and learning theory stated by Richards and Rodger. They stated that there are some learning components that must be payed great attention for teachers. They are curriculum and syllabus, teaching method or technique, teacher and students, teaching media, instructional material, learning evaluation (Richard and Rodger 2003). Here, the researcher will explain it based on the theory.

Curriculum and Syllabus

From interview and documentation, the researcher got information about the models of curriculum and syllabus in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. the content of curriculum and syllabus were mostly about the instructional materials of house keeping activities at Singapore as their destination country. Learning speaking English was taught by the instructor Indonesian labors during half a month (1.5 month). In this case, there are thirty meetings in learning of speaking English. In this syllabus, there are two tests namely middle-test and final test. The midle test is conducted at the fifteenth meeting. At the last meeting, the instructor usually give final test for them namely. Its purpose is to know their comprehension of learning materials given by the instructor. Learning speaking English was divided into two section a day. The first section is started on 09.00 up to 11.30 o’clock. While the second section is started on 13.00 up to 15.30 o’clock. The first section is about theoritical material and the second section is about practical. So, the total time in teaching speaking is five hours a day. In detail, the first section (theoritical) is about 2,5 hours and the second section (practical) is about 2,5 hour a day. The researcher got the information about it from the interview to the instructor such as bellow:

“In learning speaking English is divided into two phases. The first phase is about theoritical learning and the second phase is about practical learning. Each of them is about 2,5 hour a day. So, totally it is about 5 hours a day ”.

Teaching Method or Technique

Based on the result of observation, interview, and documentation, the instructor used some teaching methods in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. There were six teaching methods used by the instructor namely Grammar Translation Method, Communicative Approach, Audio Lingual Method, Role Play Strategy, Demonstration Strategy, and Lecturing Strategy. In this case, the instructor used the methods depend on the instructional materials. It is supported by the instructor’s statement in the interview section done by the researcher as follow:

“Actually I used some teaching methods such as GTM, ALM, CA, role play, lecturing, and demonstration in teaching spaeking English for Indonesian labors at this company. But, I also combine one or two teaching methods in one subject matter. It depends on my needs.“

Teacher and Students

Based on the statemen above, The instructor sometimes combined two methods in her teaching process. She must be creative in the use of teaching methods in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors in order to the teaching materials taught by her can be understood easily by the Indonesian labors. In teaching learning process of speaking English, the instructional materials represented into two phases namely theoritical and practical. In this case, the instructors used grammar translation method (GTM), lecturing, and audio lingual method (ALM) were as teaching methods of speaking English in the theoritical materials form. While in the practical one, the instructor used the teaching methods of demonstration, role play, and communicative approach. Tarigan said that role play and demonstration are teaching methods which is appropriate to be implemented by the teacher to students (Tarigan, 2009). The statement related to teaching methods of speaking English used by the instructor for Indonesian labors because demonstration and role play methods can help them to understand deeply about the real activities of a house keeper next time.

Teacher and students are part of learning components. There were three insctructors who had taught at Singapore class. They had different duties. The first instructor taught speaking English materials, the second instructor taught English proficiency at the English laboratory, and the third instructor taught them about the practical work especially house keeper practice. The instructor educatiion background was graduation from S1 degree and S2 degree of English education department. The researcher got this information from interview to the English instructor at PT. Assanatam Karya Mandiri Surabaya , as follow:

“ In this company, the instructors came from S1 and S2 degree of English education department. So, it is appropriate with our job.”

Furthermore, the total number of Indonesian labors who joint speaking English class were eight people. They are the Indonesian labors who will go to Singapore as their destination country. In addition, the Indonesian labors at this company were various. From their ages were between 32 up to 36 years old. While their education background were average graduation from Senior High school.

Teaching Media

Media is very important in the teaching learning process because it can help students get to know the learning materials easily. The instructor used media in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors. By using media, they can understand and comprehend the learning materials easily. Shirly stated that Media provide huge information, they motivate students to speak and help them integrate listening, reading, talking and writing skills, through various kinds of activities (Shirly,1999). Here, leaning materials of speaking English has been approriate with job condition and learners’ necessity while its implementation is expected can give great motivation for Indonesian labors to learn. From interview, the reseacher got information about media used by the instructor in teaching English for Indonesian labors were whiteboard and LCD projector for theoritical learning materials in the classroom or at the laboratory. While the practical learning material, the instructor used media such as household wares, furnitures, kitchen tools, toys, etc. The instructor use them maximally in order to Indonesian labors can be more easy to memorize the learning materials. Most media used by the instructor in teaching speaking English bring some impacts to successfulness in learning speaking English. It is supported by the instructor statement in interview as below:

“ There are two types of media used in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors namely learning theorical media such as whiteboard, boardmaker pen, pictures, and LCD projector. While learning practical media such as household wares, toys, furnitures, kitchen tool, bathroom tools , bedroom tools , etc.”

Instructional Material

Learning materials of speakig English given by the instructor for Indonesian labors based on instructional learning of speaking English and it refers to the curriculum. The instructor and Indonesian labors had a compulsary book of learning speaking English. Based on the research findings at the field, the researcher found the topics of learning speaking English for Indonesian labors as follow:

1. Introduction of country destination cultures
2. Greeting and introducing Angka/jam
3. Coint
4. Day, date, and time
5. Family
6. Family habits
7. Parts of body
8. Buildings
9. Transportations
10. Waiting room
11. Bedroom
12. Diningroom
13. Foods
14. Beverages and fruits
15. Kitchen
16. Vegetables
17. Fish and meat
18. Spices
19. Taste
20. Bathroom
21. Laundry: cloth and colour
22. Ponit
23. Size
24. Baby sit
25. Question words
26. Conjuction
27. Greeting to receive the telephone
28. Weather
29. Deases and medicine
30. Verbs

The learning materials of speaking English above are taught by the instructor for Indonesian labors who want to work as a house keeper at Singapore. The material source was already prepared and made by the company. However, the instructor can also add and compile other references that is relevant with the topics.

Learning Evaluation

The last learning component is evaluation. John said that evaluation is a away to know successfulness of a program (Richard, 2000). The instructor conducted evaluation to the Indonesian labors after finishing the material of speaking English. From the result of interfiew to the instructor, the researcher found type of evaluation used by the instructor in this company. The instructor evaluate it at the midle and at the last of teaching learning process of speaking English. In this case, there were two evaluations namely daily evaluation and ending evaluation. Daily evaluation was conducted by instructor in every meeting while ending evaluation was conducted by instructor at last of meeting.

b. The instructor’s obstacles in teaching speaking English For Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya

Teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors is not easy for an English instructor because the learners come from different background either education or age. It becomes one of the problem faced by the instructor. Here, the researcher would like to describe the instructor’s obstacles in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya. From the result of interview, it can be known that basically the instructor must be patient and dilligent in teaching Speaking English for them because the learners cames from different background and different characteristics. So, there are many obstacles faced by instructor in teaching speaking English for them, such as follow:

1. The oldest Indonesian labors usually getting difficult to memorize materials given by the instructor. They were slowly to get the material. In fact, they sometimes forget the learning materials explained by the instructor.
2. Management of time allotment. The instructor exactly difficult to manage the time allotmen in the teaching learning process of speaking English because Indonesian labors often came late to class. So, the instructor should repeat the learning materials for many times.
3. Indiciplinary of Indonesian labors in learning speaking English. In these case, there were bad habits had by Indonesian labors in learning speaking English. They were coming late to the class, submitting late assignment, and careless to the learning contract of speaking English.
4. Indonesian labors partly had low spirit in learning speaking English. Generally, they want to go to Singapore as their destination country quickly without follow job training at their company. So, they sometimes they were lazy and low spirit to took a part in learning speaking English in long time. If they were low spirit in learning speaking English, so it became one of obstacles faced by the instructor in teaching speaking English at the class.

c. The Instructor’s Efforts In Overcoming The Obstacles Of Teaching Speaking English For Indonesian Labors At PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya.

In this section, the researcher would like to describe the instructor’ efforts in overcoming the obstacles in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya, as follow:

1. Adapting her teaching strategy appropriately with games and songs. It means that, the instructor combined her teaching method with games and songs. But she selected the appropriate games and songs based on the materials of speaking English. So, they can learn speaking English enjoyable.
2. Giving drilling in conversation section. It means that, the researcher ask to them to practice speaking English bravely. If they are difficult to memorize the English vocabulary related to the material, the instructor gave drilling patienly for them up to they can remember it easily.
3. Giving interesting medias. This is a nice trick had by the instructor to overcome her obstacle in teaching speaking English for Indonesian labors. In this case, the instructor shown them up interesting media in the class in order to they great pay attention again to her explaination. For example, the topic discussion was about “foods”. So, the instructor prepared fisrt media related to the topic and shown up the pictures of food (Singapore foods) for them.
4. Giving reward and pedagogy punishment. Reward and punishment are very important in teaching learning activities in the classroom because giving reward can motivate Indonesian labors to learn speaking English greatly. By giving pedagogy punishment minimized their infraction in the class. This ways can also increase their spirit to be diligent students.

d. Indonesian Labors’ Respons In Learning Speaking English At PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya.

Learning model of speaking English that applied at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya came many responses. There were positive and negative responses came from Indonesian labors. The researcher got the data from interview to them. Here, the researcher would like to explain Indonesian labors’ responses about learning speaking English at the company, as bellow:

1. Positive responses

1. Indonesian labors were so interest to the teaching model of speaking English at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya because they were enjoyable in learning speaking English. So, they understod learning materials easily.
2. Indonesian labors were very happy in learning English because they got many neighborhood educations.
3. Indonesian labors were proud to the company because teaching strategies in this company gave many experiences widely about job training of speaking English.
4. Indonesian labors felt confortable with the teaching speaking English strategies at PT. Assanatama Karya Mandiri Surabaya.

2. Negative responses

1. Indonesian labors felt to be perforce following the job training of speaking English because they were difficult to comprehend the materials.
2. Indonesian labors also felt boring in learning speaking English because the insrtuctor often asked the to memorize the materials.
3. Few Indonesian labors felt frustation in learning speaking English because they dislike with the theorical learning at the first section.
4. Indonesian labors were very tired in learning speaking English because the materials were mostly presented in the form of memorizing.

Conclusion and suggestions

From the explaination above, the researcher concludes that teaching speaking English stragies used by the Instructor for Indonesian labors at PT. Assanatam Karya Mandiri Surabaya were dicided into two sections. They were theoritical learning and practical learning. The first section was started at 09.00 – 11.30 o’clock while the second section at 13.00 – 15.30 o’clock. It was totally five hours a week. The teaching speaking English strategies for Indonesian labors based on some aspects. They were curriculum and syllabus, teaching method, teacher and students, teaching media, teaching material, and evaluation. Furthermore, the Indonesian labors gave some responses to the teaching speaking English strategies at the company. There were possitive and negative responses but the researcher also give some suggestions that learning speaking English could be indoor and outdoor. Beside that, the Indonesian labors must great spirit to learn speaking English in order to be success.

References

1. Creswell, John W. (2012). Educational Research. Boston: Pearson Education.
2. Donaldson, Orlich. (1998). Teaching Strategies. Boston: Houghton Miffin Company.
3. Freeman, Diane Larsen (1986) Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4. Moleong, Lexy J. (2010). Metodologi Penelitian Kualitatif (Edisi Revisi). Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya.
5. Penny Ur. (1996). Acourse in Language Teaching.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6. Richards, C. Jack. & Lockhart, Charles. (2000). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classroom. UK : Cambridge University Press.
7. Richards, Jack C and Rodgers, Theodore S. (2003). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, New York: Cambridge University Press.
8. Sari, Nurmala. (2004). The Indonesian Labors Problems in Working As House Keeper at Aboard. Thesis.unpublished. Unmer Malang.
9. Shirley, Biagi. (1999). Teaching Media For Second Language Learners. Wadsworth, New York.
10. Suharsimi, Arikunto. (2000). Manajement Penelitian. Jakarta: PT. Rineka Cipta.
11. Tarigan, Henry Guntur. (2009). Metode Pengajaran Bahasa.Bandung: Angkasa Bandung.