Abstract
In rapid
of a wide use of technology in education, a computer is an important one used
by English teacher. It should be an assistant of the teachers in teaching
English, especially in teaching listening skill. The teachers can explore and
manage their way in teaching listening by using computer, especially to make a
media in teaching listening skill for students. This paper aims at discussing
about teaching listening by using text-to-speech media technology for students at Senior high school. The teachers should try to use attractive and innovative media to
attract the students’ interest in teaching listening skill effectively. One of
the media that can be used by the teacher in teaching learning process,
especially in listening process is Text-to-speech media technology.
Text-to-speech is an easy and user-friendly program of PC (Personal Computer)
or laptop that downloads and installs in minutes. The main function of
Text-to-speech is to convert a text to be an audio file. Its can help the
teachers to introduce and present their material electronically.
Key
Words : Teaching listening, Media technology, Computer, Text-to-speech
- INTRODUCTION
When
we were a child, we learned language automatically, especially our language
from mother tongue. We learned the language by listening to what mother said,
then we tried to pronounce the word by word firstly. If informations were not
listened carefully, it influenced to the words or sentences we said. Those were
naturally process we passed. When we were a child before, we have spoken up
clearly and fluency.
According to Howatt and
Dakin in Saricoban’s articles (1999), listening is the ability to identify and
understand what other say. This involves the understanding a speaker's accent
or pronunciation, his grammar and his vocabulary, and grasping his meaning. So,
listening is not only an activity that hears something when the speaker speaks.
We should pay attention and listen to the speaker carefully to get clearly
information.
As
we know that English has four skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)
that should be mastered in learning English. In Indonesia, English as foreign
language has been taught at school from junior high school until senior high
school. Moreover, it has been studied and developed in university.
There
are some problems faced by teachers and students in teaching and learning activities.
The problems are such as using unsuitable methods and media by the teachers and
lack of motivation from the students.
Based on the
writer’s experiences, when the writer was teaching listening as an apprentice
teacher in the senior high school (SMA 9 Padang), the students were sometimes
bored because the teacher just read the text loudly without clear and fluency
pronunciation. Whereas, in the national final examination (UN), as we know that
the students face the listening test by listening to oral questions test from
the native speaker. It will be a problem for the students and will make the
students feel worry to face National Final Examination later. On the other
hand, the hard work of as a teacher here is to find the appropriate method and media to motivate the students’ interest
in learning and mastering English. So, the goal of teaching and learning
English should be reached, especially in listening skill.
The teachers must be smart to choose method and media
in teaching learning process. They also have to be able to make the best use of wide developing technology in
education. Actually, there are some ironies happened in our country based
on rapid development of
technology today.
According
to Septy (2007: 2), there are many English teachers in Indonesia who still
choose and apply the method and media in English teaching undertaken in
traditional process. He also explains that computer assisted language learning
(CALL) is still a myth for many English teachers in Indonesia. This may be due
to the fact that the teachers are still computer-illiterate. Furthermore, he
has argued that “beside the teacher’ lacks in using computer, it is also an
expensive technology for schools. Consequently, teaching is still undertaken
traditionally by the others teacher. This could also affect their students’
lack of English proficiency”.
Traditional word above refers to media or visual aid
which has been chosen by the other teachers in teaching English effectively,
especially in teaching listening skill. So, in this case the writer will expose
teaching listening by using media technology, especially with media that is
called “Text to speech” media Technology. The writer found it at online English
teacher forum in the internet (www.prweb.com),
also the writer applied this media in the Senior high School 9th
Padang. The writer hoped that using text-to-speech media technology would be
the best alternative solution to solve the problem and can grow student’s
motivation and interest in learning listening activity.
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