General Concepts of Picture
Picture is one of the visual. aids that can he used in teaching writing. It makes something clearer. It also can be used to create situation for writing classes more clearly. One kind is that which tells a simple and obvious story.
1. Picture As Visual Aid
Harmer (1983:3) explains that pictures are clearly indispensable for the language teacher since they can be used in so many ways. We can teach vocabulary easily through pictures (we mean blackboard drawing, wall pictures, chart, and flash charts). Referring to this statement, Cahyono (1997:114) adds that there are two kinds of pictures, illustrations and original pictures. Illustration may be in the form of stick figures and drawings, and original pictures may be in form of photographs. In the case of the former the teachers should make the pictures on the blackboard or paper or cardboard. In the case of the latter, the teachers could directly use ready made pictures by cutting them out.
A picture play not only be worth a thousand words but it may also be worth a thousand year or a thousand miles Gerlach and Ely (1980: 273-308) Through pictures, learners can be shown people, places, and things from areas outside of their own experiences. Pictures can also represent images from ancient times or portray the future. They also assert about pictures which are called "Opaque still pictures", viz. a two dimensional visual representation of persons, places or things. Photographic prints are most common but sketches, cartoons, murals, cut outs, charts, graphs, and naps widely used. Pictures may be used for individual study, for display on bulletin boards and felt boards, in exhibits and projection when group of students need to look at the same time.
Based on practicality and economic reasons in using them, I produce and prepare some materials as the substitutes for the real things. The aids are used as the representation of things, which will be presented. The teacher may produce or prepare.
2. The General Criteria For The Use Of Picture
According to Kreidier (1965:4) there are two kinds of pictures or picture charts. Both kinds have definite uses in the language classroom. One type depicts a situation or topic and includes several people and actions: a birthday party, a beach scene, a picnic, a sports event. This context-oriented type of picture usually depicts one action, one person, or one object. It might be called a structure-oriented picture.
a. Charts
It is often desirable to place several pictures Or drawings on a single chart. Such a chart can be useful in providing a number of cues for fast-paced practice in substitution drills and other exercises on particular grammatical points. Neither the chart nor any picture containing several objects and actions, such as a context-oriented picture, should include so many items that the students cannot identify what the teacher is referring to.
When in use, charts should be displayed in the front of the room in full view of the entire class. The teacher should stand to the side of the students. A pointer may also help in this respect. Even when an individual student is reciting, it is important for all of the class to be able to see the chart. Students not reciting should be encouraged to form the pattern. Silently and check their silent responses with the oral response of the individual reciting. Otherwise, a great deal of valuable drill time will be wasted.
There are two ways in which a chart may add variety to drill after the items on the chart are familiar to the students : (1) The teacher may point to the items on the chart in random order, and (2) the teacher may change the pace of drill by varying the speed with he or she points to the items.
b. Individual Pictures
Individual pictures drawn or mounted on cards should be large enough for the class to see but small enough for the teacher to manipulate easily. A card about seven inches by ten inches seems to work well in most classrooms, provided the drawings or pictures are clear and simple.
If the purpose of individual is to provide cues for rapid drill of a sentence pattern, the cards will be flashed rapidly. The meaning of the picture should be written near the top of the back of the card. The stack of the cards should be held about six inches in front of the chest, so that the teacher can see the students in the class, as well as read the .meaning on the back of the stack to the front, she/he always knows what the next picture is before the students see it
According to Kreidier (1965:4) there are two kinds of pictures or picture charts. Both kinds have definite uses in the language classroom. One type depicts a situation or topic and includes several people and actions: a birthday party, a beach scene, a picnic, a sports event. This context-oriented type of picture usually depicts one action, one person, or one object. It might be called a structure-oriented picture.
a. Charts
It is often desirable to place several pictures Or drawings on a single chart. Such a chart can be useful in providing a number of cues for fast-paced practice in substitution drills and other exercises on particular grammatical points. Neither the chart nor any picture containing several objects and actions, such as a context-oriented picture, should include so many items that the students cannot identify what the teacher is referring to.
When in use, charts should be displayed in the front of the room in full view of the entire class. The teacher should stand to the side of the students. A pointer may also help in this respect. Even when an individual student is reciting, it is important for all of the class to be able to see the chart. Students not reciting should be encouraged to form the pattern. Silently and check their silent responses with the oral response of the individual reciting. Otherwise, a great deal of valuable drill time will be wasted.
There are two ways in which a chart may add variety to drill after the items on the chart are familiar to the students : (1) The teacher may point to the items on the chart in random order, and (2) the teacher may change the pace of drill by varying the speed with he or she points to the items.
b. Individual Pictures
Individual pictures drawn or mounted on cards should be large enough for the class to see but small enough for the teacher to manipulate easily. A card about seven inches by ten inches seems to work well in most classrooms, provided the drawings or pictures are clear and simple.
If the purpose of individual is to provide cues for rapid drill of a sentence pattern, the cards will be flashed rapidly. The meaning of the picture should be written near the top of the back of the card. The stack of the cards should be held about six inches in front of the chest, so that the teacher can see the students in the class, as well as read the .meaning on the back of the stack to the front, she/he always knows what the next picture is before the students see it
3. Contribution of Picture in Teaching Writing
Kreidler (1965: 41) stales that the ultimate aim of writing is to give the students the opportunity to express their own ideas facilely, using the language pattern they have learned. He also says that the students need this kind of opportunity in order to begin to use English in a way that enables them to express their ideas, interests, feeling and reeds clearly, correctly and confidently. This is undoubtedly their goal in studying English and it is the teacher's role to help them reach it.
For early stage, pictures that have been used for pattern practice, for instance, picture of people, places, and action such as read the newspaper, cross the street, etc, could be set up in the chalk tray of the blackboard or on a display board, such as flannel board, in other to remind students of daily activities or evening plans. The students can be asked to write or tell a story, using what appears in those pictures. This will give the students an opportunity to write in a connected way, using some pattern they have learned. This is a small early step in the direction of free expression of ideas.
A series of pictures can be used as cues for retelling of a story. This kind of composition exercise will begin with the teacher telling the story, simply and Slowly, perhaps two or three times, relating it to the pictures and explaining anything in the pictures which may be new to the students. Afterwards, the students will re-create the story, with the pictures and perhaps a few words written on the blackboard to help them as well.
Pictures with more details, several objects, several people performing different actions, all relating to the same general theme are also useful devices for stimulating composition.
Kreidler (1965: 41) stales that the ultimate aim of writing is to give the students the opportunity to express their own ideas facilely, using the language pattern they have learned. He also says that the students need this kind of opportunity in order to begin to use English in a way that enables them to express their ideas, interests, feeling and reeds clearly, correctly and confidently. This is undoubtedly their goal in studying English and it is the teacher's role to help them reach it.
For early stage, pictures that have been used for pattern practice, for instance, picture of people, places, and action such as read the newspaper, cross the street, etc, could be set up in the chalk tray of the blackboard or on a display board, such as flannel board, in other to remind students of daily activities or evening plans. The students can be asked to write or tell a story, using what appears in those pictures. This will give the students an opportunity to write in a connected way, using some pattern they have learned. This is a small early step in the direction of free expression of ideas.
A series of pictures can be used as cues for retelling of a story. This kind of composition exercise will begin with the teacher telling the story, simply and Slowly, perhaps two or three times, relating it to the pictures and explaining anything in the pictures which may be new to the students. Afterwards, the students will re-create the story, with the pictures and perhaps a few words written on the blackboard to help them as well.
Pictures with more details, several objects, several people performing different actions, all relating to the same general theme are also useful devices for stimulating composition.
4. Applying Pictures In Teaching Writing
Wright as quoted by Jarwanto (1999: 20) states that writing would often occur in conjunction with their activities. Wright states the board functions of visual material used for writing activities are:
a. to motivate the students
b. to create a meaningful context
c. to provide the students with information to refer to including objects, actions, event relationships
d. to provide non-verbal cues for manipulation practice
e. to provide non-verbal prompts to written composition
Wright as quoted by Jarwanto (1999: 20) states that writing would often occur in conjunction with their activities. Wright states the board functions of visual material used for writing activities are:
a. to motivate the students
b. to create a meaningful context
c. to provide the students with information to refer to including objects, actions, event relationships
d. to provide non-verbal cues for manipulation practice
e. to provide non-verbal prompts to written composition
5. Advantages In Using Pictures
Because pictures are one recognized way of presenting a real situation, they can serve as an example of the advantages in using pictures, Kreidler, (1965:1).
Pictures are often used to remind us of a real life-experience or to suggest such an experience to us. Families have photograph albums to remind themselves of happy times in the past. Food advertisements in magazines can make us hungry because we can imagine how good that food would taste, especially if it is a food familiar to us. Story books for children have attractive illustration and often before a child can read, he tells or "reads" the story by looking at the illustration.
Picture in the classroom can represent situation, which would be impossible to create in any other way. Many actions can be demonstrated in a classroom, such as closing a door, opening a window, or meeting a friend. Many objects can be brought into the classroom: toys, foods, tools. and clocks. The classroom, however, is really quite limited. Catching a bus, crossing a street, going to the movie, riding a bicycle, walking in the park would be quite difficult situation to create, but they are comparatively, easy to picture.
The cultural advantage that pictures offer is tremendous. Just as it is easier to give someone an olive or an orange to taste, rather than to try to explain its taste, it is easier to show someone a picture of supermarket than to try to explain one in words.
In addition, pictures can help the students associate what they hear with their real life experience. Often students who are good mimics repeat what they are asked to say without understanding what they are repeating. Often, too, a strange word provides a stumbling block to a drill because the students do not-understand it. It may be possible to translate that word, and this might be desirable. Often, thought, this is not possible and the teacher tries to explain the meaning of the words. Since it is not always possible to explain in a few words, valuable class time may be lost. Also, after the explanation is completed, some of the students still may not understand the words. How much easier and more time saving it would be to use a picture that gives reality to explanation.
Another important advantage that pictures offer the teacher is in helping him/her change situation rapidly in oral drill. Since the students' goal in learning a new language is to use that language for communication a variety of situations, it is essential that a number of different situations be presented to the students in classroom drill. An easy way to bring these situations to the classroom and at the same time be assured that the students understand the situations is to use pictures. Because practice for control of the various features of language that must be mastered is most effective when it is fast moving, varied and related to a situation, the teacher must carefully plan his drills. One of the problems that focuses the language teacher who provides these drills is that of creating and maintaining interest on the part of the students. (S) He must plan and organize drills in such a way that the students will receive the necessary practice on a particular point without becoming bored. To ensure this practice most teachers use oral drills in which a word cue is given to elicit a response from the students. Welcome variety can be brought into the class by letting a simple picture provide the cue for a drill, or by using both a word-cue and a picture-cue.
In addition to the varied uses of pictures in the actual practice of language, picture to decorate the classroom should not be overlooked. Pictures of scene which help to explain the cultural setting of the new language can stimulate the interest of the students, as well as help to make the classroom a more cheerful place for their work
Because pictures are one recognized way of presenting a real situation, they can serve as an example of the advantages in using pictures, Kreidler, (1965:1).
Pictures are often used to remind us of a real life-experience or to suggest such an experience to us. Families have photograph albums to remind themselves of happy times in the past. Food advertisements in magazines can make us hungry because we can imagine how good that food would taste, especially if it is a food familiar to us. Story books for children have attractive illustration and often before a child can read, he tells or "reads" the story by looking at the illustration.
Picture in the classroom can represent situation, which would be impossible to create in any other way. Many actions can be demonstrated in a classroom, such as closing a door, opening a window, or meeting a friend. Many objects can be brought into the classroom: toys, foods, tools. and clocks. The classroom, however, is really quite limited. Catching a bus, crossing a street, going to the movie, riding a bicycle, walking in the park would be quite difficult situation to create, but they are comparatively, easy to picture.
The cultural advantage that pictures offer is tremendous. Just as it is easier to give someone an olive or an orange to taste, rather than to try to explain its taste, it is easier to show someone a picture of supermarket than to try to explain one in words.
In addition, pictures can help the students associate what they hear with their real life experience. Often students who are good mimics repeat what they are asked to say without understanding what they are repeating. Often, too, a strange word provides a stumbling block to a drill because the students do not-understand it. It may be possible to translate that word, and this might be desirable. Often, thought, this is not possible and the teacher tries to explain the meaning of the words. Since it is not always possible to explain in a few words, valuable class time may be lost. Also, after the explanation is completed, some of the students still may not understand the words. How much easier and more time saving it would be to use a picture that gives reality to explanation.
Another important advantage that pictures offer the teacher is in helping him/her change situation rapidly in oral drill. Since the students' goal in learning a new language is to use that language for communication a variety of situations, it is essential that a number of different situations be presented to the students in classroom drill. An easy way to bring these situations to the classroom and at the same time be assured that the students understand the situations is to use pictures. Because practice for control of the various features of language that must be mastered is most effective when it is fast moving, varied and related to a situation, the teacher must carefully plan his drills. One of the problems that focuses the language teacher who provides these drills is that of creating and maintaining interest on the part of the students. (S) He must plan and organize drills in such a way that the students will receive the necessary practice on a particular point without becoming bored. To ensure this practice most teachers use oral drills in which a word cue is given to elicit a response from the students. Welcome variety can be brought into the class by letting a simple picture provide the cue for a drill, or by using both a word-cue and a picture-cue.
In addition to the varied uses of pictures in the actual practice of language, picture to decorate the classroom should not be overlooked. Pictures of scene which help to explain the cultural setting of the new language can stimulate the interest of the students, as well as help to make the classroom a more cheerful place for their work
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar