DESIGNING A MODEL OF ENGLISH LEARNING MATERIALS FOR ELEVENTH GRADE VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN DEPARTMENT BASED-ON SCHOOL BASED CURRICULUM

Abstract

This study is aimed to develop effective English learning materials in accordance with the schoolbased curriculum of vocational secondary school (SMK), especially for Visual Communication Design department. The result of this study is expected to overcome the problems related to English learning materials which are less available for SMK. This study is Research and Development (R & D) and the purpose is to develop a finished product which can be effectively used in the teaching and learning process (Borg & Gall, 2007). For steps of the research, needs analysis was the first thing to do. Second, the data are used as a source to design the materials. Third, the materials were implemented. Fourth, after implementation, evaluation and revision of developed materials were done. Data were collected using questionnaire, observation, and interview. The observation and interview were analyzed qualitatively and the questionnaires were analyzed quantitatively. Based on the research finding, the effective English learning materials consist of three sections. They are warming-up tasks (Let’s get started), while-teaching tasks, and closing. In while-teaching tasks, there are two sections namely Let’s Read and Write (written cycle) and Let’s Listen and Speak (oral cycle). The materials provide grammar lessons in the written cycle, language function lessons in the oral cycle, and vocabulary lessons in the both cycles. The effective materials are also supported by the effectiveness of the task components, namely goal, input, activity, setting, learner role, and teacher role ((Nunan, 2004). The goal of the first section, Let’s Get Started is to introduce the students to the topic of the unit. Let’s Read and Write is to help the students able to use and comprehend written texts in daily life context. Then, Let’s Listen and Speak is to help the students able to express and comprehend oral language in daily life context. Otherwise, the goal of the designed materials is helping the students learn English related to their department and their future job. Pictures,simplified texts, short dialogues, phonetic transcription, and situations given for role playing are the effective input. The effective activities of the materials are answering questions, studying explanation texts, doing word puzzle, matching, completing, imitating, and role playing. Working in pairs and in small groups became the most frequent setting. The materials also give opportunity for the students to be active participants. The teacher as a controller, organizer, helper and feedback giver plays the roles well and supports the students in learning English