Journal Article Critique #9 (CAR)

Citation: Widiana, I W. & Jampel, I N (2016). Improving Students’ Creative Thinking and Achievement through The Implementation of Multiple Intelligence
Approach with Mind Mapping. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE). 5. 246-254

The article is aimed to improve students’ creative thinking in learning science using multiple intelligence and mind map. The research was conducted to the students in SD 8 Tianyar, Bali. Multiple intelligences is the seven components that consists of linguistic-verbal intelligence, logical-mathematic intelligence, spatial-visual intelligence, rhythmic music intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence and interpersonal intelligence. In this research, it is combined with mind map in science learning.

The results of the study showed that improvements have occurred in creative thinking skill (CTS) and learning achievement (LA). This improvement occurred because of some factors, including the following factors. First, the teacher gave recognition for the effort made by the students, the students’ participation, and the students’ success in learning by giving them additional scores.

From this article, I think this method can be applied in EFL class because it has a good impact for students’ performance not only in academic view but also non academic view.

Journal Article Critique #9 (CCU)

Citation: Yoganeh, M. T & Raessi, H. (2015). Developing Cultural Awareness in EFL Classrooms at Secondary School Level in an Iranian Educational Context. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 192. 534 – 542

This article is about a research in Iranian students to develop cultural awareness in the case of learning English. In learning foreign language, it is necessary to also learn about its culture. However the fact is that an English teacher only teaches about the linguistics and literature elements, not the culture. That is why this research aims to enhance students' knowledge of culture as the main goal for incorporating cultural content in EFL classrooms.

The participants of the research were 291 Iranian EFL secondary-school teachers from three provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah and Kurdistan in Western Iran who were randomly selected from three largest cities of each province. As the findings implied, the teachers have positive attitudes towards incorporating cultural content in teaching. However, one of the main objectives of this study was to seek whether or not there is a gap between teacher's perceptions and practices in teaching culture in EFL classrooms. According to the findings, this gap prevails in an Iranian educational context. On the one hand, the teachers of this study considered it important to incorporate culture into teaching.

Journal Article Critique #10 (CCU)

Citation: Linares, S. M. (2016). Othering: Towards a Critical Cultural Awareness

in the Language Classroom*. HOW. 23. 129-146. 10.19183/how.23.1.157

This study aims to seek to summarize the literature on the notion of othering and its pedagogical possibilities to promote critical cultural awareness rising in the language classroom. The purpose then is to bring society to the classroom setting for pupils to face it and learn first-hand how to negotiate othering manifestations and seek further understandings on its context of production and reproduction.

I think the findings on the article are appropriate with the common issues in EFL classroom because it needs critical cultural awareness to live with other society in diversity. Then, language classrooms constitute perfect sites to provide new educational and cultural opportunities for students to empower themselves and learn how to critically read, interpret, reflect, evaluate, and reinterpret new meanings of the Other’s social identity. In this sense, pedagogical tools such as cultural products, critical cultural incidents, qualitative research methods, and role-plays serve as engaging instruments to make students cross-culturally aware and avoid reductionist and essentialist cultural visions, this by letting them experience a diversity of perspectives and realities embedded within the culture of the target language.

Journal Article Critique #10 (CAR)

Citation: Fahrurrozi. (2017). Improving Students’ Vocabulary Mastery by Using Total Physical Response. English Language Teaching. 10. 118-127. 0.5539/elt.v10n3p118

This article aimed to know how TPR method can improve vocabulary mastery in the third grade students of elementary school Guntur 03 South Jakarta, Indonesia. The background of this study was because of the basic problems of the teacher in teaching English to the students which is lack of method in the way they deliver the material. One of the methods that can be applied by teachers in an effort to improve the competence of students in learning English, especially in the mastery of vocabulary is by applying the method of Total Physical Response (TPR).

The study implemented to in the classroom to improve learning outcomes of students; vocabulary of students physically, activates students through role-modeling that can be translated to students as the meaning of a word in the English language so that the students' understanding of vocabulary increases. Besides the application of TPR in the classroom, it can also make English language learning of students who previously daunting for even more fun so that students can follow the learning process to the optimum result.

I think this method is used by commonly teacher for teaching young learners because they usually learn something by using an action.

Journal Article Critique #8 (CCU)

Citation: Al-Wossabi, S. A. N.. (Desember, 2016). Promoting Communicative Skills and Cultural Understanding among Saudi EFL Students Joining Summer English Programs at US Universities: A Web-Based Project. 7. 6.

The aim of this journal is to enhance the oral English competence for Saudi Students. The research is conducted to the Saudi EFL Students who is joining summer English program at US University. There are some students enrolled to US University in order to develop their English competence especially in Listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. The teaching method was used web-based project. The students only attended to the class room only for first 20 hours then they studied through web site for the rest.

The result showed that the web based project can develop students’ competences in sociolinguistics, speaking skill and listening skills because when they lived in US, they lived with the native family and they learnt the culture of them. in this case, the cultural understanding was very needed in order to prevent their cultural shocked. As it is known that Arabic and American have different culture, by learning cultural awareness they can easily adapted with the native people there. And finally they can learn to improve their English skills by living with the native family there because they communicate with them everyday.

Journal Article Critique #8 (CAR)

Citation: Juriah. 2015. Implementing Controlled Composition to Improve Vocabulary Mastery of EFL Students. Dinamika Ilmu. 15. 137-162.

This article has aims to know how controlled composition teaching techniques implemented by English teacher, controlled composition teaching technique improves vocabulary mastery of sixth grade students in SDN 27 Samarinda. This study was conducted in two cycle and each cycle consists of four phases. Using controlled composition technique to improve vocabulary mastery, the researcher had done his research and it was proved that this technique can improve students’ vocabulary mastery in understanding meaning, pronouncing the words well, and spelling the vocabularies.

Controlled composition technique teaching teaching and learning involves students totally in learning process, it also has three aspects; students as learning subject, teacher as mediator and facilitator, and the situation set by the teacher to get effective and planned learning process. This technique makes the students be more active in learning process.

In my opinion, this technique is appropriate in teaching vocabulary to young learners because it has been known that young learners are learning something by experiencing so they call as active learners. 

Journal Article Critique #7 (CAR)

Citation: Dewi. R. S, Kultsum, U, Armadi, A. (December 19, 2016). Using Communicative Games in Improving Students’ Speaking Skills. English Language Teaching. 10. 63-71. 10.5539/elt.v10n1p63

This journal article is a collaborative action research between the researcher and some of the teachers in a junior high school in South Tangerang. They did a research about how the implementation of communicative games in improving students’ speaking skills. As it is known that speaking is one of the skills which have to be mastered in learning English, the fact says that in Indonesia students still have difficulties in speaking English. The problems come from the students themselves and the learning process. For those reasons, the researcher tried a new activity solve the problems by using communicative games.

The method used in this study was a collaborative action research which consists of two cycles and each cycle consisted of four phases; planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. In collaborative action research, the teacher acted as an observer while the researcher acted as teacher who taught by using communicative games. The teacher was as an active participant who was not only functioning as an observer but also taking actions by making lesson plan and giving assessment.

The result shows that the use of communicative games can improve students’ speaking skill. In my opinion, this method is appropriate to teach speaking skill for the junior high school students because they are still categorized as young learners, and young learners usually learn something by doing. That is why using games in the process of teaching and learning is suggested.