Aug 24, 2012
Pictures, as media for learning a language, have long been extensively used and regarded as useful tools to assist teachers in delivering a topic in their teaching practices. The objectives of this study are to describe the use of pictures in teaching English to young learners.
Using picture, We can easily explain the new vocabulary to kids. As the teacher usually has a problem to explain it to them. We should avoid long term explanation about new vocabulary, it can make confuse for kids. So "picture" is very helpful to avoid long term explanation.
Basically, young learners have great potentials in acquiring and learning a foreign language, and even they learn it more quickly than those who are leaning the foreign language after puberty. On the contrary, they are less capable of absorbing or acquiring a foreign language optimally.
Media is one thing that is offered by many experts as a tool to increase the interest and motivations to study. Therefore, the ability to use teaching media is competence skill that every teacher must have. Picture is one of media which is suggested for helping the success of teaching-learning.
There are several advantages of using pictures as media in teaching :
1. Presenting new language
2. Practicing new language
3. Introducing text for developing receptive and productive skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing)
4. Serving as base for commnication
5. Setting the scene for a story or role - play
6. Developing learner's creativity
Media, such as pictures, can be used to teach English to young learners in several ways. For example, first, teacher can make comparison between foreign language and student’s mother tongue in his teaching practices.
Teachers can use pictures such as flash card to help his students to understand the lessons. For example, teacher can introduce names of things while holding the flash cards in his hand. Then, the teacher asks students to repeat after him. Second, the teacher can create full color animated and funny pictures to encourage them to learn the meaning of those pictures. Third, teacher can create some activities using pictures; make the cheerful situation while making the students understand the topic. For example, matching pictures, guessing name of pictures, drawing and colouring pictures, making some songs and game related with the topics.
Young learners respond positively on the use of pictures which are simple, animated, full color, interesting and funny. Besides, they also respond positively on the use of pictures by using English language which is combined with their mother tongue. The students can follow the teacher’s instruction fast and finish the assignments well.
Using pictures as media in teaching English is recommended for English teachers, especially for the teachers of elementary schools to attract the students’ interest and raise their motivation in learning English.
