CRITICAL READING 4

A CRITICAL READING OF “POTENTIAL OF MOBILE LEARNING IN TEACHING OF ESL ACADEMIC WRITING”

Arlina Ahmad Zaki & Melor Md Yunus

English Language Teaching; Vol. 8, No. 6; 2015

ISSN 1916-4742 E-ISSN 1916-4750

Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education

Nowadays, Most of students have their own mobile device. Mobile device had been completed with application that can be used as a tool to help student learned English well. Some studies have found that English skill such as speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary have been taught effectively by using mobile learning but only a few studies used mobile learning in teaching writing.

This study discussed the potential mobile learning in teaching writing. The discussion showed that the potential mobile learning is high. For instances: the use of electronic journal to improve student writing skill at Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic university in Saudi Arabia, the use of mobile learning to improve student argumentative writing skill at institute in Malaysia, and the used of mobile-based-learning to improve Korean student writing skill. Based on the study above, using mobile leaning can help student to improve their writing skill. They not only can check the grammar by using application in mobile device but also they can give comment and feedback to their friend via whatsapp.

If we use this media to our class, it will make easier to do writing assignment. For instance: using whatsapp as the media to improve student writing performance. As we know that whatsapp has been widely used by many students. We can ask student to do peer activity in writing assignment. They can give comment and suggestion each other to correct their writing text. The teacher can also give feedback to the student writing product directly and privately. Because of that I think this media can give big enough improvement in student writing skill. 

                                                                                                         By: Khoirunnisa

CRITICAL READING 3

CRITICAL READING OF “FACE TO FACE OR E-LEARNING IN TURKISH EFL CONTEXT”

Ekrem Solak and Recep Cakir

Amasya University, TURKEY

Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE July 2014

ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 15 Number: 3 Article 4

Technology has widely used in educational environment for instance: the use of e-learning is teaching EFL. Even though the use of e-learning was very high enough, face to face still used in teaching EFL. In some recently studies, comparison between face to face and e-learning was vary in finding, for instance: e-learning provided a lot of significant influence in student achievement of EFL. The use of e learning was viewed more effective and give high satisfaction toward student

This study had found different view in using face to face or e-learning in Turkish EFL context. The finding showed that there were no significant differences in term of satisfaction, achievement and gender’s view between e-learning student and face to face student. In other word, the finding was nearly same between them. This study added that the use both of e-learning and face to face were recommended to make higher satisfaction and achievement in learning EFL.

If we conduct this study in our class, so it will find more various finding. We realize that e-learning has used in Indonesia but the use is limited enough. The argument that e-learning can improve student’s achievement better are not always right. In some cases, it will work, but in another case it will find that there are no significant differences between traditional and modern teaching technique. It will depend on the subject of the study such as student’s background.

Owston et.al (2012) state that blended course make more interesting learning and higher achievement. I do agree with that statement. It will be wiser if we can take the goodness of using traditional technique and goodness of using modern technique then the teachers can mix it to improve student achievement in learning EFL. 

                                                                                             By: Khoirunnisa

THE ANALYSIS OF CHARACTER IN A SHORT STORY

"The analysis of Character in the Story of an Hour"

Author: Kate Chapin

            Upon hearing the news of Brently Mallard's tragic railroad accident death in the newspaper office, his friend Richards rushes to the Mallards' house, where he and Mrs. Mallard's sister Josephine gently inform the weak-hearted Mrs. Mallard of Brently's death. In response, Louise Mallard weeps openly before going to sit alone in her room.

            Exhausted, Mrs. Mallard sits motionless in her armchair by the window and looks at all the beauty of the outside world, occasionally sobbing. She is young, with a calm and strong face, but she stares dully into the sky while she waits nervously for a revelation. Finally, she realizes despite her initial opposition that she is now free. Terror leaves her eyes while her pulse beats faster.

            Mrs. Mallard knows that she will mourn her loving husband's death, but she also predicts many years of freedom, which she welcomes. She begins planning her future, in which she will live without the burden of other people. She loved her husband, more or less, but love is nothing to her when compared to independence, she decides, as she murmurs, "Free! Body and soul are free!"

            Josephine asks Mrs. Mallard to let her enter because she is afraid that the grieving widow will make herself ill, but Mrs. Mallard is actually imagining the happiness of the years ahead. In fact, only the day before she had feared living a long life. Triumphantly, she answers the door and goes downstairs with her arm around Josephine's waist, where Richards awaits.

            At this moment, Brently Mallard comes in the front door, having been nowhere near the train disaster. Richards moves in front of him to hide him from seeing his wife when she cries out. By the time the doctors arrive, she has died from "heart disease," purportedly from "the joy that kills."

Characters

A.    Mrs. Louise Mallard is the wife of Mr. Brently Mallard.

Characteristics:

1.      Protagonist. This character is introduced directly by the writer in 2^nd paragraph in the sentence “she is young, with a calm and strong face”. 

2.      Static. Mrs. Louise has two characteristics. She looks unhappy when hear her husband was death. In other side she predict the coming of happiness in the future  life. She has freedom to set her life.

This character is explained in 3^rd paragraph “Mrs. Mallard knows that she will mourn her loving husband's death, but she also predicts many years of freedom, which she welcomes. She begins planning her future, in which she will live without the burden of other people. She loved her husband, more or less, but love is nothing to her when compared to independence, she decides, as she murmurs, "Free! Body and soul are free!"

B.     Mr. Brently Mallard is the husband of Louise Mallard.

Characteristics:

1.      Flat character. This character is presented only briefly and not in depth, he only comes by the end of story “At this moment, Brently Mallard comes in the front door, having been nowhere near the train disaster. Richards moves in front of him to hide him from seeing his wife when she cries out. By the time the doctors arrive, she has died from "heart disease," purportedly from "the joy that kills."

Instead, we can know about his character from the reaction of other people when know he was death. His friend Richard directly comes to Mallard’s home to inform his death to Mrs. Mallard. It means that Mr. Mallard is Kindhearten-man so his friend Richard help him.

C.    Josephine is Louise's sister.

Characteristics:

a.      Gently woman. This character introduced in 1^st “Mrs Mallard's sister Josephine gently inform the weak-hearted Mrs. Mallard of Brently's death Josephine asks Mrs. Mallard to let her enter because she is afraid that the grieving widow will make herself ill”.

4. Richards is Mr. Mallard's friend and is the first person to hear of Brently.

Characteristics:

a.      Care and kind man. This characters introduced in 1^st paragraph “Upon hearing the news of Brently Mallard's tragic railroad accident death in the newspaper office, his friend Richards rushes to the Mallards' house, where he and Mrs. Mallard's sister Josephine gently inform the weak-hearted Mrs. Mallard of Brently's death”.

The moral massage: Freedom is human right in all around the world but the main point of this story is how to realize that balance between freedom and duties is more important of all.