English is the first foreign language in our country, which is taught from elementary level to university level. English is also intensively used in international communication, in written as well as in spoken communication. In addition, many books of science, technology, art and other published issues are written in English.
English is one of students’ necessary, which is needed by students in this period; students need English to make them better in the future. Through English, they can get good job in the corporation and people will feel confidence when they can speak fluently in English. Surely, when students are learning English, students need to study about four skills of English such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The goal of foreign language study is to learn a language in order to read literature or in order to benefit from the mental discipline and intellectual development that result from foreign language study (Richard and Rodgers, 1986:3).
In the elementary school, English is taught as one of the local contents. The aim of teaching English in the elementary school is to motivate them to be ready and self-confident in learning English at higher level of education. The students of elementary school learn English for the first time. Therefore, they just learn the simple English pattern including vocabulary, grammar, etc. English has been chosen as the first foreign language to be taught in most of schools in Indonesia. In order to make the English teaching successful, we have to consider some factors such as the quality of teachers, students’ interest, motivation, school buildings, library and books, which are involved, together in teaching and learning process. Besides, there are still other factors like teaching techniques and teaching media, which also play important roles.
Usually an English teacher does not have any new method to teach their students about English; besides, a teacher should have good method to make their students feel that English is fun and easy to be learned. Teacher is a key factor in the successful implementation of curriculum changes. Exceptional teachers can often compensate for the poor-quality resources and materials they have to work (Richard, 2001:99). A teacher is one of component that has important role in the teaching-learning process because teacher is the subject of the activity. In doing teachers’ role, a good teacher needs an effective method in order to make language teaching successful.
Teacher must select a suitable material of learning for students’ necessary. It means that the teacher and the method are used in language teaching cannot be separated; experimented teachers of English now have to know how important vocabulary is. They have to know that students must learn words that speaker and writer of English use, fortunately, the necessary of vocabulary is one of important material that should be taught.
Actually, teacher has some of criteria when they will convey the material for the students. In addition, there are relationship between teacher teaching intensity and language development on language teaching. Teacher will speak like native speaker or even they cannot speak fluently in English are depended on teacher him self. His speech may be some standard or substandard variety. He may be a trained and experienced teacher, or he may not any have teaching experiences or training at all (Lado, 1964:59).
Moreover, most of English teachers in elementary school especially who are located in village area do not realize that English is very important in this period, this happens because of the English teachers who have limited knowledge, and they suppose that English is not important for students’ future. In addition, even teacher has never practiced to speak English in the class.
So far, these phenomenon is continuing in our society even in our environment. However, English teachers have to find good method to teach their students, because learning about foreign language is not easy as study as national language. Teaching in elementary school requires special technique and difference from teaching in high school or college, English teacher needs to get new method in teaching-learning process on English learning such as: appropriate material and about the teachers themselves. The appropriate material is very important for students; the equipment and aid available to the student and the teacher vary from bare walls, hard bencher, and noisy surrounding to fully equipped electronic laboratories and closed-circuit television (Lado, 1964:59)