Language and Media

Nowadays, as the world keeps developing, the presence of the media becomes crucial since it is the most effective medium to spread out the information to the people around the world. There are many kinds of the media, such as newspaper, magazines, tabloid, television, radio, and so on. They are different each other in terms of the way they carry out their function, the publishing, the style of the writing, the content, the way using the language, and so on.
Although there are differences among those kinds of the media, they hold the same functions. Any kind of the media has the primary four functions; to distribute the information, to teach, to entertain, and to influence. Those four functions must be carried out all by the media without the absence of one function or more. Therefore, the four functions of the media stated above can be called as four in one function meaning that the four is a unity; it cannot be separated each other.
As forum, the media can be the space for the society to demonstrate their asporation; critics and suggestion. Communication enables individuals and groups to act together cohesively as society in order to respond and get the best solution of the problems. In a traditional society, the agreement of what should be done to respond certain problems can be raised by communication. It is somehow inevitably for a modern society today since the more complex society relies much on the media (Rivers, Peterson, & Jensen, 2004: 34).

12 Lagu Anak-anak Yang Menyesatkan !

Di waktu sekarang, lagu anak anak tidaklah setenar jaman semuda saya dulu. Waktu kecil, beberapa channel di TV bahkan menyediakan acara khusus yang memutarkan lagu lagu anak contohnya acara Tralala Trilili, Dunia Anak, dll. ada beberapa lagu populer sepanjang masa kaya' Balonku dan Bintang Kecil yang seakan sudah wajib diajarkan ke anak-anak.  Ternyata di antara lagu anak-anak yang populer tersebut, ada yang banyak mengandung kesalahan, mengajarkan kerancuan, dan menurunkan motivasi. 

Berikut buktinya:

1. “Balonku ada 5… rupa-rupa warnanya… merah, kuning, kelabu.. merah muda dan biru… meletus balon hijau, dorrrr!!!” Perhatikan warna-warna kelima balon tsb., kenapa tiba2 muncul warna hijau ? Jadi jumlah balon sebenarnya ada 6, bukan 5!

2. “Aku seorang kapiten… mempunyai pedang panjang… kalo berjalan prok..prok.. prok… aku seorang kapiten!” Perhatikan di bait pertama dia cerita tentang pedangnya, tapi di bait kedua dia cerita tentang sepatunya (inkonsistensi) . Harusnya dia tetap konsisten, misal jika ingin cerita tentang sepatunya seharusnya dia bernyanyi : “mempunyai sepatu baja (bukan pedang panjang)… kalo berjalan prok..prok.. prok..” nah, itu baru klop! jika ingin cerita tentang pedangnya, harusnya dia bernyanyi : “mempunyai pedang panjang… kalo berjalan ndul..gondal. .gandul.. atau srek.. srek.. srek..” itu baru sesuai dg kondisi pedang panjangnya!

3. “Bangun tidur ku terus mandi.. tidak lupa menggosok gigi.. habis mandi ku tolong ibu.. membersihkan tempat tidurku..” Perhatikan setelah habis mandi langsung membersihkan tempat tidur. Lagu ini membuat anak-anak tidak bisa terprogram secara baik dalam menyelesaikan tugasnya dan selalu terburu-buru. Sehabis mandi seharusnya si anak pakai baju dulu dan tidak langsung membersihkan tempat tidur dalam kondisi basah dan telanjang!

4. “Naik-naik ke puncak gunung.. tinggi.. tinggi sekali.. kiri kanan kulihat saja.. banyak pohon cemara.. 2X” Lagu ini dapat membuat anak kecil kehilangan konsentrasi, semangat dan motivasi! Pada awal lagu terkesan semangat akan mendaki gunung yang tinggi tetapi kemudian ternyata setelah melihat jalanan yg tajam mendaki lalu jadi bingung dan gak tau mau ngapain, bisanya cuma noleh ke kiri ke kanan aja, gak maju2!

5. “Naik kereta api tut..tut..tut. . siapa hendak turut ke Bandung .. Surabaya .. bolehlah naik dengan naik percuma.. ayo kawanku lekas naik.. keretaku tak berhenti lama” Nah, yg begini ini yg parah! mengajarkan anak-anak kalo sudah dewasa maunya gratis melulu. Pantesan PJKA rugi terus! terutama jalur Jakarta- Bandung dan Jakarta-Surabaya!

6. “Di pucuk pohon cempaka.. burung kutilang berbunyi.. bersiul2 sepanjang hari dg tak jemu2.. mengangguk2 sambil bernyanyi tri li li..li..li.. li..li..” Ini juga menyesatkan dan tidak mengajarkan kepada anak2 akan realita yg sebenarnya. Burung kutilang itu kalo nyanyi bunyinya cuit..cuit.. cuit..! kalo tri li li li li itu bunyi kalo yang nyanyi orang, bukan burung!

7. “Pok ame ame.. belalang kupu2.. siang makan nasi, kalo malam minum susu..”

Ini jelas lagu dewasa dan untuk konsumsi anak2! karena yg disebutkan di atas itu adalah kegiatan orang dewasa, bukan anak kecil. Kalo anak kecil, karena belom boleh maem nasi, jadi gak pagi gak malem ya minum susu!

8. “nina bobo oh nina bobo kalau tidak bobo digigit nyamuk”

Anak2 indonesia diajak tidur dgn lagu yg “mengancam”

9. “Bintang kecil dilangit yg biru…”

Bintang khan adanya malem, lah kalo malem bukannya langit item?

10. “Ibu kita Kartini…harum namanya.”

Namanya Kartini atau Harum?

11. “Pada hari minggu ku turut ayah ke kota. naik delman istimewa kududuk di muka.”

Nah,gak sopan khan..

12. “Cangkul-cangkul, cangkul yang dalam, menanam jagung dikebun kita…”

kalo mau nanam jagung, ngapain nyangkul dalam-dalam.

retrieved from 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE HISTORY

English is an Anglo-Frisian language brought to Britain in the 5th Century AD by Germanic settlers from various parts of northwest Germany. The original Old English language was subsequently influenced by two successive waves of invasion. The first was by speakers of languages in the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic family, who colonized parts of Britain in the 8th and 9th centuries.

English Language
English is a West Germanic language which is the dominant language in the United Kingdom, the United States, many Commonwealth nations including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other former British colonies. It is the second most spoken language in the world. It is estimated that there are 380 million native speakers and 300 million who use English as a second language and a further 100 million use it as a foreign language. It is the language of science, aviation, computing, diplomacy, and tourism. It is listed as the official or co-official language of over 45 countries and is spoken extensively in other countries where it has no official status. English plays a part in the cultural, political or economic life of the following countries.

History of the English Language
    English is an Anglo-Frisian language brought to Britain in the 5th Century AD by Germanic settlers from various parts of northwest Germany. The original Old English language was subsequently influenced by two successive waves of invasion. The first was by speakers of languages in the Scandinavian branch of the Germanic family, who colonized parts of Britain in the 8th and 9th centuries. The second wave was of the Normans in the 11th century, who spoke Norman (an oil language closely related to French).

             The history of the language can be traced back to the arrival of three Germanic tribes to the British Isles during the 5th Century AD. Angles, Saxons and Jutes crossed the North Sea from what is the present day Denmark and northern Germany. The inhabitants of Britain previously spoke a Celtic language. This was quickly displaced. Most of the Celtic speakers were pushed into Wales, Cornwall and Scotland. One group migrated to the Brittany Coast of France where their descendants still speak the Celtic Language of Breton today. The Angles were named from Engle, their land of origin. Their language was called Englisc from which the word, English derives.

          It is convenient to divide English into periods—Old English (or Anglo-Saxon; to c.1150), Middle English (to c.1500), and Modern English.

MODEL DESAIN PEMBELAJARAN JEROLD E. KEMP

Model desain system pembelajaran yang dikemukakan oleh Jerold E. kemp dkk. (2001) berbentuk lingkaran atau Cycle. Menurut mereka, model berbentuk lingkaran menunjukkan adanya proses kontinyu dalam menerapkan desain system pembelajaran. Model desain system pembelajaran yang di kemukakan oleh kemp terdiri atas komponen-komponen sebagai berikut:
1.    Mengidentifikasi masalah dan menetapkan tujuan pembelajaran.
2.    Menentukan dan menganalisis karakteristik siswa.
3.    Mengidentifikasi materi dan menganalisis komponen-komponen tugas belajar yang terkait dengan pencapaian tujuan pembelajaran.
4.    Menetapkan tujuan pembelajaran khusus bagi siswa.
5.    Membuat sistematika penyampaian materi pelajaran secara sistematis dan logis.
6.    Merancang strategi pembelajaran.
7.    Menetapkan metode untuk menyampaikan materi pelajaran.
8.    Mengembangkan instrument evaluasi.
9.    Memilih sumber-sumber yang dapat mendukung aktifitas pembelajaran.
Model desain system pembelajaran memungkinkan penggunanya untuk memulai kegiatan desain dari komponen yang mana saja. Model ini tergolong dalam taksonomi model yang berorientasi pada kegiatan pembelajaran individual atau klasikal. Model ini dapat digunakan oleh guru untuk menciptakan proses pembelajaran yang berlangsung di dalam kelas secara efektif, efisien dan menarik.
Menurut Gustafson dan Branch (2002), model desain system pembelajaran yang dikemukakan oleh Kemp dkk merupakan sebuah model yang berfokus pada perencanaan kurikulum. Model dengan pendekatan trdisional ini memprioritaskan langkah dan perspektif siswa yang akan menempuh proses pembelajaran. Factor penting yang mendasari penggunaan model desain system pembelajaran kamp, yaitu:
1.    Kesiapan siswa dalam mencapai kompetensi dan tujuan pembelajaran.
2.    Strategi pembelajaran dan karakteristik siswa.
3.    Media dan sumber belajar yang tepat.
4.    Dukungan terhadap keberhasilan belajar siswa.
5.    Menentukan keberhasilan siswa dalam mencapai tujuaan pembelajaran.
6.    Revisi untuk membuat program pembelajaran yang efektif dan efisien.

Descriptive Research

Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the definition of either quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead it can utilize elements of both, often within the same study. The term descriptive research refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis that will be applied to a given topic. Descriptive statistics tell what is, while inferential statistics try to determine cause and effect.

Descriptive research can be either quantitative or qualitative. It can involve collections of quantitative information that can be tabulated along a continuum in numerical form, such as scores on a test or the number of times a person chooses to use a-certain feature of a multimedia program, or it can describe categories of information such as gender or patterns of interaction when using technology in a group situation. Descriptive research involves gathering data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and describes the data collection (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). It often uses visual aids such as graphs and charts to aid the reader in understanding the data distribution. Because the human mind cannot extract the full import of a large mass of raw data, descriptive statistics are very important in reducing the data to manageable form. When in-depth, narrative descriptions of small numbers of cases are involved, the research uses description as a tool to organize data into patterns that emerge during analysis. Those patterns aid the mind in comprehending a qualitative study and its implications.

Three main purposes of research are to describe, explain, and validate findings. Description emerges following creative exploration, and serves to organize the findings in order to fit them with explanations, and then test or validate those explanations (Krathwohl, 1993). Many research studies call for the description of natural or man-made phenomena such as their form, structure, activity, change over time, relation to other phenomena, and so on. The description often illuminates knowledge that we might not otherwise notice or even encounter. Several important scientific discoveries as well as anthropological information about events outside of our common experiences have resulted from making such descriptions. For example, astronomers use their telescopes to develop descriptions of different parts of the universe, anthropologists describe life events of socially atypical situations or cultures uniquely different from our own, and educational researchers describe activities within classrooms concerning the implementation of technology. This process sometimes results in the discovery of stars and stellar events, new knowledge about value systems or practices of other cultures, or even the reality of classroom life as new technologies are implemented within schools.

Processing non-literal sentences in comprehending language

 The phrase we hear is not always reveal the meaning of each combination of words in the sentence. It often happens that the meaning of an element of A is compared with element B can not in search of the meaning of A and B. collocation between A and B rather than bring meaning but the meaning of AB is C. It Similarly, we often use what is called a metaphor, ie, a phrase which equates something (which is generally called a topic) with something else (which is called the a vehicle), although both are not the same. Old-fashioned phrases such as: bibirnya seperti delima merekah , rambutnya bagai mayang terurai and modern expression is sutan takdir adalah dewa dalam budaya dan sastra bangsa that does not have a literal meaning. We must know the delima merekah dan mayang terurai and was like what in the perception of what caused it. Similarly Sutan Alisjahbana certainly not gods. After that, then we know the intended meaning: delima merekah dan mayang terurai in the think of it beautiful, think of it being the god of wisdom who knows all, and so on. Therefore, bibir or rambut gadis is a beautiful one who knows a lot about literature  and culture of Indonesia. 

           The phrase idioms, metaphors and indirect questions like this we must also understand correctly. The question that arises is how we understand a sentence like this. The answer to this there has been no satisfactory. Some theories state that there are three stages in the processing. First we give a literal response to every word coming first. So when I heard the word trash, then all matters related to this word in our minds: {- animate}, {object}, {human} and so on. Similarly, when we hear the word tong. Then we give literal meaning to the words we hear it. In our example, we give literal meaning to the tongseng. Apparently collocation between the tong and seng, more so in the context he again ate tongseng, do not make sense. Because the knock on the interpretation of this kind then we go into the third processing stage, namely to find another meaning beyond the literal meaning of the impossible. 

Language Comprehension; The nature of understanding

In understanding the language, there are four level of language processing. Those are:
1.    Perceptual  Level
At the perceptual level, we could describe your processing activities as a series of eye movements that are used to encode the constituent letters of words, including speech sound, written symbols, and signs.
2.    Lexical Level
At the lexical level, we use the identified letters to retrieve the lexical representation of a word from permanent memory. This representation will include the meaning of the word, its spelling, its pronunciation, its part of speech, and related characteristic. In short, the representation is what we know about a word.
3.    Sentential Level
We analyze the sentence structure of the ongoing linguistic message. In this case the sentence contains two clauses, and the subordinate clauses come first. We use working memory to store the contents of the first clause while we process the second, then form some unified representation of the entire sentence.
4.    Discourse Level
We identify the context preceding and following a sentence and integrate the sentence representation with that context.