English Focus: Journal of English Language Education

Gender Representation in an English Textbook Published by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia

Azka Syifaul Nikmah — 2025-01-16

This study presents the representation of gender in an English textbook entitled “Bahasa Inggris SMA/MA/SMK/MAK Kelas XII”, published by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia (2018 Revised Edition). The objective of this study is to analyze the representation of gender in visual and textual forms in the textbook. Critical discourse analysis based on three dimensions of Fairclough's (2001) theory and narrative representation of Kress & Van Leeuwen's (2006) theory are applied in this study. The data were obtained from textual and visual forms based on the terms of domestic chores, role model, achievement, activities, and appearance, it also uses several terms from Porecca (1984) and Mills (2005) framework such as visibility, occupation, and noun. The result of this study showed that in representing gender in the textbook, the authors tried to promote gender equality and minimize gender stereotypes for both genders. Even though gender stereotypes still represented in the textbook, the authors tried to promote gender equality more often because gender equality representation was found in every aspect in the textbook.

EFL Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of Using Duolingo Application as an English Language Learning Tool

Auges Amalia Diva — 2025-01-09

The purpose of this study was to look into students' perceptions on using the Duolingo application to learn English. This was a descriptive investigation which involved 100 university students in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Surveys and interviews were used to collect data. The data of the questionnaire were analyzed quantitatively through simple percentage analysis of SPSS. Meanwhile, the interview data were qualitatively examined. Collection, categorization, description, interpretation, and conclusion comprise the model. The findings revealed that the students gave favorable responses to fourteen questionnaire statements and three interview questions that represented their perceptions on the use of Duolingo in EFL learning. The students thought that learning English with Duolingo was simple, enjoyable, interesting, and motivating. In short, the students had positive perceptions on the use of Duolingo in EFL learning. Furthermore, according to the results of the students' interviews, there were various advantages and disadvantages of using Duolingo to learn English. For example, this application could help students improve their English skills, the features of Duolingo were interesting and addictive, it could stimulate and motivate students to learn English, and students felt comfortable and enjoyed learning English while using Duolingo. On the other hand, students noticed several drawbacks of using the Duolingo application, including the inability to play and learn through the use of Duolingo in offline mode, the presence of annoying advertisements in the middle of exercises, the presence of several repeated questions in the same level, and the lack of explanation regarding grammatical structures.

Designing an Authentic Reading Text Module as the Foundation of Students' Background of Knowledge

Eko Fabianto — 2024-04-05

This is a research and development (R & D) study in nature. In conducting this research, the researcher focus on using English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in providing the materials. Some activities involved some experts in certain fields, namely English materials expert and each of study program experts. The objectives of this research are: (1) To produce authentic reading text module for students with heterogeneous backgrounds in knowledge and fields of study. 2. To validate authentic reading text module for students with heterogeneous backgrounds in knowledge and fields of study. Based on the findings on the needs, the reading text module covers relevant and authentic materials which enable to enhance the comprehension of the students. It is believed that the module helps the students as the foundation of their background of knowledge. From the result, the average normalized gain shows up 0, 44 meaning that the design for reading module has an average effectiveness and can describe the students’ background of knowledge. At last, this reference will be able to help in designing a reading text module for each study program at IBN Tegal.

Oral Corrective Feedback (OCF) and Writing Feedback toward Teachers’ Beliefs

Masrul Masrul — 2024-02-02

Teachers’ view influences the concepts that teachers teach in the classroom. This study examined the correlation between EFL writing feedback and oral corrective feedback (OCF) toward teachers' beliefs. Data were analyzed by the correlation test. The participants were 100 students from Malang State University (50 females and 50 males, with an average age of 19–22). The findings of this research reveal that the relationship between oral corrective feedback and writing feedback on teacher belief is significant and positive. Oral corrective feedback and writing feedback are effective in the teaching and learning. The results of this study can be used as a reference in applying OCF and writing feedback in the classroom. Teachers' beliefs are crucial and should be considered as one of the success factors for students in learning foreign languages.

Promoting Learners’ Autonomy in Indonesian EFL Speaking Classes: A Framework for Effective Self-Assessment

Taufiqulloh — 2023-11-16

The role of self-assessment has grabbed much attention in recent years owing to the growing emphasis on independent learning to promote learners’ autonomy which becomes the trend of present-day EFL teaching. Learners' autonomy is an inevitability and has proved to positive effect on EFL learning outcomes. In the Indonesian EFL context, self-assessment used in speaking class seems attention-grabbing to be noticed, while in fact, the majority of Indonesian EFL teachers appear troublesome to provide a method to assess students’ speaking skills. This present study thus aimed to provide a theoretical framework for the effective self-assessment for the Indonesian EFL speaking classes by presenting alternatives of instruments that can be utilized for promoting learners’ autonomy. A descriptive qualitative approach was used in this study using library research through conducting a comprehensive search of the relevant theories and empirical findings related to the self-assessment instrument in EFL speaking class. The result of the analysis shows that several instrument models can be utilized for EFL speaking classes, namely self-assessment checklists and learning logs.

EFL Students’ Perception on Blended Learning amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

Novyansyah Ilyas Izzulhaq — 2023-09-01

During the Covid-19 pandemic, blended learning became an alternative way to conduct teaching. To evaluate the implementation of blended learning, this research aimed to collect students’ perception and to know the implementation and the extent of blended learning. It used descriptive analysis design and qualitative approach. The research took place at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Kota Tegal with an English teacher and 40 students from third grade as the participants. The teacher was interviewed to collect data on the implementation and the extent of blended learning and the students were questionnaires to share their perception on the blended learning. The results showed that SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Kota Tegal implemented anchor-blend type of blended learning since early 2021. Based on the students’ perception, the implementation of the blended learning is not effective during online session. Students gave positive tendency on learning flexibility, offline session, students’ interaction and students’ motivation. However, students gave negative tendency on online session and learning management.