Generating Flair among Library and Information Science Students

A Case Study on In-class English Sessions

Doddy Rusmono and Euis Rosinar

Faculty of Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No.229, Bandung, Indonesia

drusmono@yahoo.co.id

Keywords: Approach, FIESTA, PAIKEM, Flair, Facilitator, Acceptable English.

Abstract: Library and Information Science (LIS) students as Students of Non-English Department (SNED) need

betterments in terms of approach from their facilitators (lecturers, that is.) The approach should bring with it

an atmosphere of enlightenment of which form should be inspiring, triggering, and entertaining in some way.

As English Language Learners (ELLs) majoring in LIS, they would find it rather discouraging to learn English

since they might not see the importance of studying other than their major. However, as university students,

they are there to exercise their critical thinking. The aim of the present study is to generate flair of this kind

of ELLs through FIESTA (Fun and interesting, Interactive, Explorative, Systematic, Technology savvy,

Autonomous) and PAIKEM (Partisipatif, Aktif, Inovatif, Kreatif, Efektif, Menyenangkan, or Participative,

Active, Innovative, Creative, Effective, Interesting) modes of approach. An approach using a qualitative

method of research with interview and observation as instruments results in significantly positive impact. It

is indicated that any facilitator’s efforts made towards betterments in terms of mainly speaking and, writing

using acceptable English makes room for a possibility.

1 INTRODUCTION

In-class English sessions generate rooms for

betterments in terms of students’ willingness to get

communicated with their peers and their facilitators

as well. The teaching of English as a foreign language

(EFL) to students of non-English departments

(SNED) as English language learners (ELLs) needs

certain approach in encouraging them to mainly speak

in English in a more appropriate way. One of the

SNED groups at Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan (FIP –

Faculty of Education) falling into this category is

Prodi Perpusinfo (Library and Information) group of

students. To obtain a positive impact from the

learning process through English 1 and English 2

lectures to the students of this category, for instance,

a developed learning method through an appropriate

approach is imperative. As university students, they

are there to exercise their critical thinking (Obias,

2015). Rosenthal (2016) insists that although English

is regarded as the common international language of

business, not every business globally use English on

a regular basis. Not being “at home” in both cultures

– English and Indonesian, These ELLs communicate

a bit less acceptable. They are beyond awareness of

the target language (English) as a living phenomenon

when communicating their ideas expressed in

especially a spoken form.

As facilitators, teachers, or instructors, or

lecturers should be aware of their students’ initial

willingness in terms of absorbing any learning

process offered. Instructors, for example, should

emphasize on the learners’ ability. Steinberg and

wendy (1996) believes that there are at least two

abilities on the [part of the learners namely Synthetic

and Practical abilities. The present study sees

differences between the initiatives senses generated

by students as something students have to explore on

their own efforts. Thus, students are invited to be

particularly synthetic thinkers. They are to make

connections between things lecturers do not

spontaneously concern. These learners use practical

ability to convince their lecturers that an idea

expressed by the learners is worthy and conducive.

ELLs communicate with less than acceptable

sense on the other party’s part. Part of the reason is

that the ELLs have no room to express their ideas by

involving themselves thoroughly. McIntire (2014)

says that language barriers make it difficult to give

direction, explain your expectations, or provide

performance feedback to those with whom you

cannot communicate effectively. ELLs as

Rusmono, D. and Rosinar, E.

Generating Flair among Library and Information Science Students - A Case Study on In-class English Sessions.

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 2, pages 52-56

ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8

communicants need to involve themselves well in

differences of culture and language, which, is difficult

to perform: avoiding themselves from being awkward

and unnatural to some extent. Hill and Flynn (2006)

were cited when saying Language is the air we

breathe and the water we swim. It comes as naturally

to us as seeing the sky or digesting our food. It is as

vital a part of our name and personality. But what if

we suddenly had to breathe different air or swim in

different waters? Then, again, the culture in which

the students in discussion live influences and shapes

their feelings, attitudes, and responses to their

experiences and interactions with the party they

communicate their messages. Experts see this notion

by saying that language represents the culture since

the words refer to the culture, as belief and practices

of a society, but the representation is never complete

or perfect. This phenomenon leads to understanding

on the learners’ part that what works in their first

language (Indonesian language) may not work in

English. They are somewhat impeded by this cultural

relativity in that their attempts to achieve the other

party’s comprehension have proven to result in

communicating their ideas being less acceptable:

communication breakdowns being unavoidable.

McIntire (2014) says that language barriers make it

difficult to give direction, explain your expectations,

or provide performance feedback to those with whom

you cannot communicate effectively. SNED as ELLs

should be proficient enough in both their ideas and

the other party so that the message they utter to that

other party of communication is understood

accurately, clearly and naturally. ELLs should be able

to deliver their ideas expressed in speaking according

to the rules, style, and grammatical points of the target

language so that their message is avoided from being

awkward and unnatural. Other than that, ELLs’

knowledge of target culture of the language plays a

greater role as coined by Cakir (2006) “Most

frequently confronted that students to a great extent

know the rules of language, but are not

knowledgeable enough about the target culture” and,

as a communication tool with two parallel streams

which prompt to an awareness of a difference

between the languages, it makes it possible for any

sociocultural and sociolinguistic constraints to

hamper the communication.

A factor of confidence plays a key role to enhance

a good communication among ELLs: feeling secure,

intimidation-free atmosphere, being relaxed, and

flair-based initiative are necessary, to name a few. A

number of ways to help assisting the ELLs towards

the end could be encouragement, push, appreciation

in its various forms, rooms for creation on the ELLs’

part and lots more. Rusmono (2015) confirms that

lecturer, teacher, instructor should find every way

possible to “soften” the voice every time showing

mistakes takes place. Accordingly, any student being

exposed to his failure leading to making him the

object of ridicule would surely withdraw from

attempting to get understood and received by the

whole class. A worth citing, a “true story” account by

one SNED student as ELLs is inspiring: Okey guys,

this is Multimedia Room. There is place for browsing,

searching, downloading, and typing. All facilities this

room free for user. And this is postgraduate room. We

can access in repository UPI for see this collection.

Now we will wend second floor. This library has

relict deposits. Okay, this is magazine and France

Corner. This room will be relaxing for user and then

user can copy essay, thesis, dissertation and other

collection in photo copy room. Free from copy can

using preservation of collection. Every single letter of

the words forming each sentence is copied exactly as

it appears in the student’s note, including, one word

“untranslated” namely “disertasi” (Cf. English

“dissertation”).

The role a facilitator plays in generating flair for

the ELLs “colours” the atmosphere of the class

sessions. Through two modes of approaching

students namely and FIESTA and PAIKEM, for

instance, an atmosphere of being monotonous and

boring can be avoided. FIESTA stands for Fun and

interesting, Interactive, Explorative, Systematic,

Technology savvy, Autonomous) while PAIKEM

stands for Partisipatif, Aktif, Inovatif, Kreatif, Efektif,

Menyenangkan, or Participative, Active, Innovative,

Creative, Effective, Interesting. The “F” in the first

mode and the “M” in the second mode are the points

of departure in terms of generating the students’ flair.

Combined with another mode of approach called IBA

(Interest-Based Approach), for instance, a pleasing

atmosphere of a learning process in the classroom is

more than likely taking place. ELLs’ feeling of secure

is maintained in such a way that they are eager to use

their English without risks. As experts in the field

echoed, students are basically given room to see a

good chance to express their ideas in the target

language (English) without even feeling worries since

a feeling of secure develops instead. One way of

making sure that risk-free initiative on the students’

part takes place is by thinly disguising the “unforced”

mistakes students have made. As for putting into

action the “F” and the “M”, some sort of interactive

educational games would be a good start. Altinay

(2017) had believed that game-based learning needs

to be a basic strategy to prevent awkwardness from

happening during classroom sessions. A student-

Generating Flair among Library and Information Science Students - A Case Study on In-class English Sessions

centered interactive game called SCSA (Student-

Centered Speaking Activity) proves to be a possibility

in encouraging students to communicate without

risks. This way, confidence on the students’ part plays

a key role in making sure that they are “on the right

tract”. There go one student’s remarks from an

interview “LM105 class sessions make me feel so

happy and anxious at the same time because there are

a lot of games”. Other accounts by other students run

like: “FIESTA and PAIKEM make the class

interactive”; I find it easier to understand the

materials through this game”; I think this method is

good sink it brings with it fun and prevent me from

being bored all the way from beginning through the

end”. As many as forty-one students took part in an

emic mode of interview and observation: perception

of the students resulting in some significant

contribution to a more promising teaching-learning

process.

Sources of making mistakes having to do with the

absence of linguistic and cultural barriers may lead to

frustration. Rusmono (2015) insists that the less

comprehensible part of the student’s ideas expressed

when speaking might happen without their being

aware. Efforts they make, then, need to be appreciated

to some extent in that the facilitator should always

prevent the students from being exposed to an

atmosphere that possibly reveals some

embarrassment especially a very personal one as

discouragement could emerge. The whole part is that

students should feel secure and, as a result, they are

sure that they are freed from any kinds of

intimidation. Saving one’s face is what experts in

language say.

2 METHODOLOGY

This research employed a qualitative method with

interview and observation as tools to collect data from

41 informants. Through a naturalistic approach, the

informants’ emic construction was built to put

interactions among realities in which the researcher

directly interacted with the informants.

2.1 Research Design and Approach

Through naturalistic approach, the present study

seeks to attain an understanding on a process (rather

than a product) of speaking activity being observed in

that a phenomenon resulting from the process is

studied (Alwasilah, 2003). In-depth information is

gained through interviews by paraphrasing or

following-up questions. Neutralization is set to

balance possible insufficient information during the

interviews.

2.2 Participants and Data Collection

Process

Interviews with forty-one informants and observation

in which field work and field study are carried out

involves documentary analysis. The interviews are set

on planned background while the observation is done

naturalistically to provide participation of the

informants: opinions, perceptions, judgements,

intuitions, and experiences; academic behaviours.

3 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

There is a greater inclination towards an atmosphere

of being relaxed and accordingly brings with it an

encouragement on the students’ part. Approaching

with its various ways of friendliness by the facilitator

is the key to the successful creation of interesting,

entertaining yet still academic in sense of learning

which eventually remove any alienations.

When a class is organized into groups, students

start feeling secure since each of the members of the

group has something unseen to discover his/her

weaknesses (mispronouncing words, misusing

appropriate acceptable English expressions during

exchanges, using L1-Language 1-native language - to

express ideas in “the real” English). To explain a

concept, for example, students use their “Englishes”

to their own classmates and, as long as they’re the

classmates understand, no problems seem to arise.

This way, no feeling of making mistakes is bothering

while actually mistakes are in every part of “their

English”. No interruptions are done by the facilitator

and no revisions are recommended during the

interaction between students and their classmates. Let

alone blaming students because of their unforced

mistakes. Lecturers, teachers, instructors or any

facilitators at various levels of education need to

always keep the volume down every time correcting

student mistakes should take place. “Softening” is

exactly what a “notification” of exposing the mistakes

is all about. Putting a student in a difficult position

will be understood as a penalty, which, at the end, will

kill the students’ emotional will to be accepted

through his/her efforts to speak in English.

Willingness to speak during the sessions in various

interactive activities in itself is a blessing already.

Every single utterance should be regarded as

“correct” in every way. Using pleasant and even

funny body language, a facilitator might be looking

ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences

more like a comedian in front of the class: gestures

used, language used, anger kept down, friendly eye

contact. Letting students see a big chance to have an

access to an enlightenment pleases their hearts and

this would lead them to getting rid of hesitations in

expressing their ideas when speaking. This way, self-

confidence goes hand in hand with every single idea

they express regardless of, unfortunately, almost

unacceptable English to especially native speakers.

The interviews with the informants indicate that

differences among individuals exist from various

causes like, for example, locality. This would lead to

a social life of people living around a place forming

certain environment. Not to mention individual

peculiarities difficult or almost impossible to be

discussed.

Interviews with the informants result in evidence

that flair generated takes place and accordingly shows

indications that learners are encouraged to come up

with their ideas using English. A question running

like “Actually, which one do you like: the lecturer or

the material? Please answer with honesty!” Among

forty-one informants, seven are worth investigating:

 “I like the lecturer the most, then the material”;

 “Of course I like lecturer beside the materials,

because is so funny and the English sessions is

so very hard”;

 “I like lecturer and materials because the

lecturer delivers with fun, and make student

happy”;

 “I like lecturer, because he can make the class

become more fun”;

 “I like the lecturer because he is humourist. But

material and the lecturer equally pleasant”;

 “Of course lecturer because the lecturer always

has a better mood. Every time I enter this class

I always laugh. Love your lecturer”;

 “Of course I like the lecturer because he is so

funny”.

Creativity on the part of the students as SNED

disappears to some extent. As Steinberg (1996)

further insists, ways to develop creativity work well:

idea generated is encouraged; rewarding creative

ideas and contributions naturally emerge; allowing

mistakes blocking the road runs smoothly; finding

excitement is supported by playing to generate flair

leading to “strengths” on the learners’ part. A key role

of a lecturer is evident: limiting what they cannot do.

Harris et al. (2012) echoes that a lecturer is

considered successful when he applies “orchestrating

scientific discourse in classrooms” by way of his

beliefs. As of the impact of this achievement, Roehrig

(2007) says that the implementation of the curriculum

is strongly influenced by the lecturer’s beliefs about

teaching and learning, and the presence of a

supportive network within the learning center.

Making efforts to make expressions during a

dialog in an interesting topic always brings with it

some positive impacts. As a facilitator, giving

unfavourable remarks on the ELLs’ speaking

performance should be avoided. It is a must to give

remarks on the students’ performance that will have a

positive impact meaning that students as ELLs should

be freed from double burdens: linguistic and cultural

shortcomings. Even more imperative is that students

should be avoided from building a less promising

mental achievement. It is suggested therefore that if

uselessness is what follows after the remarks, even

worse painfulness deep in their heart, giving remarks

should be halted. Thus, preventing ELLs especially

SNED in this case, from comments unlikely bringing

positive impacts is a brilliant idea. The SNED need to

be encouraged to adapt what they are really interested

in with the aims their instructors are attempting to

achieve.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Making effort to generate flair and to eventually

elevate any earnest intentions of the SNED as ELLs

to use English will never be futile. The instructors

playing the role as facilitators approaching the

students with enthusiasm results in positive responses

from which flair with its energy builds confidence on

the ELLs’ part. Although rooms created for the ELLs

to fill the gap between their own language cultures

and foreign language cultures may still be far from

being perfect, an initiative has been launched and will

hopefully lead to a bit better promising future. Giving

an ounce of credits to the ELLs for any drives of

speaking in English proves to be conducive. With

their critical thinking, it leads to an emerging self-

confidence on their part and, as they go along, will

generate more comprehensible communication in

spoken form. Varieties of cultural and linguistic

backgrounds will not contribute that significant to

hampering incomprehensibility and will therefore

ameliorate constraints to effective learning since

students more than likely benefit from their learning.

Temporary “negligence” to linguistic and especially

cultural standards has resulted in a conducive process

of learning English as a foreign language. It may even

enrich the existing students’ “Englishes” in a way.

Replacement of the negligence by the facilitator’s

artificial conduct of enlightenment drives students to

perform with confidence and with the feeling of not

being intimidated by risks. Benefits are for the ELLs

Generating Flair among Library and Information Science Students - A Case Study on In-class English Sessions

to gain since endless efforts of creating a pleasing

atmosphere by the facilitator has taken place. The aim

is obvious: an initiative to speak in English with

confidence and risk-free attempts. The impact is

potentially promising in terms of developing and

implementing innovative instructional program for

the SNED as ELLs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank to informants who have

participated in this research and who have shared

their experiences and thoughts as young intellectuals.

They have been a constant source of information

inspiring every single minute during the interviews.

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ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences