Literacy
Engineering: Shifting The Language Teaching Approach from Conventional to
Literacy
Denny Nugraha
English Language
Teaching (ELT) Department
IAIN Syekh Nurjati
Cirebon
Language Teaching (language arts) in
Indonesia is still far from satisfactory. This is evidence of the failure of
language education that does not provide students with the complete knowledge
and skills of language. No wonder that Indonesian students’ literacy are rated
the lowest in Asia. The paradigm of language teaching should be shifted from
conventional approach to literacy approach. Language teachers should realize
that language teaching is not to teach students only about reading and writing
skills, but it is also the part of life skills and individual empowerment in
order to improve the nation’s literacy quality. In other words, it is high time
to shift our language teaching approach through literacy. In Indonesian
context, there are four different dimensions of literacy approach that should
be included in language teaching: linguistics (text), cognition (mind), growth,
and socio-culture.
First, teaching language in common means
to teach about reading and writing. Both reading and writing need wide knowledge
and understanding about linguistics (text). For example, the system of language
to establish meaning (morphology, syntax, semantics etc), similarities and
differences of written and oral language, and language diversity that is used
in various contexts (group, ethnic, religion etc). Particularly in reading,
literature is also considered to enhance understanding of problems faced by
humankind. Then it is language teaching’s goal to produce human functionally
which is able to read and write, literate, and showing appreciation in
literature.
Second, language teaching should include
the cognitive dimension. This dimension contains knowledge about text analysis
and critical thinking skill. For instance, the behavior of being active,
selective, and constructive in reading and writing (also literature), using
schemata to establish meaning, and using mental process and strategy to produce
meaning (predict, monitor, evaluate, revise, respond, conclude, build coherence
etc) that are adapted with text type, purpose, and audience. Thus, establishing
literacy means to apply those skills.
Third, the next dimension of language
teaching is the growth of human to be literate. Being literate is the process
of learning “to be” continuously through long life education. Literacy approach
as the growth assume that literacy achieved in the first level is the
foundation for literacy development in the next level. Thus, language teaching
should view the language functionally to help students in every level of
education. Literacy growth from elementary to university is different
psychologically. So that, language teaching should consider the growth aspect
of students.
Fourth, teaching language means to teach
textual and socio-cultural awareness of diversity. In Indonesian context,
multicultural understanding should be comprehended well through language
teaching. In addition literature gives the best example of multicultural
education. It is because literature is something from which students get moral
education. Tolerance, mutual respect understanding, cross-cultural
understanding, caring, responsibility, and cooperation are moral education
offered by literature. These virtues are universally recognized as essentials
of human beings. Finally, to teach language is ultimately to develop true
language literacy, which can only be achieved through social and cultural
literacy.
In conclusion, language teaching (language
arts) fundamentally is to create literate and cultural human that are able to
use the four dimensions above simultaneous, active, and integrated ways. In
other words, they can functionally read and write and show high appreciation
towards literature. Language teaching through literacy approach is expected to
be able to change the old paradigm that literacy only teaches about language
skills and marginalize the appreciation against literature. Precisely through
the literature students can understand multicultural or socio-cultural context
of life. Finally, they are able to improve the quality of literacy.
References:
Alwasilah, Chaedar. 2012. Pokoknya Rekayasa Literasi.
Bandung: PT Kiblat Buku Utama
2014. Islam, Culture, and Education.
Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya
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