the Contribution of English Camp to English Speaking Ability

THE CONTRIBUTION OF ENGLISH CAMP TO ENGLISH SPEAKING ABILITY

Solihin

8th Semester Student, STKIP Hamzanwadi Selong 

In learning English many students have difficulty in mastering language skills and language elements as the prerequisites of having good English ability. According to Markus (2004), there are four language skills and three language elements. Language skills consist of writing, reading, speaking and listening, while language elements include vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Moreover, in learning English its status must be taken into account as it affects how it is taught and learnt. That is, the status of English as a foreign language in Indonesia provides different quantity and quality of exposure of English compared with that whereby English is a second language.

As a second language (ESL), English is not only found in regular or formal learning (classroom learning) but it has become the second language that is used by the community in almost all of life matters. Countries where English is a second language include India, Malaysia, Philippine, and all other ex-British colonial countries. On the contrary, in countries where English is a foreign language (EFL), exposure to English is quite varied, but people certainly find limited places where they can practice their English face to face. This situation is what we have in Indonesia and other countries such as China and Japan. 

Being aware of the limitation as mentioned above, some people or organizations try to find and develop effective ways that allow for a continuous practice of the foreign language. One such organization is the association of English department students of STKIP Hamzanwadi Selong. The students cope with the concern by being committed in joining a program called English Camp. English camp is a program where the students of English department as participants have to stay in the campus camping area so that they can easily be controlled. They must speak English fully. When they use any language other than English, a fine applies to them. The punishment is that everyone making a mistake has to pay one thousand rupiah.

Actually, the fact that students speak English fully not merely due to their fear that they have to pay one thousand for one mistake, but it is importantly due to their innate awareness regarding the significance of English as their future need. The situation in the camping area is firmly English-speaking country-like as the participants actively say and express their feeling, make joke, and tell stories in English. As a participant, I find that we use English quite perfectly. Even, I perceive it as beyond the situation in an ESL country. I hear that people in an ESL country generally mix their mother tongue with English, while in this event all participants just speak one language that is English.

I can clearly see that there is improvement in the participants’ speaking ability during the camp. In other words, English Camp program is really helpful in improving English skills, in particular speaking ability of the participants. For example, there are some participants who were very weak in speaking prior to the camp, and after they joined the English Camp seriously, they become more confident and fluent in expressing, saying, telling, and sharing their feelings and stories, even debating in English. I think this is because no chance is given for them for four days consecutively to use any language other than English, and when they do not know what to say for asking something, they might just keep silent, try to find the words from their lexicon mental, or go to look up their dictionary. In short, English Camp has given great contribution to English speaking ability. I suggest that this program be run continuously. And, for the students who have not joined the camp, this is the time for you to enter the gate of getting good speaking ability.