Musamus Journal of Language and Literature

ISSN 2622-7894(online), ISSN 2622-7843(print)

Volume.02 Issue. 02; April 2020, pp.66-74
DOI 10.35724/mujolali.v2i02.2832

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ INTEREST IN LEARNING ENGLISH BY USING

CREATIVE NARRATIVE FLASH CARD

Ranta Butarbutar

Department of English Education

Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Universitas Musamus
e-mail: ranta@unmus.ac.id

Marni Bawawa

Department of English Education

Faculty of Teacher Training and Education
Universitas Musamus
e-mail: marnibawawa@unmus.ac.id

Abstract. Interesting is an essential thing needs for optimal achievement in learning English. Good
interesting surely creates motivation well. As an English creative teacher is being expected familiar to
using media for stimulate pupils’ Interesting, to enumerate, flash card. This paper addresses the issue
of experience in using narrative flash card can be used as a media to work-up learners’ interested into
learn English language. Henceforth, descriptive qualitative is a design to analysis data, whereas getting
data, it used observation, interview for students and teacher. And, the results showed (1) the using of
narrative flash card absolutely increasing students’ interesting to learn English significantly, (2)
balancing cognitive development (3) stolen-technique to motivate learners, (4) welcoming socio-
affective, (5) narrative flash card as role-play media and the lastly, gadget acquisition vocabulary.
Keywords: interesting; narrative-flash card; stolen-technique

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 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 learning English for Primary School
Referring to the policy of Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture
0487/4/1992, Chapter VIII, declares that primary school could be adding course
subject into their curriculum, otherwise as long as it is not contra to the objectives
of Indonesian national education (DIKNAS). In addition, confirmed by SK No.
060/U/1993 February 25th, 1993 that is possible English subject as a local content,
and starting at fourth grade. Markedly, by considering it, SD YPK TOMER has
been adding English lesson as a local content and would be taught starting from
third grade.
Even though English subject as a local content, however, its implementation
process is crucial thing to do. For the logic reason learners who are in this period,
easy to remember anything include of lesson materials. Considerately, learning
English at primary school level is an integrated learning process; four skills being
taught together (Four in one).
Important to be remembered, teaching English of this level cannot be
underestimated in order to their ages still very young. Notably, English is not also
being daily language for them. For this occasion English teacher needs vary both
methods and media which expected able to create first asset; interesting, motivation,
students’ awareness of international competency in early bird time. What this in
mind, narrative flash card is the best solution.

1.2 Students’ interesting

Generally speaking, every student has innate interesting in their self, but how it is
arisen, that is strong challenge for every educator. Students’ interesting arise
motivation, adding maximum effort to its motivation would be born success in
achievement. Every student could be seen whether he or she is interested in classroom
activities. It is indicated by characteristics, such as, willing to offer opinions, co-
operative with teacher/peers, willing to respond to the opinions of others (Michael
Harris and Paul McCann, 1994). In vein with Gagne (1965: 58 – 59) states one of the
eight types learning, learner acquires stimulus and response. In detailed, (Gagne and
Briggs cited in Brown, 2007) clearly confirmed there are ten types of learning activities,
namely, (1) guiding students’ interesting to accept learning material, (2) declares the

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 objectives of learning course, (3) stimuli or to retrieve previous, (4) present learning
material using learning tools, (5) giving students’ assistance, (7) giving feedback or
reflective, (8) assessment, and (9) strengthen of retention and learning transfer.

1.3 Narrative text

Narrative text defines as a kind of text that tells even sequences chronologically. It
form can be as a imagination, fantasy, and sometimes just a story of the creator.
Sum up aims to amuse or entertain of others. It most compelling are fairy story,
science fiction, horror, roman. Correspondingly this story is designing of three
classic styles; orientation, complication and resolution. In detailed language
features uses past action verbs, linking verb, and describing characteristics.
1.4 Narrative-flashcard

Notwithstanding, to make narrative stories more effective and more be pleasant by the
learners, henceforth build it up as a flash card which front-side covered by picture
related story of back-side. Expressively as follow:

Snow White

“One day, there was a

queen sitting near a very
beautiful window while
tailoring and seeing the
snow……”

Front-side Back-side
(Illustration taken from http//example-narrative-text/)

It is undeniable one of effective ways to teaching English for young learners, namely,
using flash card. The using narrative flashcard can be used as an illustration to ‘stole’
students’ enthusiast. Beside teaching vocabulary, flash card can also be used to develop
both reading comprehension and reading fast (Tan & Nicholson, 1997 cited in Maryam,
2012).

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 However, in vein with the concrete operational stage (8 – 11 years old), as sequential
development theory which declared by Jean Piaget (1977) states young learners in this
stage need more illustrations, model, pictures in supporting their learning.
2. METHODS

The field observation was manually conducted by using design forms to observe
interesting, for instances, variety of media teacher used, source of learning, supporting of
parents, and environment were declared in the observation lists.

Students, young learners less than twelve years, from three different levels engaged
for the interview session. To enumerate, those were third, fourth and fifth grade in
elementary school. Interview undertook pointed out if they were like or enjoying in
learning English. Finally, a classroom activity was done by using narrative flashcard, given
tasks, and collected their result. The observation data of learner interesting was gathered
during odd semester 2019. The location for gathering data which is a rural area, long
distance around 50km2 from city of Merauke Regency is SD YPK Tomer, District of
Naukenjerai, Regency of Merauke.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Data research gathered from observation, interview, and questionnaires. The results
were used to clarify research question: does the using narrative flashcard working up
learners’ interesting? How it running is?
3.1 Narrative flash card as a visual media to construct learning interesting
As (Albantani et all, 2018) argue there were sources of learning material given
to the learners, one of them, such as, flash card. Flash card as visual media has strong
impact to influence or to motivate students in learning. Essentially, flash card covered
in narrative story. Essentially, students less than eleven years (in conversion level one
to level five) were motivated while saw and read the narrative text both in the English
book or pictures flash card. Henceforth, study deliberately chosen narrative story
”Cinderella” in order to subjects of the research were learners less than eleven years.
For this reason, story of Cinderella is amused them. As psychology states learners as
their ages above, they are interested in both fiction and nonfiction story. Referring to
initial investigation, this study confirmed of students’ situation in English classroom
activities before used narrative flashcard, as follows:

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Table 1. Interesting in Learning EFL
No Prior Narrative-flash card
1 Lack interested in classroom
activities
2 Sometimes made fun learning
3 Boredom
4 Sometimes waiting for
command, sometimes did
nothing
5 Reluctant to do task in order
to less understanding
6 Few students bothered others
7 Most of them getting low
score
8 Passive learners; keep silent
9 Being English teacher is
difficult
10 Stag seeing English text
Subsequent to Narrative-flash card
Happy and enjoyed in classroom activities
Learning in seriously
Reducing of boredom
Willing to do with no other’s command;
Never give-up doing difficult task
Unbothered other friend while classroom activity
is running
Increasing English score
Having active response into teacher’s
explanation
Having a dream be an English teacher
Enjoy reading English story

Evidence must be remembered that indicators above shown us of the changing positive
student behaviour in English classroom. To put it another way, students’ interesting
could be highly motivated and getting best achievement in learning English. As an
illustration interesting, motivation, and achievement are linear. It’s meant since learners
had well interesting to learning English however they would have high motivation, and
surely achieved better scores in English lesson. In that even that researcher claims,
learning interest as founding father of students’ motivation.
On the positive side, flashcard-role play as language teaching approach to build-up
interesting in accordance with (Ur, 1996) argues prior to topic above and referring to
young learners’ ages, chosen narrative flash card as media in this study, namely, story
of Cinderella. Commonly, subjects of this research most likely it in order to the story
entertained while they role-played. Teacher informed for them that three are seven
moral messages of the story would be played, to put it separately:
a. Brave

Learners in this study could be taught brave to do something. It was a message that she
got from her mother before passed away. She always brave faced two her step sisters.
It is implied that people must be brave in our live.

b. Kindly-heart

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 Cinderella’s mother messaged that she ought to humble, kindly-heart to everyone.
She always humble for every member of her family even though they teased. She
never got it back to her sister, even to the beggar.
c. Never give-up
Prince tried hard to looking for someone who has glass shoes which left in the
prince’s palace. He announced a competition the people that would be got a prize
for its belonging. Finally, he found the girl who has that glass shoes; she is
Cinderella. She was the winner for the competition; correspondingly she became
the prince’s wife. By the same token it was asserted that everyone who wants to
dream comes true surprisingly work hard and never give-up.

3.2 Balancing Children Cognitive Development

As Piaget theory argues that child’s cognitive development is between 7-12 years old.
Their cognitive grows in three scopes at once; thinking, memorizing and fantasy
(imagination). Learners in this time period time were very interested with the story
about magic or nonfiction and fantasy, to enumerates, Cinderella, White Snow, Malin
Kundang, Lake Toba and story of Golden Fish. All the stories mentioned liked by
learners due to their cognition ability claimed those were true happened.
Generally speaking learners enjoyed of given topic, their facial expression, eye contact
seriously paid attention even sometimes smiled or laughed. In contrast, in the prior class
observation, teacher asked them noted task from the white board; 10 learners seriously
done, 5 learners did uncompleted, and rest did nothing in spite of bothered another
friend. To sum up it is indicated that more than half class member lack interesting in
doing task (Butarbutar, R., et al, 2019).

3.3 “Stolen-Technique” to Motivate Learners

More important mentioned that this narrative text was really interested learners.
Teacher explored moral messages of the narrative story “Golden Fish” to the learners,
at that time they were seriously heard. With this intention, learners’ interesting could
be raising in order to this story explored variety really human characteristics that they
had seen also in both in the family and neighbour. With this is mind, while teacher
retold the sequence of the story supported by appropriately non-verbal communication.
They were “hypnotized” being concentrated on the teacher’s expressions as excerpted”
the farmer and his wife were so sad about the death of their fish”.
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 Teacher acted as if felt deeply sad following facial expression with sorrow. Vice versa,
she changed her body language to express of happiness after the farmer became rich,
she was happy even leaners felt also being happy, expressively demonstrated” they
became rich again”. As has been noted although teaching process used simple story
however it could be motivated learners to be more seriously, Lieung, K. W., Butarbutar,
R., & Duli, A. (2019).
The most important was the way used in transferring. On the negative side, teacher
designed topic with the technology but the way used is classic or monotone, otherwise
changed the style of delivery. Teacher’s acting in character of the story mentioned was
the “stolen-attention” technique. On the other hand, how did their interesting wake-up
to learning English anymore even they after finished elementary school level.
3.4 Welcoming learners socio-affective
As Max Weber (1920) proposes social actions are the personally acts which given
advantages both for himself and others. Remembered this action comes naturally
unrealized. Another says it was happened weather someone after seen, watched and
heard sadness story or movie. Sum up, dropped tears after watched sad Indonesian
sinetron, story of vicious step mother and commonly felt by young girl learners,
Significantly, they had wishing to watch it gradually. Research demonstrated, teacher
told “Cinderella”, “white snow”, ”Malin Kundang” they were very sad, gloomy face,
even 2 of them tears drop. More important, teacher walked around to observing learners
response, the girls who are dropped tears being ashamed.
Accordingly, narrative flash card could be presented socio-affective of learners. It is
implied weather teacher might be arranged her behavior way to teaching surely made
classroom more interactive.
3.5 Narrative flash card as role-play media
Another point in providing classroom more interactive is role playing.
Teacher fixed role for anyone; prince, two step sisters, unlucky girl, step mother,
fairy and others relevant character to the story chosen. Every learner tried playing
as their roles and did the best. For the most part they enjoyed, amused and interest
in playing role, in this case girls in particularly. On the positive side, while played
each role they trained to memorize character, vocabularies, turn taking, and setting.
Surely those roles needed deepen concentration.
3.6 Gadget Acquisition vocabulary

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 With this is in mind, most vocabularies in the narrative texts mentioned above were
new word for elementary level at rural area in particularly. Pertaining in role-play
media as mentioned above, learners required to playing, memorizing words.
Notably, this experience added ‘pocket’ vocabularies, however in order to played
role surely acquire new words. Whole processing occurred as many stories as given
to learners would be played.

4. CONCLUSION

All things considered, learning interest could be work-up by teacher’s way in teaching,
media used to make classroom atmosphere is amused. Generally speaking, the results
proven: (1) the using of narrative flash card absolutely increasing students’ interesting
to learn English significantly, (2) balancing cognitive development (3) stolen-technique
to motivate learners, (4) welcoming socio-affective, (5) narrative flash card as role-play
media and the lastly, gadget acquisition vocabulary. Evidence must be remembered
narrative text tells about setting, personalizing, and character.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks goes to the Directorate of Research and Community Service - Directorate
General of Strengthening Research and Development - Ministry of Research,
Technology, and Higher Education 2019 for funding assistance that has been given in
supporting the implementation of this research. Furthermore, thank you so much goes
to the Rector of Musamus University and the Chairman of the LP2M who have
facilitated this research as well.

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