Hanifah Khalidiyah (1602980)

English Education Department

Indonesia University of Education

A Belief in teaching is very significant. The belief not only will show teachers certain ways to
conduct the process of transferring knowledge and Idea, but also confirm whether the
instructional process in line with the goal of the teaching and learning process or not. Therefore,
every teacher must have his or her own belief in teaching, either consciously or subconsciously.
The belief depends on the subject taught by the teachers. Since I am an English teachera
language teacher, I will define my belief in teaching in accordance with the nature of language
itself.
It can be stated that language is a tool for transferring and conveying meaning. Language is
utilized by people around the world to express what they have in their own mind and to
understand what other people have in their own mind as well. It cannot be denied that language
is for communicating with others. In respect of the nature of language, I believe that teaching
language should be able to meet that goalcommunication. In my perspective, I have to be able
to make my students communicate with the language that I taught, both spoken and written, in
various context. In order to achieve that goal, I will provide my students a series of stages. Those
stages will be elaborated as the following.
First, show students some models or examples how people used English as a commutation tool in
certain context. In this stage, I will make students familiar with certain context where English is
used by showing them a series of photo story pictures, conversation models, videos, or pictures
related to the context. Hence, before I teach, I usually already choose certain topic and/or
situations. It is very useful having a topic in order to identify or specify the useful vocabulary.
Second, ask and lead students to read the given models/ example carefully by identify and
analyzing them. I will lead them to think critically what is going on the given models, what the
situations, context, function, and meaning of the model. In this case, I follow a concept in Islam
religion, which is, IQRA (reading). I want to emphasize that reading is a key for knowing
everything. Having the ability of readingnot only reading a text, but also reading everything

(e.g. situations, moments, or environment around students), will increase students sensitivity in
meaning every situation and students critical thinking. For that reason, IQRA (reading) is a
compulsory, in order to make meaning of the world.
Third, guide students to practice the given model by using similar situation. This stage aims at
making students realize the certain language features and rules being used and giving students
experience in using the language in that situations. Therefore, in this case, I will teach grammar
in integrated ways with the context of situations, either explicitly or implicitly, so my students
will perceive grammar as a language unity, and they can make sense the function of grammar in
each situation.
Fourth, let the students become creative and unique creators and inventors. In this stage, I will
ask students to explore their own idea in using the language being learned. With the same topic,
they can associate what they have learned with the real life, and they have to develop what they
learned to be a unique and creative masterpiece by find out various or possible different situation
in the internet, then they have to create something new, either written or spoken.
From the aforementioned stages, it can be implied that teaching four skills in integrated ways
using topics or contexts. Moreover, the most important thing is, since English is a foreign
language in my country, I have to realize that my students will not get much exposure of English.
Therefore, As an English teacher, I not only have to convince my students the significance of
learning English, but I have to facilitate them to get enough exposure of English as well, at least
in the classroom. Why do I give my students an exposure or routine of using English? It is
because I believe language is about habit. It means, you would be able to understand and use a
certain language well if you participate actively wherein the language is used for communication,
so as a teacher we have to create such environment.
To accommodate my belief in teaching English, I need helpful and useful teaching aids. One of
the supporting teaching tools is a textbook. The textbook should be interactive, interesting, and
meaningful. In other words, the textbook that I will choose, in regard to my belief in teaching,
should have the following criteria.
First, the textbook should provide various topics or context of situations. Each topic should be
able to facilitate the four language skillslistening, speaking, reading, and writing, hence the

students will see that the language they learned is meaningful. Second, it should have lots of
pictures, models, and examples related to the topics; hence students will figure out the language
focus, linguistic features, grammar and communication skill that they are going to learn. Third, it
provides some guided exercises for the students, so they can practice what they have learned. All
of the exercises should be able to accommodate four language skills in integrated way. Fourth, it
provides or introduces some useful and meaningful vocabularies related to the topic or context of
situation being discussed. Fifth, it should provide some enhancement exercises and other sources
for students to develop what they have learned, so at the end they can produce something, both
spoken and written form, creatively.
In conclusion, having a belief in teaching is very crucial. It can help teachers to deliver
the material systematically and well, and to select and evaluate textbook, which is the most
suitable and appropriate with our belief of teaching.