An Investigating Students’ Perception on Asynchronous Online Language Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study

The aims of this study are to investigate the perceptions of two vocational high school students majoring Animation and Accounting about asynchronous online learning during pandemic and how they overcome the challenges faced. This study used qualitative exploratory research design by conducting observation, interview and documentation to get rich data of the subject under focus. Moreover, the researcher used thematic analysis to analyse the data collected by following six steps proposed by Braun et al. (2019). The findings showed that asynchronous online learning strategies seemed to not fit the participants. The students more preferred learning that is conducted synchronously which for some students is perceived as a burden as they have to deal with the problem of internet data. Other findings also indicated that students who still had problem with material given were likely to have discussion with other students as an effort to overcome one of the challenges faced.

Exploring EFL Students’ Reading Engagement in KWL Strategy

This research attempted to explore how the KWL strategy facilitates EFL students' reading engagement. The participants of this research were three students of an Islamic Senior High School. Using a case study design, the researcher describes EFL students' reading engagement by observing and engaging them in in-depth interviews. For gaining the data, the researchers used semi-structured interviews and the students' artefacts of the KWL tables. The interview session was conducted through WhatsApp audio-recording as a preferred interview media by the participants. The result of the research found that the KWL strategy gives positive engagement and self-assessment to EFL students with several stages. Other researchers are suggested to conduct further research on similar topics related to reading engagement in EFL students. Several research possibilities will expand this research. First, future researchers can complete this study by looking at the students' needs in the classroom. The results of this study revealed that students have difficulty with vocabulary.

Students’ Speaking Experience toward the Use of Role Play Technique in Online-Mediated Learning

The researcher aimed to find out students’ speaking experience toward role-play techniques in online learning. The researcher used a descriptive case study to describe and interpret students' attitudes toward speaking online learning. The data collections were interview through Whatsapp and questionnaires on Google form. The researcher observed 5 students for the Interview and 34 eleventh grade students for the Questionnaire. The results showed that the participant's experience toward the implementation of role-play technique in online speaking class was good and positive. The most of participants claimed that they had an interesting experience. However, this research still had several obstacles such as limited internet access, lack of participants' language skills, and limited feedback from the researcher.

Exploring EFL Students’ Preferences in Extensive Reading

In the context of teaching language, a suitable teaching approach in the classroom affects teaching reading to language learners to be successful. The extensive reading can be used as an alternative approach to teach reading which provides many advantages for language learners specially to foster their reading skills. Many researchers have been conducted the extensive reading study, however, the majority of existing studies about the solution to teach language using extensive reading does not appear to be helpful to find students’ preference from the component of extensive reading. Therefore, this present qualitative study attempts to explore students’ preferences in the component of extensive reading. The findings present that the highest students' preference from the component of extensive reading is easy reading. Meanwhile, the smallest students’ preference from the component of extensive reading is about teacher orientation & guide. A future researcher is suggested to study extensive reading in other aspects besides exploring students' preference to increase the quality of next extensive reading implication to be better.

The Social Inequality Portrayed on Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite Movie

This study aims to analyze the social inequality portrayed in the Parasit movie directed by Bong Joon Ho. For research method, a qualitative approach is chosen to be applied which is content analysis as research design. In collecting the data, the writers use the Parasite movie as an object of the research, and search a lot of references from the internet and libraries to support the theories as baselines of analysis. Parasite movie depicts the two families’ lives, Park's family and Kim's family, where the social conditions and the daily lifestyles are very contrastive; the first family is rich and wealth and the later one is poor and deprivation. These social inequalities reflect a social phenomenon in the real world which becomes the motives for fraudulent and greedy character and gradually leads to criminal actions. The gaps between both families are demonstrated in some aspects, such as economy and work, education, house, food, and fashion. And the disparities shown by those elements indicate where the social class they belong and what the impact to their life.

Figurative Language in Speechless Song by Naomi Scott : What Meaning Lies Behind It?

Figurative language is one part of semantic study which is usually used in poems and song to enrich the meaning of that literary works. This research aimed to find out the kinds of figurative language, the most popular kinds of figurative language, and the meaning lies behind Speechless song lyrics by Naomi Scott. The method of this study used descriptive qualitative design. The source of the data in this research was the lyrics of Speechless song. However, the researchers collected the data by reading the lyrics. The results showed there were three kinds of figurative language used in that song such as: metaphor, hyperbole and personification. Metaphor was the most repeatedly utilized in the song with 53% use, hyperbole was 30% and personification 15%. The meaning lies behind this song tells about feminism or women empowerment. Therefore, all figurative languages used were aimed to convey the personal emotional power of the singer toward her oppressor. It was vividly expressed by Naomi Scott by using those figurative languages in her song lyrics.

Undergraduate Students' Perspective on Self-Directed Learning in Speaking Skill

This study aims to describe undergraduate students' perspectives on the implementation of self-directed learning in improving speaking skills. The participants of this research are 8th semester students at Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang with the amount of 30 students. This study employed descriptive method, where the data gained through semi-structured interview and questionnaires. The findings indicated that all participants agreed that self-directed learning is an effective method that is used outside the classroom. They also agreed that self-directed learning can help them achieve their learning goals and get used to being more active and responsible in their learning process. In addition, in carrying out self-directed learning activities, most of the participants prefer to use audio-visual media. Furthermore, this study suggests teachers to provide a foothold to students about the importance of self-management in the learning process towards self-directed learning so that students are more independent and can achieve the learning objectives.

A A Pre-service English Teacher’s Emotional Experiences within Teaching Practicum during COVID-19 Pandemic

Research has revealed that pre-service teachers at the start of the practicum frequently experience excitement and nervousness, shock and embarrassment once they begin teaching, and guilt and regret somewhere at completion of the practicum (Zhu, 2017). Based on this problem, the study aims to explore the emotions of a male EFL pre-service teacher when undergoing English teaching practicum during COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesian academic settings and the strategies used to cope with such emotional challenges. The data were derived from interviews and diary entries and were then transcribed, arranged based on needs, and analyzed thematically using the “Emotional Geography” framework (Hargreaves, 2001a) which focusing on five emotional dimensions: physical, moral, socio-cultural, professional and political. Research findings indicate that during teaching practicum activities affected by COVID-19, the participant experienced such negative feelings such as nervousness, fear, anxiety, shock, confusion, clueless, stress, overwhelmed Ness, and powerless. However, the pre-service teacher also felt positive feelings such as compassion, happiness, relaxedness, calmness, gratitude and enjoyment after building close bonds with the community members. By this study, the researchers hope to provide broader insights and practical benefits for teachers and pre-service English teachers’ development in which they can take advantage of current research results to find out what feelings might be faced in implementing English teaching practicum and what strategies can be developed and implemented to overcome these emotional problems.

Students’ Perception on Learning Vocabulary through WhatsApp Group Media During Covid-19 Pandemic

Social networking apps have emerged as potentially useful new tools for improving second language vocabulary acquisition. The current research compares the growth of academic vocabulary knowledge in English. The purpose of this study is to compare the perspectives or views of the Department of English Education at Singaperbangsa Karawang University (UNSIKA). Online learning conducted during the Covid-19 Pandemic students using WhatsApp group media to traditional vocabulary instruction methods. The qualitative research method used in this study is a descriptive design with an explanation of the form of narrative related to the views of students in online learning during the pandemic. Data was collected through interviews specially semi structure interview based on interview guideline and data analysis by involving three students in the online learning process. The findings provide information about the learning process as well as the advantages and disadvantages of WhatsApp media. The interview results show that students in general have a positive attitude toward learning vocabulary through WhatsApp group media. However, technological limitations, unfamiliar presentation, and learning activities may prevent students from participating in a WhatsApp media lesson.

Exploring EFL Secondary Learners’ Emotional Engagement On Kahoot as A Game-Based Response System

The purpose of this study is to discover how Kahoot emotionally engages students’ feelings in the EFL classroom. The research was conducted to one of senior high in Pebayuran which included five students from MIPA’s tenth grade. This research uses descriptive case study as research design. The data is gathered through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and documentation. The interview has been done via WhatsApp call. The questionnaire was distributed via a WhatsApp group and using a 5-point Likert scale. The documentation is a photograph of students in learning activities. This study employed thematic analysis which included six steps to analyze the data. Those six steps are familiarizing the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming data, and producing the report. As a result, it was found that Kahoot positively engages students' emotionally. It presented that Kahoot makes the learning joyful, students felt enjoy, interested, happy, motivate, and enthusiastic. However, there are challenges in using Kahoot. It found that students’ anxiety of limited times and technical problems of internet connection.